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Bunkers And Sand Traps - How To Play Them

By Lee MacRae

Sand play does not have to be life threatening! But that is how many golfers feel when they land a shot into a bunker or sand trap. Follow along as we explain some things you can do to improve in this area of your golf game

When your ball is sitting up in sand on a rise that is caused by someone's footprints, don't be fooled into thinking this is an easy shot. Players tend to try to get the ball off the surface of the sand, or take too much sand in an effort not to hit it too far. Do the former and you may blade the ball. Do the latter and you may hit it fat. This is an instance where you want to hit not under the ball, but down and through it. Take your spot, about two inches behind the ball and slightly below it [because of the rise] and swing as you would for a normal chip shot. If you're still worried about getting it too far, move your weight back to your right foot. This will force you to swing more with your arms and will take some power out of the shot.

Keep in mind that the average sand wedge is designed to hit a ball 40 feet at most. If you have a sand shot that is farther than that, then you will be better off using a pitching wedge to get on the green. A pitching wedge is designed differently, it doesn't have the curve [the bounce] on the bottom of the head. This allows the ball to travel the 10 or 20 extra feet you need on the shot. Just remember to use the right tool for the particular job at hand.

Visual imagery is commom in bunker play. Some instructors tell students to imagine that the face of the club is the palm of their hands, which they "slap" under the ball in the hitting zone. We prefer to think of money. A dollar bill is slightly more than six inches long. That means that if the bill is laid under a golf ball, about two inches of the ball would protrude back from the bill. As the ideal "explosion shot" demands that you hit into the sand roughly two inches behind the ball, you should pretend that you're hitting the dollar ball out of the bunker. This is an especially useful image because in order to hit the ball right out of the bunker, you'll need to complete your follow-through, and that's another important element of just about every sand shot.

The average golfer usually fears the shot from a sand bunker and is defeated before they even attempt one. With practice, keeping in mind the proper technique and a few tips and hints, sand play will be a lot easier than you imagined. And your golf game will be better for it.

Practice anytime and anywhere with a good golf cage today!

Thoughts On Golf

Putting
Set up with the ball near your front foot, the club face square to the target line and your eyes over the ball. It is important to keep your hands level or ahead of the ball through the stroke.
...BBC golf

Pivot Pitching
Eliminate chunks and skulls by using your body and not your hands to move the club. Try keeping your arms glued to your body in the backswing and downswing.
...Golf Tips magazine

The Grain affects the roll! Grain is mostly seen on the fringe of the green. Putts with grain roll faster and farther, against the grain slower and not so far. Check from both sides of your ball as well as behind the ball when lining up. The appearance of the grass shows the grain. If it looks shiny the grain is away from you. If dull, the grain is towards you.
...World Golf

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