No shot in golf comes with more mental baggage than the sand shot. Just about all of us , upon climbing into a bunker, starts ticking off a mental checklist of set-up and swing keys — open stance, open clubface, hit two inches behind the ball, follow through, and so on. As a result, by the time we have to hit the shot, we are so loaded down with mechanical thoughts we end up either hitting it way over the green or back in the sand. Learning to master the greenside bunker will take strokes off your score.
Here are a few easy tips to help you get out every time:
Keep your approach as simple as possible.
Get into a comfortable set-up and simply focus on swinging the clubhead under the ball. Clear your mind and you’ll find more success in the sand. The only true fundamental for greenside bunker shots is getting the center of gravity of the clubface under the center of gravity of the ball. If you do this, the sand you displace will force the ball upward with enough loft for most situations. There are mechanical keys to playing extra-high shots or for generating a lot of backspin, but for a basic, get-on-the-green bunker shot, swinging the clubhead under the ball should be your primary thought.
We thought this was very appropriate as we just returned from our Mystery Bus Trip Life’s a Beach and beach it was, sooo many sand traps and didn’t my partner Edie almost hit them all