In the Sand Again

By Allen Kelly, Golf Professional, Parklands Driving Range, East Coast,

This is a bunker shot tip that will help develop two very important factors of your bunker play.
If you are past the beginner stage e.g. you can get the golf ball out of a bunker, but now want to be more consistent from the sand, here are two factors to work on and a practice drill:

1. Keep the clubhead moving at a smooth and rhythmic pace. Many amateurs, who normally have a decent flowing swing, as soon as are faced with a bunker shot, revert to a short and jerky quick swing.
There is probably a logically based reason for this, as the golfer's mind is saying "let's get this ball out of here quick!"

2. Secondly, the angle of attack. Most golfers learn that to get out of a greenside bunker the sand should be contacted before the ball. This knowledge in itself causes problems, as the average amateur player swings on too steep a swing plane and digs too deeply into the sand. For consistency the club head should enter the sand on a shallow angle of attack.

Try this..

Take up a greenside bunker stance, e.g. open to the target, and open up the clubface (make sure you open the clubface and THEN take your grip - opening the face while already gripping the club achieves nothing).
Now take your left hand off the club and put it by your side, in your pocket or behind your back.
Make relaxed, smooth right hand only swings. Use a very light grip pressure hardly holding on to the club at all.

What happened?

With this tip you should notice straight away how the club head glides easily and effortlessly through the sand.
The clubface will not dig into the sand but will take just the right amount of sand each time for a controlled shot.
You are in effect letting the design of the sand wedge work as its designer intended. The weight and design of the club head and momentum of a free swing give the two desired factors - a shallow angle of attack and a smooth accelerating stroke.
Add the left hand and reproduce this swing for greater bunker shot consistency.