Instruction - Bunkers
- 5 Tips
Although hitting from a bunker is
straightforward once you learn the basics of stance and posture, the
thought of hitting into a greenside sand trap unsettles many golfers.
Improving your technique reduces the fear of bunker play and builds
self-confidence in your shot-making capabilities.
Assuming the texture of the sand is
similar, and the ball is not plugged, the technique for hitting out of a
greenside bunker remains the same for shots up to 30 yards (27m). The
key to making this shot, as I’ve explained in my golf tips, is hitting
the sand about 1 to 2 inches behind the ball, throwing the sand forward
with the ball. For longer shots the only thing that changes is the
swing’s length. Rhythm and tempo remain the same.
Below are 5 points I cover in my golf
lessons on bunker technique. They’re the focus of my golf instruction
once I’ve reviewed how a wedge works and the fundamentals of stance and
posture.
1. Move Arms Away in Unison
Having taken a slightly open stance,
resist the temptation to get too steep early in the takeaway. Keep the
wrists passive as you sweep the club away. Try to synchronize the arm
swing and body turn. In other words, make the first part of the takeaway
a one-piece movement. Also, make sure the clubhead follows the path away
from the ball parallel to the line of your toes.
2. Rotate and Open
Rotate your left arm and wrists as the
swing continues, as if you were looking at a wristwatch. It’s a visual I
often use in my golf instruction to help players remember to make the
move. It opens the clubface and helps maximize the bounce effect on the
sand wedge at impact. Also, start hinging your wrists as the clubhead
passes your right thigh. Keep your head still, turn the left shoulder in
under the chin, and turn your back to the target.
3. Turn to the Top
As your body turns, you should feel as
if your clubhead is pointing toward the sky and your wrists are cocked.
Keep your head and body centered over the over the ball. Swing the club
down on a slightly flatter plane, with good rhythm and tempo, as always.
This is a key move any time you swing a club.
4. Make the Right Contact
Hitting the right impact point is
critical when playing from the sand. In golf lessons I tell students to
visualize the ball sitting on top of a tee instead of the sand, then
focus on clipping the tee beneath the ball, which just happens to get in
the swing’s way. Executed properly, this move will throw the ball out of
the bunker with just the right amount of sand.
5. Create a Controlled Explosion
As the club comes down in the downswing,
you should feel your hands drag left, pulling them across the ball
through impact. Make sure that your right hand doesn’t cross over the
left and that you clear your left hip as the club comes through. If the
stance and clubhead are open sufficiently, the ball will fly straight,
with a high trajectory.
Of course, the technique for longer
bunker shots differs slightly. The key with longer shots is in the
follow-through. Use a full finish for long bunker shots, and a short
finish for shorter bunker shots.
Below are two exercises that I use in
golf lessons to help students improve their bunker technique:
• This exercise establishes how the sand
wedge should really work. Stand in a practice bunker without a ball.
Adopt your normal bunker stance and take several swings down into the
sand. The object is to get the feel of the clubhead dragging through the
sand, not digging into it. After a dozen shots, try hitting a ball. Pick
out a spot where you want the ball to land and then go for it. Repeat
the exercise until you’re comfortable with the feel of the wedge
splashing through the sand.
• Focusing on a spot where the clubhead
hits can divert attention from where it emerges, resulting in a fluffed
shot. The “Two Lines” exercise helps eliminate the tendency to lose
focus. Stand in a bunker and take your normal bunker stance. Draw two
lines in the sand about 6 to 7 inches apart. The lines represent the
length of the sand you should carve from under the ball. Line up several
balls between the two lines then hit them. The clubhead should enter the
sand where the first line is and emerge where the second line is.
Practicing these two exercises while
keeping the 5 points in mind will help build better bunker technique. As
you become more and more comfortable with hitting out of a bunker, you
will increase your self-confidence. And that, as I often tell my
students, leads to better play and lower golf handicaps.
Jack Moorehouse is the author of the
best-selling book “How
To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros.” He is NOT a golf pro, rather a
working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all seven
continents lower their handicap immediately. He has a free weekly
newsletter with the latest
golf tips, golf
lessons and golf
instruction.
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