It could be the scariest shot in golf. This is the right way to pull it off

BROOKSVILLE, Fla. — In the event you’re into golf instruction, you could possibly do worse than be a fly on the wall at GOLF’s High 100 Academics Summit, an annual gathering of the sport’s most revered coaches that this week was carried out at Cabot Citrus Farms, about an hour’s drive north of Tampa.

I, for one, absorbed every kind of knowledge within the two days I used to be onsite, together with however not restricted to: why chipping is tougher immediately than it was a technology in the past (new grasses, tighter lies, and so on.); the significance of hand and grip power in producing energy (it issues!); and the issue too many amateurs unwittingly have with their putter shafts (too lengthy).

However there’s one tip that almost all caught with me: Easy methods to play a short-sided bunker shot from a downhill lie. In the event you’re like me, this shot retains you up night time; if it’s not the scariest shot in golf, it’s proper up there. Irrespective of the place I place the ball or what membership I exploit or what sort of contact I make, I by no means appear to be to get the required loft to launch the ball excessive and softly or sufficient spin to cease it rapidly. The commonest outcome: a soul-crushing blade into the bunker face.

Enter Parker McLachlin, a former Tour winner who, in his post-playing days, has rebranded himself “the Quick Sport Chef.” (Try his stuff right here.) For about 45 minutes Tuesday, McLachlin stood within the depths of a cavernous greenside bunker at Citrus Farms as greater than 100 of his fellow academics and different assorted attendees peered down at him as Romans did on their leisure within the Colosseum. McLachlin dished every kind of sensible nuggets about the right way to grasp bunker pictures, together with the significance of correct membership choice, however I leaned in hardest when one other instructor requested McLachlin for his ideas on the right way to play bunker pictures off….yep, downhill lies.

Off a downslope, McLachlin defined, the ball naturally needs to return out low and quick, however you’ll be able to counter these forces of nature in your setup. Begin by totally opening the face in your highest lofted wedge, then setting your arms low to create much more efficient loft. You’ll additionally wish to barely slide again your path foot to present your self room to swing the membership round you.

Each a part of your being goes to wish to “assist” the ball up, however, McLachlin mentioned, it’s important that you just resist this urge. Actually, as a substitute of tilting your proper shoulder beneath your left as you’d in a driver setup — a mistake I’ve been responsible of creating — you’ll wish to do the inverse in order that your shoulder airplane is parallel with the downslope.

“That’s counterintuitive, as a result of we wish to hit it excessive, and each time we wish to hit it excessive, we wish to seem like this,” McLachlin mentioned as he lowered his path shoulder. “However once more, I’m going to get all my loft at setup, clubface, deal with place.”

The Chef’s last ingredient for executing one in all golf’s hardest pictures: belief. As in, trusting that your method and instruments will do their jobs. Absolutely commit, then go.

McLachlin then put his phrases into motion.

From what was a horrid line on a downslope behind the bunker, the coach settled in and, as he had been doing all through his session, dazzled his viewers by making a tough shot look simple.   

I can’t wait to strive the method for myself.