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Golf Tips: How to Hit It Pure from Soggy Turf

January 20, 2017

The sun’s out, but days of rain have left the course playing like a big, wet sponge—you splash water on every swing. How do you adjust? Easy. Hitting from soggy turf is a lot like hitting from a fairway bunker: The soft ground forces you to make ball-first contact. (Trust me. Fat shots will go nowhere.) Just follow these three steps. You may not be dry, but you will be pin-high!

STEP 1: RAISE YOUR ARC

Because the ground is so soft, your feet will sink into the turf when you address the ball, lowering the bottom of your swing arc. If you don’t adjust, you’ll catch the shot fat. Simply choke down an inch and position the ball in the center of your stance.

STEP 2: HOVER THE CLUB

Only your dry cleaner wants you to take a big divot on a wet track. Stand “taller” at setup so you can hover the club above the ground and line up its leading edge with the ball’s equator. This will help you make a slightly descending strike, not a chop.

STEP 3: HIT THE SPOT

To ensure that you hit the ball first and minimize the wet turf’s effect, aim for a spot on the ground an inch in front of the ball. Make sure the clubhead and your right knee reach the ball simultaneously. Time it right and you’ll hit all ball—and be putting for birdie.

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