Cuscowilla's Perfect Holiday Gift!

CUSCOWILLA AND LYNN BLAKE GOLF CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR WAYNE WATTS

PRESENT

THE CUSCOWILLA WINTER SHORT GAME DEVELOPMENT SERIES

ONE THING EVERY GOLFER CAN LEARN TO DO BETTER, REGARDLESS OF SKILL LEVEL, IS CHIPPING AND PUTTING.

WHEN YOU SIGN UP FOR THE SHORT GAME DEVELOPMENT SERIES

YOU WILL LEARN:

PROPER MECHANICS
A PRE-SHOT ROUTINE
A PRACTICE ROUTINE
TARGET CONCIOUS PRACTICE
MECHANICS CONCIOUS PRACTICE
PROPER PRACTICE DRILLS

WE WILL GO THROUGH A SHORT GAME EVALUATION PROCESS WITH EACH LESSON TO MONITOR IMPROVEMENT. EACH STUDENT WILL RECEIVE A BOOKLET TO REFERENCE EACH LESSON AND ALSO TRACK PRACTICE PERFORMANCE ALONG WITH PLAYING PERFORMANCE.

LESSONS ARE LIMITED TO THE FIRST 12 PEOPLE TO SIGN UP.

THE LESSON SERIES CONSISTS OF 4 LESSONS PER MONTH FOR THE MONTHS OF JANUARY-MARCH AND WILL COSISTS OF SAND, CHIPPING AND PUTTING LESSONS.

THE COST IS A GREAT DEAL AT $300 PER PERSON FOR ALL 12 LESSONS.

CUSCOWILLA NOW HAS THE TOMI COMPUTERIZED PUTTING SOFTWARE THAT ANALYZES THE PATH, FACE AND LIE ANGLES OF YOUR PUTTER. THE COMPUTERIZED ANALYSIS IS ALSO INCLUDED IN THE SERIES.VISIT http://www.tomi.com/ FOR MORE INFO.

TO SIGN UP BY EMAIL watts@cuscowilla.com
TO SIGN UP BY PHONE CALL WAYNE @ 803-319-2449

Cuscowilla Member Greg Sample Wins Els for Autism Grand Finale Charity Tournament!

"As crazy luck would have it, both Wheeler and I got to celebrate our anniversaries with our beautiful wives this weekend in Vegas, and we played well enough today to win the Els for Autism Grand Finale Charity tournament. We got to play with Erine Els in the shootout as our pro partner against Dustin Johnson, Dean Wilson, Rich Beam, and Bob May with the top 5 amateur teams. We won! How crazy."

- Greg Sample

Swing Changes

Anytime an amateur makes a swing change they tend to miss-hit shots. Then they discard what they are trying to change or what a teacher has been working on with them. What golfers need to remember is that anytime you make a swing change, it changes the timing and synchronicity of the golf swing. This takes time to get it back and it only comes back with practice.

Putt on Track

If you are missing short putts, place two clubs parallel to each other on the practice green about a foot from the hole. They should form a track slightly wider than your putterhead. The clubs will give you a reference point for squaring up your body with the hole. You also get instant feedback if your putter is getting off line.

Journey Magazine

http://issuu.com/cuscowilla/docs/the_journey_-_september_2011

Click on this link to view Cuscowilla's September issue of The Journey!

Vary Your Targets

To get a good at pitching, practice to a different target on every swing. If you keep practicing to the same target, then all you are doing is getting good at one shot. Instead change distances with every shot you hit and keep track of the yardages you’re hitting the shots to that way the distance is stored in your memory.

The Journey - July 2011

Click on this link to view Cuscowilla's July 2001 edition of The Journey

http://issuu.com/cuscowilla/docs/july_2011_journey

Cuscowilla Golf Course Update from Course Superintendent Sam Murphy

Update From Sam Murphy – Golf Course Superintendent
6 / 2 / 11

With the first day of summer a little more than two weeks away now, we just wanted to give everyone another brief update on the status of the golf course conditions, projects, and task we have been doing.

The greens have been coming along well, in spite of the early 90 & 100 degree heat we have been experiencing. The new greens have held up tremendously throughout the first round of high temperatures, realizing that it isn’t the day time highs that are critical, rather the night time lows. Hopefully the heat‘s duration won’t be as long as last year. There is some deeper rooting now and some pretty good turf cover on top. This is very encouraging at this time of the year. The organic layer on our greens is still beyond the 1/4'” depth that is recommended in maintaining a healthier turf grass, therefore, additional aerification applications will be needed in the summer and fall seasons after the Member guest. This will help to alleviate some of the organic layer, and promote denser, deeper roots. We will be core aerifying with 5/8” core tines sometime late summer or early fall. Also with the hot weather you will notice the presence of the hand syringe teams on the greens throughout the day. Please, Please, Please, yield to these people and allow them the opportunity to perform their duties before you hit to the greens. This is an extremely time sensitive and important task that has to be done to help keep the grass cool in the extreme heat of the summer. We have started to run the fans on some of the greens and will be in the process of moving and adding some additional fans in the next few weeks. We will mount the new fans on dedicated trailers that will allow us more flexibility with placement and also the added ability to remove fans in the months when there not needed.
As most of you have noticed the collars have made tremendous progress on filling back in. Some of weaker collars have been re-grassed with new sod off the driving range. The collars in full sun (3, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, and 15) are doing much better and will not have to be sodded. With a second light aerification and fertilization around the collars, these areas are expected to be back to normal shortly. Also, there are several areas we will begin to sod this upcoming week; around the pedestrian bridge on 18, the approach around the putting green and behind 12 green, and various other bare areas and rough spots on the golf course.
The tees and fairways are still struggling to fill in and green up completely. While the weather has been conducive for the Bermuda grass growth, the lack of rain in the month of May has hampered turf growth. May has only produced .5” of precipitation. They are still a little off color so we have recently fertilized them and are hoping for some much needed rain fall. We hope to be out in the next few weeks knocking out some more weed spraying around the tee complexes. The weeds that we saw early in the year have been sprayed on the entire course and a repeat spot application was necessary to control the remaining weeds throughout the course and driving range. Because it has been a great spring for prolonged weed germination and growth. We will be aggressively spraying weeds with post emerge controls along with our additional pre-emerge applications of herbicide through the rest of this season and into the next.

We have been and will continue to go through the bunkers and look to loosen up any hard pan conditions that persist. We are on a regular program now of grooming and rock picking. We will add sand were we determined it is needed. We have also added some new tools to help in controlling the weeds on the floors of the bunkers. We will be trying to add staff to help with the increased frequency of maintenance.

We are finishing up on an evaluation of all projects and special needs for the golf course. We will be communicating our findings and recommendations to you in future updates. This will include plans and schedules.

Thank you for your time and interest. We hope you are enjoying the golf course, and if not, please let us know what we might do to make your experience more enjoyable. If you have not been out, we hope you all will please come out and enjoy the golf course soon! And while using the course remember to repair all ball marks.

Thanks again, Sam Murphy

Chipping With Spin

The most controlled chip is the check and release. You play it with a gap or sand wedge, and it gets its name because the ball comes out low with maximum spin, checking up on the first few bounces and rolling to the hole. The keys in the set-up are making a firm strike. Start with more weight on your left foot and the shaft leaning slightly toward the target. Keep your wrists firm through the strike to trap the ball and impart backspin.

Congratulations to Team Cuscowilla who won the Kiawah Island 12th Annual National Pro-Am Gross Division!

Team members Leighton Nichols, Jim Cook, Bill Mellow and Wayne Watts successfully represented Cuscowilla, taking the gross division by four strokes. Cuscowilla Professional, Wayne Watts also won the Low Pro Individual Division by 8 strokes.

The Tournament took place over four windy days at Kiawah Island Golf Resort off the coast of South Carolina. The team spent March 14 – 17, 2011 conquering four of Kiawah’s courses; Osprey Point, Cougar Point, Turtle Point and The Ocean Course which will host the 2012 PGA Championship and has been named “America’s Toughest Resort Course” by Golf Digest.

Congratulations to the team! Thank you all for representing Cuscowilla so triumphantly!

All Results from the Tournament are listed below:

12th Annual KIGR National Pro-Am
March 13 – 17, 2011

Individual Professional
1 GC of Cuscowilla Wayne WATTS - $1125.00 69-75-73-75--292 +4
2 River Club Tom COOPER - $885.00 69-76-78-77--300 +12
Whitford CC Michael LADDEN - $885.00 69-75-74-82--300 +12
4 Edgewood CC Pete MICKLEWRIGHT -$700.00
69-74-79-79--301 +13
5 Monongahela Valley CC Stephen KUSENKO - $590.00 76-75-78-81--310 +22
6 Weekapaug GC Susan BOND - $485.00 75-81-77-78--311 +23
7 Club Car #1 Dan WASHLESKI - $375.00 74-76-85-82--317 +29
8 Ferncroft CC #2 Tom ELLIS - $325.00 81-78-79-81--319 +31
9 Ferncroft CC #1 Kevin WOOD 73-82-82-88--325 +37
CC of the North #1 Jack PAWELKOSKI 82-76-83-84--325 +37
11 CC of the North #2 Rick LYONS 80-78-85-91--334 +46
12 Sea Oaks GC Tim MCARTHUR 86-78-85-87--336 +48
Honeybrook GC Ryan GRAY 83-82-86-85--336 +48
14 Bears Best-Atlanta #2 Chett LONG 78-86-85-89--338 +50
Bears Best-Atlanta #1 Jacob SCHOEMAN 74-82-80-102--338 +50
16 GolfTec Dublin Bradley PHILLIPS 77-84-92-88--341 +53
17 Club Car #2 Bill REHANEK 82-98-83-85--348 +60
18 Franklin CC Paul BALLARD 81-NC-90-39
Club Car #3 Bob SWEZEY NC-NC-NC-NC
Inn at Pocano Manor Harold VAN BUSKIRK JR. 83-80-NC-NC
Green Oaks CC Ed HABJAN 80-78-NC-NC
Franklin CC 1899 Anthony MAKI NC-NC-NC-NC


12th Annual KIGR National Pro-Am
March 13 – 17, 2011
Team Gross
1 GC of Cuscowilla Wayne Watts, Leighton Nichols, Bill Mello, Jim Cook - $538.75 each 63-65-68-66--262 -26
2 Franklin CC 1899 Anthony Maki, Ryan Johnston, Andrew Douglas, Brian Higgins -$443.75 each 66-67-65-68--266 -22
3 Club Car #3 Bob Swezey, Chris Gunnels, Chris Sanders, Mike Young - $347.50 each 67-66-71-70--274 -14
4 Club Car #2 Bill Rehanek, Tom Marble, Trey Holroyd, Peter Hill - $252.50 each 70-67-69-69--275 -13
5 Whitford CC Michael Ladden, Joe Glancy, John Webb, Vic Rainsford 63-68-70-76--277 -11
Bears Best-Atlanta #1 Jacob Schoeman, Randy Smith, Patrick Benson, Jim Vecchiarelli 66-68-68-75--277 -11
7 Club Car #1 Dan Washleski, Alex Elmore, Ryan McClellan, Fred Palmer 66-66-75-72--279 -9
Edgewood CC Pete Micklewright, George Kappakas, Tom Kosak, Don Smith 61-72-73-73--279 -9
9 River Club Tom Cooper, John Bonanno, Jared Tatham, Todd Cox 68-73-72-71--284 -4
10 Franklin CC Paul Ballard, Dan Johnston, Jim Rodman, Bill Roache 68-69-78-72--287 -1
Ferncroft CC #1 Kevin Wood, Ross Kolhonen, Jeff Ferry, Ed Harrison 67-74-74-72--287 -1
12 Sea Oaks GC Tim McArthur, Bob Pike, Steve Guarino, Tom Guarino 69-67-76-77--289 +1
13 Weekapaug GC Susan Bond, Melinda Frith, Robert Thavenius, Peter Hahn 71-74-72-74--291 +3
14 Bears Best - Atlanta #2 Chett Long, Ed Shriner, Doug Breusch, Van Hoots 70-71-72-79--292 +4
15 Monongahela Valley CC Stephen Kusenko, Alan Velikey, Jack Filak, Wilson Bowden 72-72-76-77--297 +9
Honeybrook GC Ryan Gray, Warren Reyburn, Pete Palmer, Mike Book 72-73-78-74--297 +9
GolfTec Dublin Bradley Phillips, Keith Phillips, Shawn Mathis, Duane Mast 73-71-75-78--297 +9
18 Ferncroft CC #2 Tom Ellis, Robert Hicks Jr, Robert Markarian, Bruce Daniel 74-74-76-74--298 +10
19 CC of the North #1 Jack Pawelkoski, Todd Lemaster, Rowland Lemaster, Mike Lemaster 76-76-76-74--302 +14
20 CC of the North #2 Rick Lyons, Jeff Cooper, Gregg Harlow, Charlie Cooper 73-70-81-79--303 +15
21 Inn at Pocano Manor Harold Van Buskirk Jr., Yuan Hong Zhang, Gene Van Horn, Patrick Mullen 74-76-81-78--309 +21
22 Green Oaks CC Ed Habjan, Doug Cargnel, Harold Balk, Marc Olin 73-72-71-NC

12th Annual KIGR National Pro-Am
March 13 – 17, 2011
Team Net
1 Whitford CC Michael Ladden, Joe Glancy, John Webb, Vic Rainsford - $538.75 each 58-62-64-68--252 -36
GC of Cuscowilla Wayne Watts, Leighton Nichols, Bill Mello, Jim Cook 61-61-66-65--253 -35
2 Monongahela Valley CC Stephen Kusenko, Alan Velikey, Jack Filak, Wilson Bowden - $443.75 each 63-66-67-66--262 -26
Franklin CC 1899 Anthony Maki, Ryan Johnston, Andrew Douglas, Brian Higgins 65-66-64-67--262 -26
3 Bears Best - Atlanta #1 Jacob Schoeman, Randy Smith, Patrick Benson, Jim Vecchiarelli - $347.50 each 65-64-64-70--263 -25
4 Franklin CC Paul Ballard, Dan Johnston, Jim Rodman, Bill Roache - $84.17 each 61-62-73-68--264 -24
Sea Oaks GC Tim McArthur, Bob Pike, Steve Guarino, Tom Guarino - $84.17 each 64-62-69-69--264 -24
Edgewood CC Pete Micklewright, George Kappakas, Tom Kosak, Don Smith - $84.17 each 57-68-70-69--264 -24
7 Club Car #2 Bill Rehanek, Tom Marble, Trey Holroyd, Peter Hill 69-64-66-66--265 -23
Club Car #1 Dan Washleski, Alex Elmore, Ryan McClellan, Fred Palmer 62-63-72-68--265 -23
Bears Best - Atlanta #2 Chett Long, Ed Shriner, Doug Breusch, Van Hoots 62-67-65-71--265 -23
10 Club Car #3 Bob Swezey, Chris Gunnels, Chris Sanders, Mike Young 66-63-69-68--266 -22
Ferncroft CC #1 Kevin Wood, Ross Kolhonen, Jeff Ferry, Ed Harrison 65-68-68-65--266 -22
12 River Club Tom Cooper, John Bonanno, Jared Tatham, Todd Cox 64-67-69-67--267 -21
13 CC of the North #1 Jack Pawelkoski, Todd Lemaster, Rowland Lemaster, Mike Lemaster 70-71-65-64--270 -18
14 GolfTec Dublin Bradley Phillips, Keith Phillips, Shawn Mathis, Duane Mast 67-66-69-69--271 -17
15 Weekapaug GC Susan Bond, Melinda Frith, Robert Thavenius, Peter Hahn 65-72-70-68--275 -13
Inn at Pocano Manor Harold Van Buskirk Jr., Yuan Hong Zhang, Gene Van Horn, Patrick Mullen 63-68-72-72--275 -13
17 Ferncroft CC #2 Tom Ellis, Robert Hicks Jr, Robert Markarian, Bruce Daniel 68-68-70-70--276 -12
18 CC of the North #2 Rick Lyons, Jeff Cooper, Gregg Harlow, Charlie Cooper 67-63-72-75--277 -11
19 Honeybrook GC Ryan Gray, Warren Reyburn, Pete Palmer, Mike Book 68-68-72-70--278 -10
20 Green Oaks CC Ed Habjan, Doug Cargnel, Harold Balk, Marc Olin 69-68-67-NC

Spin it From the Sand

To spin it from the sand try gripping the club with both thumbs down the shaft, making the grip weaker. This will guarantee the clubface stays pointing upward through impact so it can slide under the ball and create spin.

Set Up Perfect Contact

In order to hit crisp, solid iron shots, try presetting your hands slightly forward of the ball at address. This will encourage you to hit down on the ball as your hands lead the clubhead through impact, allowing the loft of the club to do the work.

Golf Tip of the Week

When To Bag the Driver

Moving down to a 3-wood from a driver on a tight driving hole is common sense, but its not an automatic. You have to consider the length. If hitting a 3-wood leaves you more than a 6-iron, then its you should take the risk and hit a driver. Even if you hit it in the rough you will be closer to the hole.

Golf Tip of the Week!

The Finish

Golfers tend to overlook the finish as a way of checking their golfswings. It can tell a lot about what happened, especially on tee shots. Look for these keys: Your right shoulder should be closer to your target than your left shoulder. This shows you kept rotating. Almost all of your weight should be on your front foot. The shaft should be angled diagonally across the back of your head and neck, not hanging down your back or sticking up. You should always be able to hold your finish.

Valentine's Day at Cuscowilla

There's a lot going on at Cuscowilla for Valentine's Day!

The Waterside Restaurant
The Waterside Restaurant will be open for four nights to celebrate Valentine's Day! Join us Friday, February 11 through Monday, February 14 starting at 5 p.m. Call 706-484-2044 to make your reservations!

In addition to our regular dinner menu, we'll be offering Valentine's Specials. Try our:

• Rose Roasted Duck Breast with Sour Cherry Sauce served with Wild Rice Risotto
• Roasted Rack of New Zealand Lamb with Mint Plum Sauce served with Pecan Barley
• Tea Rubbed Pork Tenderloin with Sweet Fig Sauce served with Whipped Sweet Potatoes
• Grilled Rib Eye with Roasted Shallot Demi served with Fingerling Potatoes
• Sherry & Saffron Poached Sea Bass served with Black Truffle Orzo

Overnight Packages
If you are looking to extend your Valentine's celebration, stay overnight and take advantage of our Romance Package.

Romance The Night Away
Celebrate with your special someone at Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee. Package includes overnight accommodations in a Lodge Villa Suite or Lake Villa Suite, a bottle of champagne and six chocolate covered strawberries placed into your room prior to arrival. For reservations please call 706-484-0050 or visit www.cuscowilla.com.
Sunday - Thursday $245 plus applicable taxes
Friday - Saturday $270 plus applicable taxes

Golf Tip of the Week

Don’t Keep Your Head Still

One common myth you hear around the golf course is to keep your head still. What everyone should be saying is keep your eyes on the ball. In a golf swing the head is going to move a little. The more you try to keep it still and down the more rigid and stiff the golf swing becomes. Instead just think, keep your eyes on the ball.

Golf Tip of the Week

Posture Check!

Recreational golfers who constantly struggle to fix their swing problems would do well to fix their posture first. Rounding the back, flexing the knees too much and tucking the head down to see the ball are common setup faults that can lead to a poor swing. If your posture isn’t right, you’ll be forced to swing with mostly your arms and hands, creating very little shoulder turn.

If this sounds like you, here’s a drill you can try within the confines of your own home. Stand in front of a full-length mirror and bend from your hip socket so that your upper body tilts forward approximately 45 degrees. Notice that your head is in line with your spine and isn’t tucked downward. Next, release your knees slightly. A problem most golfers have is too much knee flex and not enough bend from the hips. Finally, let gravity drop your arms and club to the ground (they’ll naturally hang straight down if you’ve achieved the correct posture). This improved position will enable you to make a more complete shoulder turn without a lot of arm and hand action.

Golf Tip of the Week

How To Escape The Sand In One Try

You might not realize how much you can get away with on a bunker shot. Play the ball forward in your stance, open the face of your 56-degree wedge and hit anywhere between an inch and three inches behind the ball. You don't have to be overly precise. Just as long as you make an aggressive swing down into the sand and finish the shot with the club up and over your left shoulder, the ball will come out of there. So be aggressive with your swing and thump the sand.

We're a WeddingWire Bride's Choice Award Winner for 2011!

WeddingWire Bride's Choice Awards 2011

Eatonton, GA – January 25, 2011 - WeddingWire, the nation’s leading wedding technology company, is thrilled to announce Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee has been selected to receive the prestigious annual WeddingWire Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 for Reception Venues!


Recognition for the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011 is determined by recent reviews and extensive surveys from over 750,000 WeddingWire newlyweds. Our past clients are among those that shared their experiences on WeddingWire, the largest wedding review site in the nation.


Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee stands among the top five percent of wedding professionals in the WeddingWire community, representing quality and service excellence within the wedding industry. Awards were given to the top wedding professionals across 20 service categories, from wedding venues to wedding photographers, and were based on the overall professional achievements throughout the past year.


“WeddingWire is honored to celebrate the success of the top-rated wedding professionals within the WeddingWire community,” said Timothy Chi, WeddingWire’s Chief Executive Officer. “With the annual Bride’s Choice Awards™ program, WeddingWire has the unique opportunity to recognize the best wedding professionals across the US and Canada. We applaud Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee for their professionalism and dedication to enhancing the wedding planning experience last year.”


We are happy to announce that Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee is among the very best Reception Venues within the WeddingWire Network, which includes leading wedding planning sites WeddingWire, Martha Stewart Weddings, Project Wedding and Weddingbee. We would like to thank our past clients for nominating us to receive the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011.


For more information on the Bride’s Choice Awards™ 2011, please visit www.WeddingWire.com.

Golf Tip of the Week

How to Play Faster

Be ready to hit when it's your turn . . . cut down on pointless practice swings . . . let faster groups behind you play through . . . keep up with the group in front . . . quick! . . . if you've whacked it eight times and the green is still a distant mirage, pick the ball up . . . leave your bag in an expeditious place beside the green . . . faster! . . . no plumb-bobbing or reading putts from four sides—just hit it . . . clear the green as soon as you're done . . . don't dawdle! No need to overdo the speed thing, but really, we don't have all day. This is your chance to move, breathe, get some exercise, be alive. Save the savoring for the food, wine and conversation afterward.

Plan Your Valentine's Day Getaway at Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee!

Join us for Dinner...
The Waterside Restaurant will be serving dinner on Friday, February 11, Saturday, February 12, Sunday, February 13 and Monday, February 14. A special Valentine's Day menu will be offered. Please call 706-484-2044 to make your reservation today!

...Or take advantage of our Romance Package!
Celebrate with your special someone at Cuscowilla on Lake Oconee. The Romance Package includes overnight accommodations in a Lodge Villa Suite or Lake Villa Suite, a bottle of champagne and six chocolate covered strawberries placed into your room prior to arrival.

Sunday - Thursday $245 plus applicable taxes
Friday - Saturday $270 plus applicable taxes

Visit our website at www.cuscowilla.com or call 706-484-0050 for more information.

Golf Tip of the Week

How to Hit a Really Tight Fairway

You'll be straighter with the shorter clubs in your bag, so a 3- or 5-wood is a safer choice than a driver. But if you absolutely have to get driver distance, start by teeing the ball lower, as the No. 1 player in the world is doing. Hit it with your normal swing, too, not a steep punch swing. You'll get a lower trajectory and more roll—almost like topspin—instead of the sidespin and curve you might get on a higher shot.

Masters Week at Cuscowilla

After enjoying a day of golf at the 2011 Masters Tournament, return to Cuscowilla Golf Resort on Lake Oconee. Enjoy our award winning Bill Coore / Ben Crenshaw designed golf course, our Golf House Grill and Waterside Restaurant and our overnight accommodations.

We can customize packages to include:

• Luxurious overnight accommodations with stunning lake or golf views
• Rounds of golf on our award winning 18 hole golf course
• Private dining options, group cookouts or lakeside dinning are all available
• Transportation by car, motor coach or helicopter can be arranged
• Spa options

Other services available:

• Boat rentals on Lake Oconee
• Golf lessons
• Guided bass fishing trips on Lake Oconee
• Daily transportation service to and from Augusta National
• Dinner reservations each night

Contact Craig Smith at 706-923-2491 or csmith@cuscowilla.com for pricing and packages. For additional information, please view our website at www.cuscowilla.com.

Golf Tip of the Week

Grip Weak For Strong Lobs

Few shots on the golf course are more satisfying than a well-executed flop shot. Unfortunately, unless you’re Phil Mickelson, the risk is probably not worth the reward. There’s very little margin for error. With the wrong lie, you can swing the club under the ball without advancing it. And, with such a big swing, you’re liable to hit an 80-yard screamer if you catch it thin.

Here’s an alternative technique to try the next time you need a wedge shot to fly high and land softly. Weaken your left-hand grip (for right-handers), turning your hand under the club so that your left palm faces more toward the sky. With your left hand in this weakened position, the clubface will remain open through the hitting zone and your shot will be shorter and fly higher than normal and land like a butterfly with sore feet.

Experiment with this shot on the range. You’ll quickly learn that the more you turn your left hand under the club, the higher and softer (and shorter) the resulting shot will be. This is a versatile technique that you can use on greenside chips as well as full wedges from the fairway or light rough. It’s especially effective for softening slippery downhill chips or on touchy pitch shots where you have little green to work with.