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How To Play Sand Traps

By Lee MacRae

Are you afraid of sand bunkers on the golf course? Do you panic when you see one near where you need your ball to land? Follow along as we detail some tips and tricks to make sand play much easier for you.

Excessive wrist action can wreck a golf shot. It usually leads to topping or blading, which in a greenside bunker can be especially ruinous. There is usually not much golf course around greens, and a ball blade is out of a bunker could end up in a water hazard, out of bounds, or in some other unplayable lie. It is a good idea, therefore to hit all sand shots with stiff wrists, even those that require you to cock your wrists early on the backswing. Remember; no wrists, no risk.

The longer bunker shot is one of the easiest shots to play and one of the most satisfying in the is entire game. Here are the six fundamentals of the bunker shot:

1. Choke down on the grip of the club to compensate for having to dig your feet into the sand to anchor your body.

2. Do not move the legs during a swing.

3. Take two or sometimes three extra clubs to make up for distance loss by the arms-and-hands-only swing. If you're within reach of the green, take as much club as you'll need for the ball to land near the hole. Because you're hitting down in to the back of the ball, the ball should have enough spin on it to stop quickly.

4. Play the ball in the middle of your stance so you can make contact before the bottom of your swing arc.

5. Always hit the ball first.

6. Don't ground your club. That's a two-stroke penalty.

The worst thing about hitting an uphill sand shot is that your ball probably is plugged in the sand. Balls that aren't plugged usually roll back down to a flat area. Here's how to play the shot: anchor your body by planting your right foot solidly in the sand, and slant your shoulders so that they are parallel with the slope. The swing for the shot isn't pretty. Just pick up the club sharply, keeping your legs still, and whack the sand behind the ball. Don't try to follow through. Remember that in such a perilous position any recovery is a good recovery.

And no matter what you do, even for sand play, always imagine the shot before you take it. And imagine the shot being succesfull! Not much sense in defeating yourself before you even start. Imagine yourself being successful throughout your golf game and watch your game flourish.

About the author

Lee MacRae runs several online stores where you can find a great indoor practice putting green or a great clone golf club today!

Thoughts On Golf

Hitting the ground before the ball, or "fat shots" is a very common problem that can lead to injury. This is caused by either coming into the ball too steeply, and/or decelerating the club head as you hit the ball. Proper weight shift is important and keeping your right shoulder back on the downswing (opposite for left handers) is crucial. There is a tendency to throw the right shoulder ahead as you come down creating an outside in steep club path. Focus on swinging more around your body to remedy this. A good drill is to strap your upper arms to your body and hit balls. This makes it impossible to throw the shoulder forward. Don't forget to accelerate through the ball. When you slow down at the bottom of your swing, you will hit it fat every time.
...PGA Tour

Once the motion in your swing has started, there should be no interruption. It should be a smooth flowing motion from start to finish; not a series of abrupt actions. To teach your muscles the proper feel is to realize that the physical movements of the body determine how one swings the club. This is why a correct grip is extremely important since it's the only contact you have with the club and controls the clubface angle.
...PGA professional golf

Learning how to aim is vital if your to have success in scoring. The clubface is the only thing that will make contact with the ball, therefore the clubface should be aimed towards the target with the shoulders paralleling the target line. Do not take the stance first. The feet do not hit the ball, so line up the clubface first, and then take your stance.
...Golf Week

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