[Kim Hyunjun's Photo Lesson] Spieth's Trouble Shot "Focusing on the Ball"

Once the target is set, build a solid lower body, fix the head, and achieve "precise contact first"

Jordan Spieth attempting a trouble shot on the 10th hole during the second round of the Valero Texas Open last April.

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "Precise contact first."

This is a ‘trouble shot’ by Jordan Spieth (USA). It happened at the 10th hole (par 4) of the 2nd round of the Valero Texas Open (total prize money $7.7 million) held last April at the San Antonio Golf Club (par 72) in Texas, USA. Although his tee shot flew to the right side of the fairway next to the cart path, he managed to get the ball on the green and ultimately secured a ‘big par’. It is interesting that this was the stage where he won for the first time in 3 years and 9 months since The Open in July 2017.

Spieth is known as a smart player. When he won The Open, on the final day at the Royal Birkdale Golf Club (par 70) in Southport, England, his ball got stuck in a deep sloped rough at the 13th hole (par 4). He declared it ‘unplayable’ and made news by dropping the ball dozens of yards back in the tour van parking lot. Also, because a car was obstructing, he took a no-penalty drop to secure a flat lie, and after a battle lasting over 30 minutes, he managed to save the hole with a ‘4 on 1 putt’ bogey.

Look at Spieth’s . Once he sets his target, he focuses solely on the ball during the shot process. Even though the impact zone has passed, his head is still looking behind the ball. From here, he smoothly extends both arms through the follow-through and finishes the shot. Amateur golfers usually stiffen their bodies in crisis situations and make errors such as standing up or excessively using their wrists at the moment of contact.

If it is a cart path, a no-penalty drop is possible. However, pros often proceed with the cart path shot when the intended drop area is on a slope or deep rough. The keyword here is ‘fairway bunker shot’. This means firmly fixing the lower body and hitting the ball first. Naturally, the risk of injury is high, and there is a high possibility of damaging the golf club. Pros have sufficient practice for this and do not worry about the cost even if the club breaks.

According to golf rules, if a golf club is damaged during the shot process, replacement is allowed within the scope that does not interfere with the progress of the game. This is because it occurred during a normal swing process. For reference, it is not allowed if the damage occurs through abnormal processes such as angrily hitting the ground. Kim Si-woo is a representative case. In the 2nd round of the Masters last April, at the 14th hole (par 4), he hit his putter on the ground and bent it, and from holes 15 to 18, he used a 3-wood instead of the putter.