​Monthly Tip from a Pro: Surefire Ways to Get the Ball Out of Shallow Water

If you are a habitual golfer, you will know the pain and desperation of hitting a golf ball out of shallow water. Many amateur players drop the ball and take a penalty. However, pro golfers tend to attempt the shot when the ball lands in shallow water. They just pull up in their golf carts, assess the shot, and swing. Pros don’t hesitate to wade into the water, if necessary, rather than take the penalty.

Let us look at the perfect ways, learned from the pros and by the pros, to get your golf ball out of shallow water.

Stable Footing

For any golf shot, footing is crucial. As you swing your club, your body will gain momentum and, often, the power for the shot starts from the legs. Hence, for any shot, if the footing is loose, there is a chance of a slight jerk or slip and your complete shot is ruined.

When you are in shallow water, the first thing to do is to establish your footing. As you swing, your feet may move in the slippery mud. To avoid this, push your feet and crush the mud underneath just like you were putting out a cigarette. This helps firmly establish your footing by sinking your shoes slightly down into the mud so that you don’t slip and can instead actuate a jerk-free swing.

The Big Swing

The swing shot for getting your golf ball out of water is similar to a sand shot. The goal here is not to simply hit the ball but also smack the water. More often than not, the ball is half submerged in the shallow water. Therefore, if you hit only the ball, it will translate to a horizontal shot, which may or may not get the ball out.

The Big Swing Is Similar to the Sand Shot

Pro golfers recommend landing the shot just behind the submerged golf ball. The objective of the swing is to hit the ball upward into a projectile motion. Therefore, you must hit right before the ball surface. This flings the water as well as the golf ball and shoots your ball out of the shallow water.

It may not look smooth, but it gets the job done.

The Water Is Your Friend

The big swing will splash a lot of water. If you hit it too far behind the golf ball, the water will absorb most of the energy of the swing, and you may not be able to push the ball out far enough. While it is important to kick out the water as well as the ball, make sure you hit right under the ball so just enough water is kicked out.

The water must run with your shot. Or, if the ball is in too deep and the coast isn’t close enough, you may want to hit a horizontal wave shot to get your ball closer to the ground. Tilt the club according to the shot you want. If you want more water with your shot, tilt the club face further to get the water under your shot.

The Only Direction Is Out of Water

When you are in the water, one of the worst mistakes you can make is trying to hit the ball toward the flag. Whenever the ball is in a hazard, the only goal is to get it out of the hazard. It is okay to hit your ball sideways or even away from the flag. The priority is to get the ball out of the water.

Caution

Not all water bodies in your golf course are safe. There is a reason they are called water hazards. Sometimes there are some harmless frogs; sometimes it can be an alligator. Even the grass and vegetation underwater can be dangerous. Certain types of grass have very sharp blades that can cut you.

It is important that you carry essential safety wear for water hazards. There are sometimes special leather socks that you can wear when you get in the water or even a set of boots and gloves. You may not need these accessories for most of your golfing experience, but it is a good idea to have them with you just in case you land in the water. You will find many modern golf carts with dedicated space for these types of accessories so you don’t need any special carrying case.

Get Down and Dirty

Landing your golf ball in a water hazard is not a pleasant experience, but it is nothing to be embarrassed about. Just like pro golfer, accept it, get in your golf cart, and roll up to the ball ready to splash a little water around.