Getting The Distance

photo credit: danperry.com   Because sand is much more resistant than grass, it is necessary to swing harder for bunker shots.  The rule of thumb is 3 to 1,  meaning that if you have a 20 yard explosion shot, take a swing that emulates a 40 yard pitch shot from grass. 

On every sand explosion shot, hit 4 inches behind the ball no matter what the distance to the cup.  Many instructors advocate striking the sand at various distances behind the ball, depending on the length of shot, doing so will breed inconsistency.  To determine the shot distance the only thing that changes (using the 4 inch rule), is the length and speed of the swing.  Using this technique will simplify and improve all bunker shots.

The Long Explosion

photo credit: navets
photo credit: Matsuo AmonWhat is the hardest shot in golf?  It should be no surprise that it is the long explosion shot.  A typical explosion shot isn’t that hard for most but then, how do we get good distance?  You have to know how far you can hit a sand wedge on grass and the rest is by the numbers.

If your maximum distance with a sand wedge on grass is 60 yds., then it will be 20 yds. from sand, the ratio is 3 to 1.  All you need to do is step off the yardage to your target and then do the math.  When making this shot open the blade a little more than normal (contrary to what most think) and just swing harder.  The real difficulty with this shot is finding a place to practice it!

Bunker Mentality

photo credit: bradleypjohnson Most weekend golfers fear sand bunkers for one big reason, they rarely, if ever, practice the sand shot. Let’s be honest here, how much time have you spent practicing sand shots in the last 3 months? For most, the answer is “none.”

PGA Tour Players, on many occasions, will purposely aim for a sand bunker because the sand shot may be more of an advantage than playing from a 3 inch rough. They do not fear sand shots because they spend plenty of time practicing them.

Spend more time practicing sand shots and remove the fear from most of your approach shots. Most would agree that practicing sand shots isn’t that exciting, however, doing so will work wonders for your game in general.

Sand Shot

photo credit: foxypar4 Sand Bunkers can be intimidating. Many players fear sand shots because they cannot execute this shot properly. Playing the ball too far forward is a big mistake, doing so forces you to tilt back to reach for the ball which ruins the shot.

The sand shot requires a very fluid and free swing, not a roundhouse arm swing. If you are right handed your right hand should move to a weaker grip (turned to the left). Open the clubface and swing upright, breaking your wrists on the take-away. Try to actually bounce the club under the ball (practice this on turf first). Many players believe they need to “dig” the ball out of the sand. Try bouncing your club, the results will amaze you.