WE SHOULD ALL eat healthy and exercise, but ‘thin’ requires an entirely different plan on the golf course.
Here we’re talking about the thin lie. You’ll find different ground conditions all over the world. It’s important to be able to recognize these conditions first, then have a plan how to hit them. A thin lie looks like the ball is lying on the ground, with no grass cushion in between.
Golf professionals love thin lies because they have a plan how to hit them. Here’s yours:
First, expect the ball to not fly as far or as high but to roll farther. Set up with the ball a few inches back from your front heel, and drop your rear shoulder slightly lower than your front shoulder. Feel like you are tilting with a bit more weight on the back foot. Keep your chin up and maintain your height as you swing back and through to the target. If your head goes down or up, you’ll find yourself hitting too much ground behind the ball, more fat than thin.
We want to take a very thin divot. You’ll feel like your feet are more grounded through the ball. The idea is that we’re creating a slight descending blow that will propel the ball into the air.
I like to feel like I am taking a three-quarter swing. You’ll find the result is usually a crisp flying shot that you can control.
Practice, and you might even start to like being thin on the golf course.
–Mary Hafeman, PGA & LPGA
This article first appeared in the Summer 2015 edition of GottaGoGolf Magazine.
You must be logged in to post a comment.