by Pia Nilsson with Dave Allen 
Golf Magazine

How many times have you tied to play from under a tree, only to have the clubhead literally snatched away by the branches? Or, because you were so concerned with the limbs, you almost whiffed entirely? While the low-risk play is to simply pitch the ball back into the fairway, it's hard not to go for the green when there's nothing in front to deter you.

The next time your backswing is impeded by a tree, its branches, a fence, etc., try the following escape shot that fellow Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher Manuel de la Torre taught me. It requires some courage and a significant alteration in technique - eliminating the backswing - but it does work. By removing the widest part of the swing (the backswing), you reduce the likelihood - and your fear - of catching a branch with the clubhead before you get back to the ball.

How do I know it works? Because after years of tinkering I finally had the guts to try it during the 1986 U.S. Women's Open, and hit a 4-iron to five feet for birdie. Here's the four-step process.

1. Lift and Place - Take one more club than usual (for example, a 6-iron rather than a 7-iron), since you won't generate as much clubhead speed as you would with a standard backswing. Then, from your normal address position, raise the club and set it on your right shoulder.

2. Make the Turn - With the shaft remaining on your shoulder, make a full turn behind the ball so your back is facing the target and your left shoulder is in line with the ball. Try to maintain your original spine angle and make a complete shoulder turn.

3. Raise your Hands - Raise both hands, lifting the shaft off your shoulder. You should now be in your normal top-of-backswing position - minus the backswing of course. Keep the left arm soft, but extended, with the upper body coiled behind the ball.

4. Take it Down - Swing the club down and through the ball, since the downswing arc is significantly narrower that the backswing arc, you will often avoid getting tangled with trees. The key is to not rush the club back to the ball. Start down smoothly and you make solid contact. If you're wild off the tee, practice this shot often.

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