Oh, what a pain: those days when, for some unknown reason, you go out to play golf and nothing goes as it should. There’s no way to hit two good shots in a row, not even decent ones, each according to their skills and expectations. The elite professional, for example, on those rough days, struggles to consistently hit fairways and greens in regulation; and the amateur with a medium or high handicap simply finds it impossible to move the ball forward covering a respectable distance, getting frustrated by hitting the ground, among other things. Then comes the moment when you have to pull out the so-called ’emergency swing’ from the bag, a last straw to cling to, a way to weather the storm until it clears and better holes come. There are those who don’t even have that resource, surely the newcomers to the sport of the fourteen clubs and many others who are out there hitting wild shots. There are even renowned players who question its real existence.
But it does exist. At least that’s clear after consulting a good part of the top line of Spanish elite male golf. Many of them even agree on the type of shot they look for when the day has turned grey to black on the golf course, although the resources are varied, interesting, and even surprising. A lower fade ball with the driver, usually hitting with the tee lower, seems to be the most commonly used resource. This is pointed out by the Elvira brothers, Manu and Nacho, and also Eugenio Chacarra, for example. With the irons, the punch with three-quarters swing also appears as a good resource. Then, each one adds some more ingredients, particularities with the irons, or very specific feelings that can help when things aren’t going well or one faces a shot under pressure, for whatever reason. And there are even those who, jokingly and seriously, don’t quite believe in the concept of the emergency swing (Manu Elvira) or directly claim that it doesn’t exist in their case (Jorge Campillo). There are ‘crazy’ notes, like that of Rafa Cabrera Bello, and very interesting descriptions of sensations that have more to do with a mental trick than a technical adjustment (Ángel Hidalgo). Also very curious is the idea of David Puig, because it has nothing to do with the tee and with the irons in hand. Let’s go with the testimonies:
Nacho Elvira: “I don’t know if I have an emergency swing as such, but when I try to put the ball in the fairway no matter what, I look to hit a fade with the driver. I try to set the tee a little lower, aim to the left, and make sure to hit a fade. And with the irons, maybe instead of looking for a full swing, when I’m not feeling well, I try to take a longer club, lower the revolutions, and make a three-quarters swing.”
Manu Elvira: “My emergency swing, more than security, could be looking for a lower ball and a fade to find the fairway… But well, it doesn’t always work, so for me, it’s more of a myth than anything else. If there are days when things don’t want to come out, they’re not going to come out in any way. And vice versa.”
Rafa Cabrera Bello: “I would describe the emergency swing as a swing that you know is not the one you would like to make, both technically and in mentality or attitude, because you don’t do it as freely or carelessly, but you know it works. As a curiosity, I can add that I even have it with the putter. Yes, yes, that’s how crazy we golfers are.”
Pablo Larrazábal: “Yes man, the famous security swing used when things aren’t entirely sure… In my case, it’s a low and usually very straight ball that doesn’t go far, but runs like a tiger, hitting with the tee lower and the swing a bit shortened. I use it when I don’t see it clearly from the tee, although I think sometimes I use it too much… The truth is it’s a ‘crappy shot’, but occasionally it works. The idea is to use it less and less, but you always have to have it up your sleeve just in case.”
Ángel Hidalgo: “Not every day you’re equally comfortable, and it’s good to have something that helps you. More than a technical adjustment, in my case, it’s mental. I grew up in Guadalmina, and the shot I’ve hit the most in my life is the one on the 1st hole of the South course, which is a shot with out of bounds on both sides, so when I’m on another course and need it, I stand behind the ball and visualize that I’m on that hole in Guadalmina and plan the ball I always hit there, low to the fade, and that’s my security ball that helps me on difficult shots. It’s visualizing that ball flight from the 1st of the South course, even if you’re on the 18th of Royal Portrush. When an amateur asks me for advice to overcome the pressure or difficulty of a shot, I always tell them to visualize a hole where they’ve historically done well.”
Alfredo García Heredia: “I would call it more an emergency swing than a security swing. You use it when you have to somehow get a round back on track… In my case, with the driver, it’s setting the tee lower and hitting a bit more downwards for a lower ball. With the irons, it depends on the player, but it does exist.”
Gonzalo Fernández Castaño: “My security swing was a punch, the famous three-quarters swing. Trying to hit a lower ball made me move better. That’s with the irons, and with the driver, something very similar, hitting a lower ball. In the end, the summary is that in those moments, the less the ball flies, the better, you give it fewer chances to get into trouble. It’s also true that many times, as the holes went by, I would regain confidence and start lifting the ball more and lengthening the swing.”
Jorge Campillo: “I do what I can. I really don’t have something that can be called an emergency swing, I wish I had it. I do it as it comes out.”
Eugenio Chacarra: “I think there’s always a swing that each one has and with which they feel the sensation that the ball usually comes out the same way more times, or a shot that you also know will come out under pressure. In my case, it’s a low fade ball.”
David Puig: “I think the concept of survival swing is quite real. Each with their variants. With the driver, in my case, I lower the tee a bit, and that makes the ball come out lower, hit the ground earlier, and not take so much effect, and it gives me that confidence. And with the irons, almost the opposite: when I don’t feel well, I like to try to accentuate the effects. I’ll explain. It’s not so easy to hit a draw or a fade of three or four meters, however, I know that if I plan a much more exaggerated fade or draw, of more meters, it will come out nine out of ten times, so it turns out to be a good resource when the day doesn’t go as you want. It’s about planning a ball flight with more meters to the fade or draw because more shots should come out better than planning a draw or fade of three or four meters.”
Alex del Rey: “In my case, it depends a lot on the course. If it’s wide and I’ve already missed three or four fairways, I keep hitting it with everything from the tee, I have no problems… On a narrow course, I can look for a way to cover the ball, have the chest a bit more over the ball so it comes out more penetrating, low, and controlled.”
Luis Masaveu: “Each player has their ball pattern or tendency, and there are certain holes or situations where you’re going to try to use it more because you have a better chance of hitting the fairway. With the driver, I’m very precise hitting the fade, going straight I’m less precise, and with the draw even less, so on tenser holes, very narrow or with a lot of out of bounds, I’ll always use the fade. For example, I know that hitting the fade, I can only miss it to the right, and that simplifies things more in tense moments.”
Iván Cantero: “I don’t have much of an emergency swing. What I do when I see I’m not sharp is to set the tee very low and try to do the same. And whatever happens, happens, but emergency swing, nothing. So you could say low tee and go for it.”
From here, may God distribute luck. Unfortunately, there are thousands of amateurs who start looking for the emergency exit during a particularly lousy round and not only don’t find it, but also complicate the situation even more… Anyway, even medium and high handicaps can look for that last straw. It exists. It’s just a matter of finding it.
