In this scenario, we are faced with a recovery shot that requires hitting a low, right-to-left shot back in play. One of the biggest and most overlooked aspects of this shot is the club selection. The lower the loft of the club, the easier it is to hit to the right. The higher lofted clubs are typically easier to turn over. This is something to keep in mind when you are faced with a particular recovery shot.
In an effort to keep this shot under the trees, the ball position is farther back in the stance which will encourage more shaft lean. These two attributes will make the ball launch lower, again, another reason to pay attention to club selection.
To create the proper curve on the ball, we want to aim the clubface in the direction of the target and line our feet on the intended start line. This will ensure that our face to path relationship is greater, which means more curve. The key is to stay committed to swinging in the direction your feet are aimed and not to swing where the clubface is aimed.
Our main goal is to make sure we are avoiding the trouble in front of us while hitting a shot that curves with the shape of the hole. Often times, a recovery shot to the correct side of the green, even if the ball doesn’t make it on the green, will increase our chances of saving par.
