It’s amazing how an obstacle between you and your target—a water hazard, deep bunker, even really thick rough—can get into your head and mess up what’s otherwise a pretty basic shot. The most common mistake? Hanging back to try to help the ball up and over the trouble in front of you.
Instead, do what tour players do on an approach shot like this. Get three yardages: a safe number that puts you clear of the trouble, a distance to your ultimate target and one to the back of the green. The distance you want to use for club selection should be a little less than the back-of-the-green number.
As for your swing, be sure to transfer your weight forward on the downswing, and rotate into a full finish with your arms, chest and lower body turning together. Knowing you have plenty of leeway if you don’t catch it exactly right, you should feel free to swing under control. If you flush one the full yardage, you’re on the back of the green. Point is, focus on how much room there is in your landing area, not on the trouble you have to carry.
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