If this is you, crack that beer and accept that you can birdie the next hole rather than hopping aboard the bogey train. Again, Im back to stressing the importance of a happy medium. How to play a Bunker Shot, The Easiest Shot in Golf When this clubface opens, it is essential to turn your feet open so that your clubface lines up with the hole again. Make bunker practice a regular part of your routine and you should gradually gain confidence and see improved results. Check out Monte's "Use the Bounce" video series for some great info on this technique. While Rahm and Koepka both play the game under very different circumstances in comparison to the typical amateur, all golfers have goals. How To Find The Right Wedge For Bunker Play? | Golf Monthly Hit The Sand Hard. Before Sunday, Brooks Koepka did everything right at Augusta National. The next time you play a bad hole/round, try not to overreact to its existence by making a physical swing change. embedded in the sand directly under the front lip, you can now (as SG said, since 2019) take it out of the bunker for a 2 shot penalty, "back-on-the-line" - dropping in a relief area outside the bunker keeping the spot where the ball was directly between the flag and where your relief point is. You should also make sure your wedge has the correct bounce so it can glide through the sand underneath the ball. A weak grip doesn't mean you hold the club with less pressure, but it actually refers to the release of the hinge in your wrists. Approach your shot with soft arms and a weak grip. So, grab your sand wedge and stick your . Bunker Shots for Beginners - Golf Sidekick If the new claw grip helps you putt better, great! I would open the face a lot less, otherwise you will bounce into the ball. If that doesnt do the trick, evaluate how level your shoulders are in relation to one another. If a course has the staff and equipment needed to regularly care for the bunkers, the sand will usually be soft. This will ensure that the leading edge will make contact with the ball below the equator of the ball (see picture below). Titleist Vokey SM8 Raw 52-08F/56-10S/60-04L PX 6.5/6.0/6.0 It helps the club glide through or on top of whatever you're hitting from (turf, sand, hardpan, a mat or whatever). The end result is a shot that . Don't even think about it. Thanks, yes this definitely sounds like the way to go. Golf Podcast 474: The Most Anticipated Masters Tournament Ever? NEW Titleist TSR Hybrid Our Best Golf Club Fitting Yet? In this episode of How to Hit Every Shot, instructor Erika Larkin takes us through the basics of blasting it from the bunker. Many sand wedges have massive bounce soles which are exactly what you do NOT need in a hard packed bunker. If you have a high lip in front of you and not much green to work with, a lob wedge may be a better choice. 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. A basic chip shot will work very well from the wet and compressed sand, due to two things. If you think youre going to make it, youll make it. You have to get your weight behind the golf ball in relation to your target in order to optimize distance. Also, its a lot of information to mull over regarding the why as it relates to Tigers drill. If you only open your clubface and never adjust your stance, you will miss the shot to the right of the pin. 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. My practice motion is straight down, no doubt the leading edge (56 degree) is going to bite. The fish grabbed on to the back of the fly, and kept it in its . 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. Bounce does NOT make the club bounce off the turf. Hitting out of a bunker with a pitching wedge can be very difficult. As managing producer for GOLF.com, Cunningham edits, writes and publishes stories on GOLF.com, and manages the brands e-newsletters, which reach more than 1.4 million subscribers each month. Anybody recognize this footprint? I just wanna talk. - Reddit 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. 4. 100plus. Finishing high is not just about looking good for the photographers; it has everything to do with acceleration through the ball. HANK HANEY, a Golf Digest Teaching Professional, runs the Hank Haney International Junior Golf Academy in Hilton Head. For this reason I like having different bounces on the two highest-lofted wedges in my bag. Paste as plain text instead, All three holes cost my a bunch of strokes it was so aggravating. By sweeping the ball more, you will naturally hit the ball higher and have a better chance of turning the ball over with a draw. 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. I treat it like a chip from a really tight lie. Have you considered your penalty options? In a greenside bunker, the swing path should be steeper. In order to strike the ball solidly without losing your balance, youll notice how fast youll need to get your arms and hands down and thru the golf ball. How do we do that? Download our instruction app from iTunes or . You want the leading edge to dig a bit. We Played Golf at Sea Island for the First Time! So look for a sand wedge of 56 degrees of loft and at least 10 degrees of bounce for soft sand, and for harder. If you chunked a chip shot into a bunker from a great lie, why not take a stroke and distance penalty and replay the shot? His spine angle is closer to 60 degrees than 90 degrees, his backside is sticking out, his knees are bent, and his upper body is hovering over the ground/ball as opposed to over his lower body as if he were sitting in a lazy boy chair. The ball should explode out of the bunker with the sand you hit and settle safely on the green. After a heavy rain, bunkers will often be packed down and youll struggle to play a traditional explosion shot. Here's why, How a popular green-reading method helped launch this young pro into contention in Mexico, This chipping drill will help you get up-and-down from anywhere, 8 simple ways to banish negativity during your round, Use this hip rotation drill to develop more power through your downswing, Stop topping the ball with these 10 easy fixes, Seeking power and clubhead speed? 2 pros found out, The shocking revelation Padraig Harrington had about his game. 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? Just to expand on that a bit, you can ALWAYS use stroke-and-distance for a 1 shot penalty, no matter where the ball is. Some golfers tend to have better luck with the higher lofted lob wedge in play. You wouldn't know it but a lot of more accomplished players actually use a 60 degree lob wedge out of bunkers. Thats just golf. The right set up is the key to hitting an effective shot from the bunker. Have some practice coz many guys are pre-set to fail regardless of the sand, the time of day, the tourney rules etc. If the ball doesn't get out, you are going to waste at least one stroke - and probably more. TaylormadeSIM 10.5*VentusTR Blue6TXTaylormadeSIM Ti 16.5*Ventus Blue 7TX||TaylormadeStealth+16.5*Kuro Kage DCXM Prototype 80TXCallaway Apex UW19*Diamana S+ 100TX||Taylormade P790 Black19*Graphite DesignAD-IZ95x HybridCallaway X-Forged UT 22*Brunswick Precision Rifle FCM 7.0BridgestoneJ40 DPC 4i-7i24*- 35*Brunswick Precision Rifle FCM 7.0Bridgestone J40 CB8i-PW39*- 48*Brunswick Precision Rifle FCM 7.0Taylormade Milled Grind Raw54*Brunswick Precision Rifle FCM 7.0VokeySM658*Oil CanLowBounceK-GrindBrunswick Precision Rifle FCM 7.0Scotty Cameron Newport Tour Red Dot|| Taylormade Spider X Navy Slant. Generally, the more we open or rotate our trail foot at the setup, the more we can rotate our lower/upper body during the swing. Titleist 917F3 15* VA Composite Drago 75-X The steeper swing in a bunker may feel a little as though you are taking the club back with your hands and arms, more than your core and legs. While there are no shortcuts in this game, there are ways to practice and play smarter. When you're trying to escape the bunker, the key is to focus on throwing sand. Don't worry about the ball. 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. You want a wide stance when in the sand for better balance. Most amateurs swing the club into the sand, and when they feel the resistance, they quit on the shot. Beginners and those who struggle with the sand sometimes swing the club into the sand, then stop. Titleist T200 3i Thump 90-X Like hitting off a dirt road. Lastly, youll play your best after youve been punched in the gut when you remain committed to your pre-shot routine. You can hit a normal bunker shot out of any type of sand . 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. This might seem like a subtle difference, but it actually has a massive impact on how you should play the shot. When his body outraces his arms/hands on the downswing, the club also falls behind his body. Here's how you can do it: Set up slightly open to the target. . You may need to adjust your body to avoid bottoming out before hitting the ball. If you want to turn it over more with the big stick, start by checking your ball position. Key is you don't have to hit it hard. 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. Square the clubface to hit a better shot out of a bunker with hard sand. 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. How To Clean A Golf Bag - Bringing It Back To It's Former Glory, The 5 Best Womens Golf Gloves: Great Fit & Value. You want the leading edge to dig a bit. If you have trouble getting your ball to turn over, opting to address this deficiency will help you gain more yards and attack more pins. Step 5: Set your hands low and cock your wrists early. How to Hit High and Low Golf Shots Learn the basics, so you don't fear the sand, and adjust your expectations. When you get these basic tips down, you can make great strides towards becoming a better player. One of the most critical factors of hitting out of the bunker is to ensure that you take some sand with your golf shot. In the absence of that maintenance, however, the bunkers will get hard and playing shots will get tricky. 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. GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, April 24, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, April 17, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, April 10, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, March 27, GolfWRX_Spotted posted a topic in Tour and Pre-Release Equipment, March 20, Please put and questions or comments here, Please put any questions or comments here. If you feel a ton of sand below you, then you know you will have to alter your angle . Step 4: Put 80 percent of your weight on your lead leg. We must hit behind the ball in the bunker and launch some sand up into the air. Don't ask me how it comes out so high, but it does. Now, as many of you are probably wondering, how should I apply these principles to my own golf swing? Keep Calm & Carry On. Firstly the leading edge is closer the ground with a more square face. Hackinator, May 24, 2022 in Instruction & Academy. Despite entering the final round of the Masters with a two-shot advantage over his playing partner, Spaniard Jon Rahm, Brooks failed to capture his first green jacket and struggled in virtually all facets of his game, as was evident in his final round score of 3 over par, 75. Best Lessons Ever: Phil Mickelson tips firm bunker lies On the golf course, especially under tournament conditions, you want to be hyper-aware of your surroundings. Driver: Titleist 910 D2 9.75* Diamana Kai'li 65 Mid S The bounce on a wedge is arced across the sole so you can open up the face and bring more of the bounce into play. To hit a low golf shot, take a shorter backswing and follow through to minimize the height of the shot. The simple answer is that it all has to do with hitting the ball farther. Hard sand - bunker shot - Instruction & Academy - GolfWRX You can play a lot of short game shots using the same technique. When hitting a greenside bunker shot, it can help to put a little extra weight on the left side. He left a bunker shot in the sand on the sixth hole and . 3H: Titleist 910H 19 * Diamana Kai'li 80HYB Mid R 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. Understanding the Importance of Ground Force in Your Golf Swing, WATCH: This Vintage Payne Stewart Drill Is Still Relevant Today. If you try the same thing without much bounce the club head can dig in more than you want and wreck the shot. Slow down, take a deep breath, pick a target, and make an aggressive swing on that conservative line. The More You Open the Clubface, the More You Use the Bounce It also helps the better players get the ball up higher, and is easier . As you play a course a few times, youll get familiar with the sand conditions, and you can alter your technique accordingly. Padraig Harrington, a three-time major champion, knows a thing or two about playing out of bunkers. So there's this big chunk of metal that's sticking down into the sand kind of acting like a rudder. What's the lesson in this? Check out Proud 90 GolfCode: Darin (15% off) Just like a shot from the rough, youll need to evaluate the type of lie your ball has. One of my favorite swing thoughts in a bunker is to finish high. Review the general bunker shot guidelines below in order to correctly execute the shot. Bob Vokey Bunker Tips: Which wedges work best from the sand? Assuming you have a good bunker technique to begin with, there is not a lot of adjustment for hard packed / think sand. I know youve heard this line before, but have you really approached your game in this manner in all environments? These shots need loft. In this article, I will focus on one simple and cost-effective way to get faster swingsspeed . There are two things a golfer needs to play the bunker shot consistently well. The previous points only dealt with the specific challenges of a short bunker shot. Why cant I just be happy with my driver? Public courses in Tucson are the same way. As weve discussed, its best to strike a balance between the use of bigger muscles and the use of ones arms/hands in a manner thats effective for you. Hitting the ball out of the sand requires technique that is unlike any other shot in the game. I get it, the initial wave of depression that hits after we fail to reach one of our goals really sucks. Perhaps a club with less bounce. How to hit bunker shots from wet sand - World Of Short Game Feel your core stretching or working as you get your upper body more over the ball. circus, merchandising | 876 views, 32 likes, 6 loves, 153 comments, 4 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from Cafe Locked Out: The No Goat Show. Most of the time in golf, we want to hit the ball first and then take a bit of grass with us. The sand carries the ball with it. Get your weight into your trail foot during the backswing, back into your lead foot on the downswing before striking the ball and ultimately finishing with the clubs shaft wrapped around your shoulders as part of a proper, balanced finish. To do this, turn the toe of the club away from the ball. Rotating the trail foot open will help you get your weight where it needs to be in order to deliver a more powerful punch at impact. 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 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. On the eighth hole, another bunker shot from a tough lie didn't quite reach the green, and he holed a 15 . This causes the ball to go higher and to stop faster on the green. Low expectations, just get it out and putt twice -> go next hole. How to hit a bunker shot: 5 easy steps to get up-and-down from the sand At the same time, Tiger wants to feel his front/back leg muscles in both the upper/lower thigh area doing whats required in an effort to use exactly what were supposed to. Golf Speed Sticks: How to Hit the Ball Further with Speed Stick Systems This is just another way of saying or doing whats necessary in order to get your upper body less ahead of your arms/hands and the golf ball. The shot may feel a bit thin, but you will end up getting the distance you need to advance the ball forward. The weaker your grip, the more susceptible you are to hitting slices. I had 3 of these shots when playing with him at our course. One of the best things to do when overthinking your golf swing is to come up with a simple tip, swing thought, or trick to help you get out of the sand trap. The Secret to Clearing a Tall Bunker Lip Every Time - Golficity Prior to joining the team at GOLF, he attended the University of Texas followed by stops with the Texas Golf Association, Team USA, the Green Bay Packers and the PGA Tour. He can be reached at zephyr_melton@golf.com. 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?. Golfers tend to have fewer issues with fairway bunkers than greenside bunkers. This makes getting the golf ball out of the . However, you will typically have a much more open club face and stance with a flop shot. You are going to be a bit nervous when playing a bunker shot from behind a tall lip. Try a wedge with much less bounce, maybe the 50*. Playing a golf bunker shot from wet, compacted sand can be a daunting task. No one has taught me about the functions of bounce. Also, examine where your toes are pointed at the setup. Golf Podcast 477: Is this the Future of Golf? Michael Breed, host of 'The Golf Fix,' improves your sand game, with tips on bunker shots with little sand. BREAKING: LIV Golf Signs Another Top-50 Golfer, Ex-Good Good Members Micah Morris and Grant Horvat Sign Equipment Deal With TaylorMade Golf, TRENDING: Costco Preparing to Release Kirkland Signature Irons. I treat it like a chip from a really tight lie. Tigers drill above, on the other hand, looks to mitigate lateral (side-to-side) movement by replacing it with vertical (up and down) movement. Possibly the BEST Bunker Tip EVER! - How to play bunker shots from Hard Would be problematic to pop this out high though. Special Select Squareback 2 w/ SuperStroke Pistol GT 1.0. Swing only slightly harder than a chip/pitch of the same distance. With it, you can let the club enter the sand an inch or two behind the ball and exit an inch or two after it and the ball just jumps out with the sliver of sand you carved out with your wedge. For most sand shots you face you want to play the ball off your front foot. Finau holds off Rahm at Mexico Open for 6th career win 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. As I alluded to earlier, the best form of practice comes through experience. If this describes your current relationship with bunker shots, you are in the right place. Putter: Cobra Anvil 005 The setup for bunker shots includes how your feet are aimed and how the clubface is aimed. If you need to get it up and over a lip you can use a butterfly grip to lock the top hand wrist into extension and fire the toe under the ball. If it came in hot, drop it from shoulder height. A full swing is completely counter-productive when trying to hit a low golf shot. Sometimes, thats just the nature of this crazy game. 3W: Titleist 910F 16.5 * Diamana Kai'li 75 Mid R Now that youve evaluated what the condition of the sand is, you need to set the clubface. I have also chipped when the lip is low and the shot allows it. 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 Pay attention to what you feel in the balls of your feet. REVIEW: Can These Socks Improve Your Golf Game? After firing a disappointing 75 en route to a runner-up finish, Brooks was gracious in defeat during his post-round press conference.