| The all important Sandshot and how to get the ball out more consistently and closer to the pin! | | Print | |
| Written by Dave Campbell | |||||
| Thursday, 08 October 2009 17:19 | |||||
 The basic bunker shot requires you to splash the ball out of the sand. The sand actually propels the ball out of the sand bunker. This type of shot is played best with a 56 degree sandwedge which has a good bounce and allows you to cut a large saucer shape of sand out from under the ball. Step #1 is to open your clubface a quarter turn and then take your grip this will have the clubface pointing a little to the right (opposite for left-handers). Trust your clubface loft and if you have longer distance to travel then open your clubface a little less and take a little less sand behind the ball. Step #2 – enter the sand bunker from behind the ball if you can giving you a good visualize and alignment to execute the shot successfully. Place the clubface behind the ball and above the sand without touching the sand as the bunker is deemed a hazard. The rules of golf state that you cannot ground your club in a hazard while addressing the golf ball. As you take your address be sure to have your feet, shoulders and hips left of your target and place the ball slightly inside your left heel (opposite for left-handers). When you are faced with a slightly uphill sand shot be sure to align your body with the contour of the sand, have your shoulders parallel to the slope where you will feel your right shoulder very low as compared to your left shoulder for right – handed golfers. Play the ball further forward in your stance. As for a DOWNHILL lie sandshot – more difficult than the uphill sandshot you want to be sure to align your body with the contour of the sand. Weight will be more on your left foot because of gravity and ball position will be further back in your stance. Shoulders will be aligned parallel to the slope once again meaning your left shoulder will be lower than your right. (opposite for left-handed golfers). The swing is more up and down, you will have to quickly lift the club on your take-away depending on the steepness of the slope! Special note: to execute the explosion shot – the sand blasts the ball out of the sand. You will have more of a “V” shape in your swing. This is accomplished by breaking/hinging your wrists more abruptly as you swing the club back with your shoulder turn. Make sure you swing through the sand and finish your swing. Here are two fantastic drills that will make playing in the sand FUN again! Drill # 1 – with the toe of your sandwedge – draw lines in the sand approximately 10 inches apart – making sure they are perpendicular to your target line. Take practice swings and cut out saucer shapes of sand between the two lines where the club is entering the sand infront of the back line and leaving the sand behind the front line. Make sure you finish your swing. When you can make five swings in a row between the lines, place a golf ball 2 or 3 inches behind the front line. With the same thought as before when you were making the swings through the sand between the lines make your swing with the ball. This drill will give you the confidence of entering the sand an inch or two behind the ball and allowing the sand to help the ball out. The ball will come out of the sand with some loft and land on the green softly. Drill #2 – This drill will help to engrain the all important feeling of making the proper shallow cut through the sand, giving you more spin and better control of the ball as you splash it out of the bunker. This is the shot to practice when bunkers have limited amount of sand. Lightly make some footprints in the sand. Take your set-up and make some practice swings simply trying to erase those footprints. Focus on lightly brushing through the length of the footprint with the flange or bottom of the sandwedge. Now try and make the same shallow swing concentrating only on erasing the footprint. You will begin to trust the club and the sand in getting the ball out of the bunker more consistently and closer to the hole. Practice this drills and you will begin to see how the bunker or sand shot is quite simple when you begin to trust your club and allow the sand to be your friend. For more information on sandplay or any other game improvement programs please contact Dave Campbell, CPGA Director of Instruction at the PACIFIC Golf Academy. He can be reached at 250-701-5790 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it His website is: www.golfwithdavecampbell.com MAXIMUM Golf Off –course conditioning and training program being offered this Fall & Winter. Please call Dave at 250-701-5790 for more information.
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