Learn from the Masters: Mickelson’s Recovery

Under the most intense pressure, these four champions held their nerve and conjured up perfection when it mattered most. And it brought them a coveted Green Jacket. Now you can learn from their famous feats and create some winning moments of your own with the help of TG Elite Pro Rob Watts.

England’s Lee Westwood could have won the 2010 Masters, but Phil Mickelson had other ideas!

Westwood’s 13-under-par total would have been good enough to win 25 of the previous 30 Masters tournaments and worthy of a play-off spot in two more. The key moment of Lefty’s flawless final round of 67 – and the whole tournament – was his approach to the par-5 13th hole from the pine needles. Facing a 187-yard carry over Rae’s Creek he threaded a towering 6-iron through a four-foot gap between two pines to set up a short eagle putt. He actually missed it, but the birdie meant he still played the 13th in six-under that week – helping him win his third Masters by three. Westwood was gutted!

PICTURE THE SHOT

Visualising the intended flight of the ball from start to fi nish is crucial when faced with a shot of this nature. To help thread the ball through the gap in the trees, pick a small object, such as a leaf, in front of the ball on your start line and align your club to this when addressing the ball.

CREATE A FIRM BASE

From lies under the trees it’s important to feel very grounded at address to ensure your feet don’t slip during what needs to be an aggressive swing. Adopt a little extra knee flex and stand closed to the target to help you shape the ball around the trees in front of you.

FULLY COMMIT

The key ingredient to this shot is to commit fully and swing aggressively. This allows you to create more height and more spin, so the ball comes down softly but also shapes more in the air should you require it. Picking a secondary target will give you the confidence to do this.