No matter how good you are at golf, everyone ends up hitting into the hazards at some point. Frustrating, yes. Incapacitating – no. There are more options to getting out of hazards than you might be aware of, and knowing your options may make a big difference to your score. Read on for the best way to play out of those annoying hazards.
How to get out of the water
If you don’t want to take a penalty, you can attempt to hit your stroke out of the water hazard. Getting out of the water without incurring a penalty stroke is a very handy tool to have in your arsenal.
When your ball is showing above the water
If any part of your ball is showing above the water, then it’s playable. When it’s completely submerged is when it becomes a lot more difficult.
A sand wedge is your best bet here, as a lob wedge has too much loft to be able to penetrate the water. You need a steep and powerful swing to get you out of the drink. Start from a chip position and keep your weight on your front foot. Make sure your footing is very stable, and take a wide stance to aid your balance. Take a few practice strokes to make sure your body is balanced. Then play the shot like a normal bunker shot, with one big difference – try not to open the face of the club. Instead, keep the clubface square to the target.
Try and hit whatever is underneath the ball out of the hazard, and the ball will follow. You need to hit this stroke aggressively, so make a hard and steep downswing.
When more than half of the ball is submerged
If more than half of the ball is submerged, treat the shot like a plugged bunker lie. Instead of powering through the sand, you hit the water. You’ll need to employ a steep, descending angle of attack coupled with a shortened follow through. Change the force of your swing depending on how deep the ball is submerged.
When the ball is completely submerged
If the ball is completely submerged, your best bet is usually not to try and hit it out. Usually the wisest course of action is to take a drop and incur the penalty. You can drop the ball at any distance behind the water hazard, providing you keep a straight line between the hole, the point where the ball last crossed the margin of the hazard and the spot on which the ball is dropped.
Choose your best option
If your ball is completely unplayable or lost in the water hazard, you also have the option of playing a ball as nearly as possible to the spot from which the original ball was played. However, in most cases, the better option is the take the drop. As long as you hit the ball forwards, you’ll usually be closer to the hole than re-hitting the same shot you just hit.
The water shot is not a shot that you’ll get to practice very often, but hopefully these tips will help you hit it successfully when it does happen.
Bonus tip: Make sure you’ve got a towel and a spare pair of socks somewhere in your golf bag, as your shoes are likely to get uncomfortably wet.
Speaking of water, should you play golf in the rain? Click here to find out.
What you can and can’t do in water hazards
Under the previous version of the rules, players were not permitted to:
- Test the condition of the water hazard
- Touch or move loose impediments in the water hazard
- Touch the water or the ground in the water hazard with your club or hand
However, under the 2019 rules, players are now permitted to touch or move loose impediments within a water hazard, as well as touch the ground in a water hazard with their hand or club. This rule change has been made to ease confusion and complications around the previous rules. The only action players are not allowed to take is anything that will improve the conditions for the stroke. Keep in mind that the ball is still not allowed to move while you are removing rocks, twigs, branches or other loose impediments in the water hazard.
There is no penalty for accidentally striking the ball while searching for it. If this happens, just replace the ball in its original position or take a drop. The player is also allowed to hit a moving ball within a water hazard, provided he or she doesn’t delay to allow the water to reposition the ball in a better spot.
How to get out of the sand
Successfully hitting out of the sand is mostly all about how you setup the shot. While you may feel uncomfortable with the shot, it’s important to approach it with the right attitude. Don’t psych yourself out just because you’re in the sand. This shot is perfectly playable as long as you focus on what’s important. Instead of trying to avoid it, work on preparing for the shot instead, and you’ll have much more chance of hitting a successful bunker shot.
Club choice
Begin with choosing the right club. The decision will depend on where you are positioned relative to the green. If there’s only a small amount of green between you and the hole, your best bet is a high loft wedge. If there’s more green, a lower loft wedge will serve you better. Hold the club with soft arms that allow your wrists to unhinge a bit more.
Setup correctly
Having the correct setup position is essential for success. Start with the ball a long way forward in your stance – opposite the heel of your front foot is just about perfect. Don’t make your stance too wide. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, while flexing your knees. Really anchor your feet into the sand to help you balance. Aim to put a bit more weight on your front side, and don’t shift your weight back and forwards like you would in a normal swing. Hold your sand wedge in front of you with the face open by two to three degrees. The shaft should be straight up and down.
Modify your swing
Don’t push your hands towards the target, but place your hands evenly on the club. You want to aim for an outside in swing pattern. Rotate your shoulders and make a half backswing, then aim to hit the sand about two to three inches behind the ball. Think of it as trying to throw the sand and the ball out of the bunker together. Don’t try and cut across the ball, but swing out to your target, like a normal pitch shot. Use a slight wrist bend at the top of your swing and make sure you don’t decelerate.
Stay down a bit longer and make a nice, full follow through. This will ensure you have enough power to get that ball out of the sand and into a happier position.
How to get out of the rough
Finding your ball stuck in the rough can be extremely irritating. But don’t let it erode your confidence and derail your game.
Make a good decision
Approach a rough shot with caution. It can be tempting to just play it like any other shot and try and get as far up the fairway as you can so that you don’t lose a shot. This is often a mistake, however. Unless you have a clear path to the green and a really good lie, chances are you’ll end up mishitting the shot and ending up in a worse position. In the end, this may cost you two or three shots to get back on track. It’s better to accept that landing in the rough will cost you a shot, and just try and get back onto the fairway so that you can hit a decent shot from a better position.
Club choice
If your ball is lying deep in the rough, select a higher-lofted iron to give you the best chance of hitting out. If it’s sitting in lighter rough or towards the top of the grass, you have a wider choice of clubs, with most irons being suitable to use. You could also choose a wedge.
Setup correctly
Rough shots require a grip that is firm and slightly lower, as this helps you maintain better control of the club. Start with an open stance, with weight on your front foot. Stand taller than normal at address and keep your upper body from tilting too much. Place the ball towards the back of your stance, as this limits the amount of grass that can get trapped between the ball and the clubface. The ball should be closer to your back leg than your front leg. Aim your feet towards a point to the left of your target on the fairway or green.
Take a few practice shots before you hit, to give you a feel for how much give the grass has and how much it will slow down your swing. Rough shots are hard to master, as each time your ball lands in the rough it’s a unique situation. Practice swings will help to counter this effect.
Modify your swing
You need a steeper angle of attack when hitting out of the rough, to avoid the drag caused by long grass. This will give your golf ball optimal flight. An open clubface will help you generate more loft. Turn your hips and shoulders to generate speed and power and take a three-quarter backswing. Hinge your wrists just a little.
Make sure you turn all the way through the ball and accelerate as you swing through. The rough will tend to grab your club as you swing through the grass, so you need to make sure you’re using enough speed and power to successfully get your ball out of the rough. Keep your follow through to a minimum.
So, the next time your ball lands in a hazard, resist the temptation to get negative or angry. Shots don’t always go according to plan, but you can get your game back on track. Just keep calm, follow these tips and modify your club selection, setup and swing accordingly. You’ll soon become a pro at hitting these difficult shots.
For more on how to get a competitive advantage in golf, click here.
