This is an area of my game that has plagued me from day one. Fortunately I don't land in the sand too often but when I do it impacts my scorecard to the point that I've got to do something about it. I work on it here and there at the range but it never seems to help.
To give you an example: today I played 18 holes. On the first par 5 I hit a great drive, and good second shot to leave me a 50 yd shot to the pin. The ball hit and spun back off the green into a bunker protecting the front. I set up for the shot and swung...only to have the ball clear the 3 foot high lip by mere inches and squirt across the green and into the rough off the back. I chip out of that and one putt from about 4 feet. The second time I found myself in a bunker was on the 18th hole (keep in mind I don't often find the sand during my rounds and twice is an extemely rare occasion). My approach was long and landed in a shallow bunker off the back of the green. Same result and the ball rolls down a big slope leaving me with no chance at par.
How do you get air under the ball on bunker shots? I've watch Pelz talk about it and many others on the golf channel. I've read a lot about it and it never fails. I just can't get the ball up in the air. It comes out low and screaming. I set up the proper way (stance open, face open) and take a good swing but it seems like I never get the desired result. Any suggestions on how to fix this?
In both cases today I missed on my approach and was lucky to get out of the bunker in one attempt but I left myself with a lot of work afterwards. On many occasions I've been known to take two, three, or even four attempts before getting out of really deep bunkers.
.... I saw a pro golfer giving tips a few months ago , during a commercial , during a tournament, on how to get out of sand traps. He would hit the ball , out of the trap , by hitting below the ball, letting a layer of sand , between the club and ball, lift the ball out , and up , of the sand trap. I've tried it, it works, just hit below your ball , into the sand, letting the sand do the work of lifting. Anyone else have a comment on this technique ??? If it's real windy out, close your eyes after you hit it. ha ha
What I do is aim a little left of the target, take a wide stance, dig in a little, open up the club face and take an out to in swing hitting a couple inches behind the ball. Make sure to acclerate through the shot. I used to have trouble getting out of the sand too but then a teammate on the golf team gave me those tips and I've never had trouble since then.
You guys may have pointed out something I've long overlooked. In most cases I am probably picking the ball from the sand rather than taking the club into the sand ahead of the ball. Most if it comes down to probably not taking a wider stance at address. I'll give it a try tomorrow on the range and see how it works. Thanks again for the advice.
Do you know how many degrees of bounce are on your sandwedge....at least 12* is a good number, 10* tends to cut right into the sand too much or you have to be really good with a 10*...check that too!
Draw 2 lines in the sand 2 inches apart. The front lins is the ball line and the back line is the spot line. The spot line should be in the middle of your stance with the ball line 2 inches forward of center. Your divot should start at the spot line and go forward. With the lines you can tell where you are hitting the sand and can practice hitting the spot line. After you can hit he spot line, put balls on the ball line and continue hitting the spot line. Make sure you follow through. My mantra is "hit the spot and follow through".
I'm decent from the sand. I don't remember the last time I left one in or flew it over, though I don't always get within 10 feet of the hole. Your ball placement is very important, it needs to be foward. You're not going to get much backspin on the ball, so give it some room to roll. The way it works is to not make direct contact with the ball. The bounce on your SW will prevent it from digging deeper, just hit the sand a few inches behind the ball, and don't forget to follow through.
You guys may have pointed out something I've long overlooked. In most cases I am probably picking the ball from the sand rather than taking the club into the sand ahead of the ball. Most if it comes down to probably not taking a wider stance at address. I'll give it a try tomorrow on the range and see how it works. Thanks again for the advice.
I can't emphasize how impact it is to accelerate through impact. It's one of the keeps to hitting good bunker shots.
I can't emphasize how impact it is to accelerate through impact. It's one of the keeps to hitting good bunker shots.
I think that may be a big problem for me. I've always been a little gunshy about accelerating through a bunker shot. For whatever reason I seem to decelerate through impact on most of my bunker attempts. Granted, it looks like there are a few minor things I need to fix at address when in the bunker but the acceleration is a mental thing I need to fix.
...but the acceleration is a mental thing I need to fix.
It might help to think about how you want to look when you finish your swing. eg. Club pointing up in the air. It won't happen if you slow down through your shot.
Well, the responses I've read here are good. I was gonna say that you are thinning your sand shots and probably actually hitting the heel of your wedge if it is running out low and fast.
In the sand I always aim 45 degrees to the left of my target, open the blade on my wedge pretty wide, and then take a full swing and blast the ball, taking as much sand with the ball as possible.
The only variation in sand play is the distance to the hole. The further away from the hole you are, the less open your clubface should be.
And from fairway bunkers you need to remember to take at least one more club then you would normally from whatever distance from the hole you are.
That should get your started anyway. Most important point is to make sure you take a lot of sand with you around the greens, and enough sand from fairway bunkers so that you get underneath the ball to carry it over any lip.
Everyone here has good solid tips. Yes, think throwing the sand to the hole. But 1 thing I think everyone has forgotten or did not think about is that maybe his angle of attack is wrong too. I am getting the impression when on the down swing it is more in the path like the letter "U" and not like the letter "V". He is not steep enough. Golf is a game of opposites. Down is up and up is down. Need a chopping style attack to lift the ball more upright like flopping it.
Everyone here has good solid tips. Yes, think throwing the sand to the hole. But 1 thing I think everyone has forgotten or did not think about is that maybe his angle of attack is wrong too. I am getting the impression when on the down swing it is more in the path like the letter "U" and not like the letter "V". He is not steep enough. Golf is a game of opposites. Down is up and up is down. Need a chopping style attack to lift the ball more upright like flopping it.
So you are suggesting that I try to take a "flop shot" swing at the ball? That shouldn't be a problem as I am pretty good with the flop shot.
Yes sorry I was out of town for a few days. Yes play it like a flop shot on short sand shots but you must accelerate and follow through with the clubhead not passing your hands until after executing the shot. Try to throw the sand to the hole, forgetting the all is even there.
January 12th, 2006, 07:45 PM
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