DAMAGE CONTROL IN ACTION
Damage Control Situation No. 1
How to avoid obstacles and trouble ahead
What should you do when your ball comes to rest behind a large rock, small bush or other obstacle? If your swing from a normal setup would strike the rock, or your ball might hit the rock and end up in water, you're facing a potential disaster score. If by simply aiming left or right you can solve the problem, that's easy. But when changing your aim is not an option, the only answer is to change your setup and swing.
SET-UP-OLOGY
Tilt your spine toward the target
By leaning toward the target, you change your spine angle relative to the ground in the direction of the shot [A, above]. This causes the downswing arc of your clubhead to dig into the ground after impact [B, above], prohibiting a normal follow-through and preventing you from whacking the rock [C, above]. Move the ball position back in your stance, which also helps to limit the follow-through.
SWING SHAPING
Stop your swing short after impact
Cutting short your follow-through is the key to this shot. While this sounds easy, it's difficult to stop your swing when you're trying to hit a ball. To supply power through impact and then stop your hands, your arms and the club almost always require more time and space than you expect. The general guideline for playing the hit-and-stop: Never try a full strength shot if you don't have room for at least half your normal follow-through. Faced with this rock problem, the quickest way to get your club stopped is to bury it in the ground after impact. A warning: Do not try this without going through the proper instruction to develop the skills to pull it off. The risk of wrist injury and a broken or bent shaft is very real.
BACKYARD PRACTICE DRILL
Learn to stop your follow-through
1. Make a few swings and try to stop your follow-through after impact using your hands and arms only. Next, find a small obstacle (such as a backpack) and place your ball 18 inches behind it. (Here I am using a fake rock made of foam.) Start with gentle swings and build up power gradually. See how hard it is to stop?
2. Now lean forward to change the angle of your spine to the ground and move your ball position back in your stance. This will make your club hit the ground and stop after impact. As you begin to swing harder, learn to release the pressure in your grip immediately as you contact the ball. This limits the pounding to your hands and wrists.
3. Hit Damage Control practice balls (P3 ball, almostgolfball.com, $13 per dozen) with different lofted clubs, at different distances from the obstacle to learn how much to lean into each shot and how hard to swing.
OK, that was your Damage Control warm-up. Now here's a tougher situation, using different skills.
