Rescue me! Tips for tricky spots

PowaKaddy P5 handle

While the escape or utility club is relatively new and has made a big impression in the last few years, it cannot provide the answer to all escape routes we find on the golf course.

We’ve been doing some research and discovered some very useful tips from top players on avoiding finding even more trouble, while trying to escape from tricky positions Here’s a handful of situations and escape routes you might try:

Aim left when ball’s below your feet

Faced with a sloping lie and the ball below your feet, align yourself left of where you want the ball to finish. The naturally stooped nature of your posture, when you address the ball, creates a more upright swing. This leads to a natural fade so aim left to compensate.

Aim right when the ball’s above your feet

Many of us find ourselves with shots where the ball lies above our feet so it’s almost guaranteed to go left. Compensate by aiming to the right of your target, standing more upright and gripping down the shaft. It’s then a natural tendency to swing around your body with a flatter swing.

Bjorn find a flying lie

No fliers on me!

Beware of ‘flying lies’ in fast-running summer conditions. When the ball is perched in whispy grass just off the fairway, chances are it’s a ‘flying lie’ situation. Take one less club than the distance normally dictates and allow for roll on landing.

Ball in a greenside bunker with no lip

Occasionally you find your ball sitting on compacted sand in a bunker with no lip and only a few feet from the putting surface.

Seriously consider taking your putter instead of splashing out with a sand iron. Grip down the handle to hover it above the sand, address the ball slight forward in your stance and strike the ball on the up with top spin.

Ball in a fairway trap Don’t be too greedy. Always assess the trajectory needed to clear the front lip and take a club that will achieve this by about one foot (third of a metre). Make this height your margin for error and chose your club (with enough loft) carefully.

Take wood from a divot when you can

Wood in the hole

Faced with a ball nestled in a divot when 150 yards or further from the green, consider using a fairway metal (or rescue club) instead of a medium iron. The shape of the clubhead is better suited to sliding through a depression.

Use cross wind to your advantage

Many of us hate the crosswind, especially left to right with our slice lurking. Instead of trying to compensate by trying to draw the ball to hold into a left to right wind or cut into into a right the lefter (leave it to the pros), go with thew flow and play along with it. Take plenty of club and allow the wind to blow your ball back on line.

Open the face in the rough

Never square the face at address in deep rough. Open the face a little and re-grip as you take your stance and hold on tight. Allow for the friction of the grass to square the face at impact and the ball will fly out on target.

No spin in the wet

Make allowances for less spin in wet conditions. Moisture tends to get trapped between ball and clubface and reduces the effectiveness of the grooves. On landing the ball will skid and roll out.

Hack down in plugged lie

A ball plugged towards the face of a bunker demands less finesse. Set up with the ball in the centre of your stance, hood the clubface, re-grip and chop down hard. It will pop out - but fast - so allow for lots of roll.