Trouble Shots - Five Simple Steps to Better Bunker Play For Duffers
For many of us bunker play is what gives us the most trouble of all the situations we could find ourselves in on the golf course.
We too frequently fail to handle the sand shots adding extra shots to our rounds.
Yet the sand shot is commonly understood to be among the easiest of all shots a golfer might face.
It is the only shot where you don't want to make contact with the ball! You actually want to hit this shot "fat".
Some touring pros have even chosen to hit into a bunker deliberately.
They can get up down much easier from there then say the rough around the green.
Wouldn't you love to be that confident when playing out of a bunker? Confidence is an important part of the process here.
If you are attempting this shot with fear, uncertainty or doubt in your mind you may very well be forced into a "do over.
" Your body will not perform as it should when the mind is not committed to the intended action.
Here are five tips to help you to improve your sand play and gain that much needed confidence.
We will assume that you have a good lie in the bunker and that all other conditions are average.
That is the sand is soft and fluffy not hard and compacted as it is sometimes after a rain.
You want to be putting next.
Over time as you become more proficient with bunker play you will want to narrow your goal to reaching one putt range for every sand shot.
Needless to say that practice can only help.
You need to have a feel for how fast to swing to carry the ball the desired distance.
Practice will help you know also how much to open the club face so that you get the desired trajectory.
Try these five tips on your next practice session.
They will help to make you a better sand bunker player for sure.
We too frequently fail to handle the sand shots adding extra shots to our rounds.
Yet the sand shot is commonly understood to be among the easiest of all shots a golfer might face.
It is the only shot where you don't want to make contact with the ball! You actually want to hit this shot "fat".
Some touring pros have even chosen to hit into a bunker deliberately.
They can get up down much easier from there then say the rough around the green.
Wouldn't you love to be that confident when playing out of a bunker? Confidence is an important part of the process here.
If you are attempting this shot with fear, uncertainty or doubt in your mind you may very well be forced into a "do over.
" Your body will not perform as it should when the mind is not committed to the intended action.
Here are five tips to help you to improve your sand play and gain that much needed confidence.
We will assume that you have a good lie in the bunker and that all other conditions are average.
That is the sand is soft and fluffy not hard and compacted as it is sometimes after a rain.
- Play the ball just inside of your front foot.
- Employ an open stance.
The feet should be aligned to the left of your landing target (as much as 10 feet) and the club face aimed to the right of the target landing area (4 feet or so). - Swing along the foot line.
Aim to enter the sand an inch or two behind the ball.
Cock the wrist early. - Keep the lower body still.
Just rotate around your spine with the upper body. - Swing through to a full finish.
Do not slow down through the swing.
You want to be putting next.
Over time as you become more proficient with bunker play you will want to narrow your goal to reaching one putt range for every sand shot.
Needless to say that practice can only help.
You need to have a feel for how fast to swing to carry the ball the desired distance.
Practice will help you know also how much to open the club face so that you get the desired trajectory.
Try these five tips on your next practice session.
They will help to make you a better sand bunker player for sure.
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