Practice makes perfect. So tight lies, use less bounce and hit the ball crisply? Hit the sand 2 inches behind the ball. If you think youre going to make it, youll make it. So, lets get back to the aforementioned rehearsals used by Tiger. Bounce does NOT make the club bounce off the turf. Ping Glide Forged, 48, 52, 56, 60, DGS300. On the golf course, especially under tournament conditions, you want to be hyper-aware of your surroundings. If this describes your current relationship with bunker shots, you are in the right place. Many golfers automatically grab their sand wedge, but you should give it a bit more thought than that. That shot is very lie dependent. Obviously, theres a lot to love about the guy who makes triple on the first hole, cracks a beer, and accepts failure after hole number 1. compacted sand look for a . Once you feel confident, it will change how you view the entire golf course. I didnt look at bounce when i grabbed my wedges. Key is you don't have to hit it hard. One of the ways is to increase your swing speed and gain optimal results. When this clubface opens, it is essential to turn your feet open so that your clubface lines up with the hole again. Instead of trying to address the mechanical or technical aspects of your swing/stroke/game, commit to a mental change. The more open you play the blade, the more you need to aim to the left. Also, check your trail foot. Lets take a look in the article below at how you should adjust your technique to get good results in either situation. Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'SXrXsUnLS2Bd_fkY7wkv0g',sig:'RhOO0SFXizoxEkh3-6II-0Prmj41tcPnIiQhy4fST4A=',w:'509px',h:'339px',items:'1398778760',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); Focus solely on your intent and not what you hope doesnt happen as you watch your ball fly through the air. Here's how it should look, Here's how to hit up on your driver to produce big distance gains, How slow play messes with your mind, according to Top 100 Teachers, Don't have time for pre-round practice? Step 2: Widen your stance and open it to your target line. Harrington begins by explaining that there are two distinctly different ways to play shots from bunkers with a lot of sand and ones with very little sand. Hackinator, May 24, 2022 in Instruction & Academy. 4. . Knowing how to hit out of a bunker is important. How to play a Bunker Shot, The Easiest Shot in Golf The setup for bunker shots includes how your feet are aimed and how the clubface is aimed. One of the most critical factors of hitting out of the bunker is to ensure that you take some sand with your golf shot. If you exhibit solid fundamentals with respect to both ball position/shoulder tilt, and youre still not neutralizing the flight of your ball/hitting a draw, its time to keep digging. If you want high and spinny, you have to open the face and hit close to the ball. Moreover, theyre both unafraid to lay it all on the line. Five-time major champion Phil Mickelson highlights how he tackles bunker shots from firm lies in the sand. 7 Tips for Getting Out of the Sand Trap Sliding under the ball. You dont need to transfer quite as much of your weight back to your right side on this shot. The Cleveland CBX 2 Sand Wedgeis a great option for most players and is forgiving and effective where and when you need it most. Holding your sand wedge in front of you, turn the face open about 20 degrees, then take your grip. Padraig Harrington reveals secrets to hitting out of hard and soft sand Lets start with the more difficult of the two, playing out of soft sand. As I alluded to earlier, the best form of practice comes through experience. Finishing high is not just about looking good for the photographers; it has everything to do with acceleration through the ball. 5 easy steps to get up-and-down from the bunker like a pro, This rising star and long shot is primed for a breakout win: 2023 Wells Fargo Championship odds, Hannah Green survives 3-way playoff for emotional victory at JM Eagle LA Championship, Tour Confidential: Tony Finaus rise, Justin Thomas career, summer trips, 2023 Mexico Open at Vidanta: How to watch, TV schedule, streaming, tee times, Meet the new GOLF Top 100 Teachers of America, These sleek and stylish golf carry bags are just what your game needs. Play the ball a bit forward in your stance . My 55* sand wedge has a medium bounce that works well out of fluffy sand. That's why I use the most lofted club I have, and then I pray it's enough to get over the lip! The key to hitting out of hard sand, the easier of the two options, is to lean left and make sure you don't open the . Pasted as rich text. The swing does not need to be long, and there will still be a body turn; just try to feel the club on more of an upright plane. With the tournaments result still hanging in the balance, players are fully aware that they must avoid the pond that runs along the left-hand side of the greens surface in order to remain in contention. FOLLOW THROUGH to the finish like any other shot. When the trouble is across our body at the setup position (left for righties), were often served best by opting for a draw as opposed to a fade/straight ball. Playing well is fun. Additionally, keep your hands ahead of the ball at impact to help deloft the clubface and keep the ball low. If might get stuck in the bunker lip if it is high enough or the rough next to the lip if it hits in there. 5. I hit it like a bunker shot. 3. Now he has a new helpful tip for golfers everywhere: the secrets to, and differences between, playing out of hard and soft sand. The sand you find in bunkers is more likely to be hard when it is wet. If the bunker is more of a hardpan type, dont open the face much at all. Like Rahm, Koepka is willing to put the bad golf behind him. Bunker shots are hard to practice at home because there wont be too much that feels like the sand on the course. I treat it like a chip from a really tight lie. Ping G430 driver - Loft above advertised? Try these adjustments the next time you encounter firm sand: Its important to understand the right techniques for hard and soft sand, but only one thing is really going to elevate your game in this area practice. How To Clean A Golf Bag - Bringing It Back To It's Former Glory, The 5 Best Womens Golf Gloves: Great Fit & Value. Amazingly, Rahm doubled his first hole of the tournament thanks to a four-putt on the 1st green. Often, proper posture at the setup position is confused with standing in a similarly vertical position to your current position up against the wall. USE OF AND/OR REGISTRATION ON ANY PORTION OF THIS SITE CONSTITUTES ACCEPTANCE OF OURVISITOR AGREEMENT(UPDATED 1/6/23),PRIVACY AND COOKIES NOTICE(UPDATED 1/4/23) ANDCALIFORNIA PRIVACY NOTICE. We have hard sand, especially after a rain. Pro who taught me this technique had me hitting flops off of a wooden board with my 56 wedge with 14 degrees of bounce. With that being said, all great players approach a round of golf by taking one shot at a time. In order to jump off the ground, golfers use the exact same method of pushing off the ground to transfer energy, create club-head speed, and create more power/stability/distance. Itll give you some definition and structure in how you approach your weekly rounds and practice routines. If you only open your clubface and never adjust your stance, you will miss the shot to the right of the pin. My 588 has a low bounce and a sharp leading edge for cutting into compacted sand. In the absence of that maintenance, however, the bunkers will get hard and playing shots will get tricky. Then set a . Padraig Harrington reveals the secrets to hitting out of hard and soft sand, Phil Mickelson alleges world ranking collusion taking place, What is a PGA Tour Special Temporary member? 50/54/60 Cleveland RTX6 Zipcore DG Spinner. Two Sides to Every Story | Grant Horvat Explains Why He Left Good Good, LIV Golfers Are Struggling to Keep Sponsors, FIRST LOOK: Rapsodo Debuts New MLM2PRO Launch Monitor and Golf Simulator, REPORT: LIV Purchased Land In North Augusta To Build Championship Venue. Adjust setup. Join InsideGOLF for only $20 - includes instant $20 Fairway Jockey credit! I get a lot of these at courses I play where the sand is really compacted or almost no-existent. Playing out of a lot of sand is incredibly difficult, Harrington explains, Professional golfers are extremely frustrated if we go to a golf course with too much sand because we get no control.. Understanding the Importance of Ground Force in Your Golf Swing, WATCH: This Vintage Payne Stewart Drill Is Still Relevant Today. To get out safely, open the clubface so the club can bounce off the sand instead of dig. First, dig in: twist your feet into the sand. Most golfers hit their approach in a greenside bunker, and the panic of what comes next starts to settle in. You want a wide stance when in the sand for better balance. Don't even think about it. Keep a sand or gap wedge square at address. You want a wide stance when in the sand for better balance. Watch the video above or read below for more. Titleist T200 3i Thump 90-X If your goal is to break 80, that tee shot on hole 10 that you just pumped OB after shooting 39 on the front is going to seem like hell on earth. I like my lo. If you want to turn it over more with the big stick, start by checking your ball position. When chipping near the green Im thinking mostly about how much I want the ball to roll out, but if the lie is really tight Ill go with the lower bounce wedge. 95% of golfers are making bunker shots way more difficult, because they're not doing THIS!Make this simple change and see how easy it is, to not only get out. You can play a lot of short game shots using the same technique. Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'H1kROUUnSatKk-wb4PT1Dw',sig:'F2CSJLogw0RG_ib4pQkOEt-h6_azEUDmWPSpRw3LRl4=',w:'338px',h:'507px',items:'852187-001',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); Accept that your two-digit numeric value, which represents your 18-hole score, is nothing more than a product of a process. Remember, force equals mass multiplied by acceleration. What I will say, however, is that putting comes down to confidence. At some level, the difference between an opening round 65 and a closing round 75 may not have been all that much. Beginners and those who struggle with the sand sometimes swing the club into the sand, then stop. Bob Vokey Bunker Tips: Which wedges work best from the sand? He's stepped into the bunker 3. In order to execute a wise game plan that reflects sound course-management reasoning, players often utilize a right-to-left ball flight on the 16th tee. and note the landing and roll out distance and write it down. You want the leading edge to dig a bit. Take our word for it; getting good out of a bunker is something that takes a bit of practice initially, but it will be a worthwhile skill long term. Now that you are eager to head out to the practice bunker to work on your game, here are a few last things to consider and think about. Pick a target, pick a ball flight, step in, and fire. Over time, youll realize that one, two, or even three bad rounds in an inexplicably short period of time is no longer that unreasonable. Prepare to be BLOWN AWAY by this Course! Possibly the BEST Bunker Tip EVER! - How to play bunker shots from Hard ^^^^^ This x 100. Our guide featuring how to hit a bunker shot will give you a step-by-step method that is guaranteed to get you out of a bunker (the first time!). Ball pops clean out of the bunker with height. Hitting out of a bunker with a pitching wedge can be very difficult. Jon Rahms surge of birdies Callaway Rogue Max D 10.5/Tensei Blue 55R. Lately, theres been a lot of buzz surrounding the use of distinctively unique swing rehearsals. Its a good idea to pay attention to the normal sand conditions on your home course. Like Sean said. According to Danny Maude's recent student Troy this bunker tip is probably the Best Bunker Tip Ever!Probably just like you Troy wanted to know:Simply how to . For the average bunker shot, you will need your clubface open slightly. To be clear draws fly from right to left for righties and left to right for lefties. You want the leading edge to dig a bit. Review the general bunker shot guidelines below in order to correctly execute the shot. If youre a fairly experienced player and your grip is fairly neutral/comfortable, strengthening your grip may be uncomfortable and not in your best interest. As part of Tigers execution in playing numerous beautiful shots that week, like the tee ball on 16, he relied heavily upon his ability to turn the ball over from right to left. 2 pros found out, The shocking revelation Padraig Harrington had about his game. If you hit the ball first in the bunker, expect your shot to fly over the green. Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'sxB0VfKgRyRlHBwDqDTwjA',sig:'igfJFD2-EyHNoBofQzjv5KgrDHkojiDPQ-Br8uLF4X8=',w:'594px',h:'396px',items:'941130414',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); Most obviously, Tigers body is situated in a very angular fashion and not straight up and down in relation to the ground. Brands Explained. On the golf course, facing expectations is one of the scariest things we face in a competitive environment. Sometimes, thats just the nature of this crazy game. Golf Podcast 473: Golf Ball Rollback: What You Need to Know About Bifurcation, Bad Hole or Bad Round? The big key during the swing is to follow through, and turn your body to the target. Most of the time, golfers overthink bunker shots. The fairway bunker shots will play differently than the how to hit a greenside bunker shot. How do we do that? 1. With two small adjustments to the way you would play a normal sand shot: The first is that you will need to hit a bit closer to the ball and aim to take a smaller 'divot of sand' out then normal. Find a practice green and set to work; this is not something you can learn on the course. Turn your brain off and fire your arms and hands thru the hitting area. Combine that with the fact that every kind of sand is different, and you have a recipe for a difficult up-and-down. Can I cherry pick loft? Paste as plain text instead, He assists on all things instruction and covers amateur and womens golf. Mickelson Sounds Off on Twitter at the OWGR, Tony Finau Spotted Caddying for Sons Hours After Winning PGA Tours Mexico Open, Talor Gooch Performs A LIV Golf First With Back-to-Back Victories, Brooks Koepka Gets 200-Club-Length Relief in Strange Ruling at LIV Golf Singapore, Jon Rahm & Scottie Scheffler Skipping The Wells Fargo Championship. Sand Trap Tips: How To Play Bunker Shots In 8 Easy Steps Yes, all golfers should have a sand wedgeor a wedge with a loft around 56 degrees. Simple things such as paying attention to the lie you have can help you save shots in the rough. It's a really good all-round club and will work well from the bunker. 3 keys for getting out of bunkers with soft sand - GolfWRX Golf tip: Different wedges needed for softer or harder sand traps Players who struggle with a line drive bunker shot took the club back too shallow. Some golfers tend to have better luck with the higher lofted lob wedge in play. You may need to adjust your body to avoid bottoming out before hitting the ball. I have a drone shot of me casting a beast fleye and it getting eaten, but not eaten enough. Don't Fear the Sand: The Complete Guide to Greenside Bunkers As Harrington demonstrates in the video, the secret to making short work of fluffy lies is to open the clubface and expose the bounce as much as you like, then swing hard to help it get up in the air. Clear editor. Make sure you get out of the bunker and give yourself a chance at a one-putt, but for the most part be satisfied with getting down in three. If youre able, find any wall and stand flush up against it just as would in an effort to measure your own height. Display as a link instead, Typically, you want a sand wedge (56 degrees) or higher. Now, hit the golf ball in front of you without moving your feet during the golf swing. This Bunker Shot Technique is SO EASY - YouTube Most golfers would agree that hard bunkers make for more difficult shots, but they arent impossible. True, what others mentioned you cannot be using the same amount of bounce because it will "bounce" off the hard sand and blade into the ball. Swing the club along the line of your feet. With more loft on the clubface when it slides under the ball, you get more height and more spin to keep the ball on the green. I can promise you that a double bogey in a tournament round feels much different than a double bogey while drinking beers with your buddies on a casual Saturday afternoon. You should also dig your feet into the sand to make sure your base is set. Bunker Shots: How to Hit Out of a Sand Trap | Swing Align In bunkers, you cannot test the surface, however, you can use your feet to feel the density of the sand. If you find yourself playing well during the week and struggling during your weekend matches, dont go to the club pro for a swing change. 2. We must hit behind the ball in the bunker and launch some sand up into the air. Just the degree lofts. Britt has been playing golf since she was seven years old. There are two things a golfer needs to play the bunker shot consistently well. To do this, turn the toe of the club away from the ball. He came to Augusta National riding high from his recent victory and extremely confident in all facets of his game. To hit a low golf shot, take a shorter backswing and follow through to minimize the height of the shot. Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'Wo1N74xKSWJZXMbr8eyMxA',sig:'rjBNqi7szWMQog3o2b637JNIDzwiQSjrPar_ql7zHHI=',w:'594px',h:'395px',items:'477241188',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); Im saying that achieving more consistently solid contact and ball flight for most average golfers requires less lateral upper body movement on the downswing. Bunker Shots for Beginners - Golf Sidekick Technique for hitting high, spinny bunker shots The first part of how to hit sand shots in golf is to choose the proper club. No Quit: Keep your body turning through the shot so your chest is facing the target at the finish. Maintenance. When you get these basic tips down, you can make great strides towards becoming a better player. If you try the same thing without much bounce the club head can dig in more than you want and wreck the shot. If the ball doesn't get out, you are going to waste at least one stroke - and probably more. What this does is, it exposes the flange on the bottom of the club. Bounce is whatever part of the sole of the club that sits lower than the leading edge. Depending on the sands condition, your strategy will change. Very true. Here are a few of our favorite sand shot tips. Also, when you head to a new course for a round, spend some time before the round visiting the practice bunker (if they have one available). Srixon ZX5 irons 5-AW, Nippon N.S. 100plus. The WHY: In an effort to not get ahead of the golf ball with his upper body on the downswing/impact. Give it your all, no matter what. Swing improvement secrets: best golf training aids revealed - MSN Opening the face and exposing the bounce just skips the club into the ball. Use a sand wedge; Grip down on the club slightly, Open the clubface, Open your stance, Position the ball slightly forward in your stance; Widen your stance; Dig your feet in There are a few factors that impact sand conditions on a golf course: Some courses fill their bunkers with soft, fluffy sand, and they refresh that sand regularly. He also moved to No. Opening the clubface in this scenario would increase bounce and cause you to top or knife your shot over the green, so you have to keep it square. As Ben Hogan once said, Golf and tournament golf are about as different from one another as baseball and hockey. Whatever that competitive environment may exist within your own little world, make it count. In this episode of How to Hit Every Shot, instructor Erika Larkin takes us through the basics of blasting it from the bunker. The fish grabbed on to the back of the fly, and kept it in its . Bunkers look much scarier than they are. If you slide excessively toward the target on the downswing or swing by demonstrating a reverse pivot (back foot finish), this drill is ideal for you. Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, three-time major champion Padraig Harrington has taken to Twitter to keep golf fans entertained and to help them improve their games. Download our instruction app from iTunes or . Square face. 2) A 2019 rule change allows you to take a two shot penalty and drop the ball out the back of the bunker. This will help you come in a little bit steeper and negate some of the bounce. At this point, you should have your clubface slightly open yet aimed at the pin, your stance aimed somewhat left of the pin, and your feet slightly dug into the bunker. Approach your shot with soft arms and a weak grip. Golf Pro Tip: Chipping Over a Bunker - DICK'S Sporting Goods But Paddys latest lesson isnt about learning bunker basics (which hes covered before). In other words, a bad round can quickly follow a good round and vice versa. Why cant I just be happy with my driver? A lot of the time the club will bounce off the top of the sand, and the leading edge will hit the middle of the ball. This will dictate your approach. Padraig Harrington, a three-time major champion, knows a thing or two about playing out of bunkers. If the sand is literally nonexistent then its a hardpan chip shot, but i've personally run into very few bunkers actually like this, and the ones that are are literally clay. Most amateurs swing the club into the sand, and when they feel the resistance, they quit on the shot. When hitting a greenside bunker shot, it can help to put a little extra weight on the left side. However, you will typically have a much more open club face and stance with a flop shot. The next time you play a bad hole/round, try not to overreact to its existence by making a physical swing change. If the clubface is open like you would normally do for an explosion shot, the bottom of the club will bounce up and hit the middle of the ball giving you a skulled shot over the green. Most of the time in golf, we want to hit the ball first and then take a bit of grass with us. Aim further left and get the handle higher than usual. Instead of allowing your mind to jump to Oh boy, now Im going to make triple and have to play my next 8 holes in 1 over just to shoot 79, ask yourself one simple question: Where in the fairway should I put this ball in order to attack the flag?. Generally on a full iron or wedge shot you want the shaft leaning a little toward the target at impact to the bounce isn't doing much. For a typical explosion shot, try to hit on the three points listed below: You dont need to make things any more complicated than that. Often, Ill witness amateurs spending loads of time on the practice green trying to reinvent their putting stroke after one bad round. How to escape deep bunkers, according to a short-game expert By getting our arms/hands/club out in front of our body on the downswing. Don't Look Up! In addition, starting with a little weight on the left ensures that you are hitting down and through the sand. If we dont have goals, its easy to practice without a purpose, to accept mediocrity, and to never feel the satisfaction that accompanies success. Line your club up slightly right of the target with an open face. Finau's sixth career PGA Tour victory was worth $1,386,000. This also works perfectly for buried lies. 11 in the world. If youre one of those players who has a wildly inconsistent divot pattern (sometimes deep, other times shallow, sometimes no divot, others have proper width, others have little width), youre going to produce proportionately inconsistent results. As long as you are swinging through the ball with acceleration and speed, the bounce on the golf wedge will cut through the sand and carry your ball right out. At some level, golfers are best served by practicing acceptance during the most unacceptable of moments. Get into your stance with the ball way forwardopposite the heel of your front foot. This might seem like a subtle difference, but it actually has a massive impact on how you should play the shot. Step 4: Put 80 percent of your weight on your lead leg. But if you have the ball too far back in your stance, you're only going to make contact with the ball. After becoming a Class A PGA Professional, teaching professional, and golf membership director, she decided a career in golf writing was the perfect fit. 3-PW: Mizuno MP 60 True Temper Dynamic Gold S300 S Bunker shots are some of the most difficult in golf. In fact, you will typically want to avoid doing this on a fairway bunker. First find your 'mostability', I *finally* learned how to escape deep bunkers thanks to this short-game expert, What's the proper footwork in the golf swing? I dont notice any difference on full swings. Sometimes, these players set up to the ball with their upper bodies too far ahead of the golf ball. The key takeaway is to be open-minded about the golf wedge you use when you hit a bunker shot. Approximately speaking, your body is now at a 90-degree angle in relation to the ground. I have never heard of that rule. 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Embed from Getty Imageswindow.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'Tpqp65v_T71VOMCYMolXgQ',sig:'d6r1RLR_MdErYy-R5reJudeK67k_byjqoi7qRyERGds=',w:'358px',h:'478px',items:'129301275',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })}); By moving the ball up, it often promotes a lower trail shoulder/higher lead shoulder in relation to the ground at address. And theres no better choice among pros than Harrington to pass the secrets to their success on to the masses. Think about it this way: Golfers who get ahead of the golf ball excessively either on the downswing or at the setup position also associate excessive lateral body movement away/towards the target during the backswing/downswing. Our bunkers all but lose their sand in the winter with all the rain. Works every time. Is it thick or soft sand? The result is too much sand and a low lofted running shot. Again, this is a point that has more to do with budgets than anything else. Check out Proud 90 GolfCode: Darin (15% off) One of the inherent challenges with bunker shots is that you never quite know what sand conditions you will face when stepping down into a trap. Hank Haney: How To Hit The Basic Sand Shot | Instruction | Golf Digest In other words, practice by playing and practice by playing the right way. I'm not going to disagree with anyone here since this is just based on my personal experience, but i've never seen anyone do anything with a more square or even shut face in a bunker that didn't end in tragedy, regardless of the sand consistency.