Macclenny, Baker County & Northeast FL

Executing a successful golf shot over a water hazard is a common complaint and a couple of suggestions come to mind. One of them is to simply avoid playing any courses with water hazards.

If you are unable to do that, then I suggest you try hitting the ball down into the water rather than up and over it. Most golfers with this problem try to help the ball up and over the water by lifting. This is a natural reaction as in most round ball sports or games in order to get a ball up and over something we must lift it.

In golf the loft of the clubface does the lifting, any lifting on our part totally defeats this purpose. When facing something like a water hazard, where we want the ball to get up and over, we instinctively feel this need to lift and automatically do it. However, when we lift, we lift the entire club including the clubface and head, which then hits only the upper portion of the ball, resulting in a topped shot. Consequently, a topped shot goes downward and directly into the water.

The opposite of lifting is to feel like you are hitting the ball downwards and into the water. When you do this, you actually drive the club head down under the ball and the lofted clubface lifts the ball up and over the water.

So, on your next round, try to hit the ball directly into the water. Once you successfully do this, you will know it works, and your fear of water hazards will stop.

Sincerely, a friend to any golfer. Pat Dolan, Golf Pro

Pat Dolan, Golf Professional, specialized in teaching for over 42 years. The late Pat Dolan taught golf at such prestigious golf courses as The Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, The Country Club in Salt Lake City, Utah and The Palm Springs Country Club in the world famous golfing resort of Palm Springs, California. He was the Head Professional at the The Russell Municipal Golf Course in Russell, Kansas, The Jal Country Club in Jal, New Mexico and The Riviera Golf Course in Palm Springs, California. He graduated from the second P.G.A. school in January 1958. It was held at the P.G.A. National Headquarters in Dunedin, Florida. He served as chairman of the education committee for the New Mexico Chapter of the Southwest Section of the P.G.A. for 2 years 1965 and 1966. Golfers Lee Trevino, Sandra Palmer, Carlynne Whitworth and General James Wilson sought his advice before they became famous. In his playing career, he won a number of professional tournaments and set seven course records.

He wrote How to Turn Bogeys Into Birdies (c)1988 and The Worlds Greatest Golf Teacher (c)1994. Pat also authored two newspaper golf columns and a golf advice letter Golfers Improving Easily and Affordably, guaranteed to instantly improve any golfer's game.

His business career included serving as consultant to many golf course owners and The Tony Llama Boot Co. The Braille Institute and the John Riley Golf Co. also as loan officer of the Clarendon Trust Co. in Arlington, Virginia and sales manager for various companies. He is the designer of the Sure Out sand wedge in the Ben Hogan line of clubs.

Sports

Ignoring Those Water Hazards

Pat Dolan - Golf Pro