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Tips To Play The Sand Trap
By Lee MacRae
A bunker beside the green is a fearsome place to be. Surprisingly, this is one of the easiest shots to perfect and can actually be an enjoyable part of your golf game. Just learn the proper techniques and apply a few tips and your bunker game will flourish.
If the sand is wet or firm, don't automatically reach for your sand wedge. A better choice in this case would be a pitching wedge. The pitching wedge has less bounce [the curve on the bottom of the head] and is not as sharp on the edges. These feature will prevent the club from digging nto the sand too much and ruining the shot. Just keep the face square [not open as that adds to the bounce] and swing a little shorter than you normally would. Success will follow.
When sand is wet or really firm, your sand wedge, with it's wide flange may very easily bounce off the surface and blade the ball. In such circumstances, it's better to use a pitching wedge or, when the flag is a long way off and you want your ball to run more, then use a seven, eight, or nine iron. Play your ball back in an open stance [much as you would do when playing a chip from the fairway] and position your hands just ahead of the ball. Unlike most sand shots, this one requires that you concentrate on hitting the ball first and not the sand. Work out your "landing area" before hitting the shot, and try to hit that area. If you miss it, don't worry. With all sand shots, it's far more important to get out the sand and to leave your ball close to the hole.
Because every golfer wants to get up and down from greenside sand, there is always a great pressure to hit the ball close from a bunker. The fact is, however, that a top pro who gets up and down half the time is doing very well indeed. For this reason you should not concentrate on hitting sand shots to tap-in range [that is, to within three feet] as you would do for a long putt. Focus instead on hitting to within a target that's 12 to 15 feet in diameter. That gives you up to 7 1/2 feet to play with on each side of the hole can be much easier bull's-eye to deal with. You'll be more relaxed and will hit the ball even closer.
Knowing the basic techniques of bunker sand play will alleviate fears. Remaining calm and keeping some simple techniques in mind will turn your sand play in to childs play. Now head off to play golf.
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Quick Golf Ideaslearn 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.
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Which Golf Clubs Are For You?
By: Lee MacRae
With a larger variety of
golf clubs coming onto the scene every week, it can become more and more difficult to determine just exactly what you should be looking for when buying new clubs.
We will go through a few basic tips to help you determine which golf clubs are right for you.
How tall are you? Standard clubs are made for anyone between 5 to 6 feet tall and should work out fine. That principle holds for both sexes. Anyone else should consider looking to custom clubs for the best fit.
Will that be cast iron or forged?
For most folks, the standard cast iron golf clubs are the best way to go.
Why, you ask? Very simply because standard cast iron clubs tend to have a larger "sweet spot". This is the are in the center of the club face where "forces" are said to be perfectly balanced to deliver the perfect shot. The larger "sweet spot" you have, the less likely it is that you will hit a bad shot Being a little off center will not affect your shot to any great degree. This makes cast iron clubs ideal for anyone who wants a more consistant shot., especially beginners. Until their swing plane is more developed, they will have an easier time striking the ball on a consistant basis with the cast iron club. That is why clubs like "Big Bertha" came on the market. The large oversized head obviously gives a much larger sweet spot than a normal driver. Average golfers get longer and straighter drives on a more consistant basis.
By contrast, forged iron golf clubs are "harder to hit" a good shot with as they have a smaller sweet spot.
So why are forged clubs even sold?
For a very simple reason. Cast iron is a softer metal that offers a better "feel" on a shot. The better players, on the other hand, will give up that larger sweet spot [and even some distance] to get that better feel of each and every shot they take. With a more consistant swing, they usually strike the ball dead center on most shots anyway. With the better feel of the forged iron club, they can draw, fade, hook or slice the ball deliberately when circumstances on the golf course require it.
The next consideration is the material for the shaft. Steel or composite?
The important thing to look at here is your club head velocity. Any typical Sunday golfer will generate a club speed of 80 to 94 mph. With speeds registering lower than that, you ought to think of using a composite style of shaft on your clubs . The result of lower swing speed is less yardage on each shot. You want to find some way to offset your lower swing speed. Composite shafts will allow you to get that much needed distance on your shots. And even within the composite shaft class, you will find variations in flex and materials that will affect your game.
On the other hand, if you already have good distance on your shots due to good swing speed, you can add some touch and feel to your game very similar to that obtained by using the forged iron clubs. You get the best of both worlds.
In order to determine your personal swing speed, look for a sports shop or golf store that has speed sensor equipment and get yourself clocked.
With just these few starting hints, it is generally best if you rent a few different sets of clubs as you play and take note of how each club assists or hinders your game. You are searching to determine your personal strong points and weak points. Try out the diverse types and sorts of clubs available to you and see what works best for your own game.
Work on these tips and make sure you tee off with a positive mindset. The more you practice and implement what you learn, the more confidence you will gain in your ability to hit it straight and long. And watch your scores begin to plummet!
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Additional Info On Golf TodayTo achieve the goal of hitting the ball at the bottom of the swing arc. Your drives should be hit slightly on the upswing, iron shots are struck slightly on the downswing. Fairway woods are hit at the bottom of the swing arc.
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More than anything you need to have your routine. Next time you watch Tiger or Ernie look at their routine. That's their way of feeling comfortable. I walk up to a shot and look where I want it to go. Next I take a practice swing. Then I cock my club back, once looking at the target, then two more times. It's then that I'm relaxed and ready to hit the shot.
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