When the ball is in a sand divot : Play it back and pick it - Brief Article

Golf Digest, Jan, 2000 by Tiger Woods, Pete McDaniel

If you play the game, you've had your share of bad bounces. The key is to have a positive outlook in a negative situation--such as when your ball finds a sand divot in the fairway. Believing you can execute a shot is as important as knowing how to do it.

A sand divot hole is just a miniature fairway bunker, and the shot should be executed like a fairway bunker shot.

Play the ball back in your stance slightly more than normal. That will help you contact the ball first--critical to playing the shot.

Stand a little taller at address so you can pick the ball off the sand, just as you would in a fairway bunker. Your backswing should be a little steeper than normal, which will also help you pick the ball without catching the sand.

Select one more club than you normally need for the yardage, so you can swing easier and keep your balance. Average players often try to beat down on the ball or scoop it from a sand divot. The result is a mis-hit and, too often, a lost stroke.