subject: Tips For Escaping Sand Traps Easily [print this page] Tips For Escaping Sand Traps Easily Tips For Escaping Sand Traps Easily
The reality is that a sand shot actually gives us the largest margin of error of any shot we will play in golf. However, for most players it is absolutely terrifying. So...technically...yes it is one of the easiest shots there is. But no. it's not because of our approach to playing a bunker shot. We first have to change our view about being in the sand.
A good golf sand game is easy to get if you know the right technique. I've broken down the sand shot into 5 basic fundamentals. The first fundamental is your golf grip for the sand shot. The clubface needs to be open in your setup so you want to open up the face and then take your normal grip. (Cleveland CG15 Oil Quench Wedge) If you take your grip with the club square and then open the face, your grip becomes off and you won't be able to be successful at hitting out of the sand.
This is where our trouble in the sand starts. A lot of players get into the sand and have the wrong mindset. They try to hit the ball to get out, but this leads to all kinds of trouble. The most important concept to understand about playing a golf sand shot is...DO NOT HIT THE BALL! I know it sounds strange...you spend so much time hitting the ball, and now I'm telling you not to. To hit a sand shot properly you want to...HIT THE SAND. Your club must contact the sand about two inches behind the ball so that your club slides under the ball. (Callaway X-Tour Satin Chrome Wedge) Truly speaking it is the sand that pushes your ball out of the trap so that it lands softly on the green.
Another sand game fundamental is hitting the proper amount of sand behind the golf ball. You want to hit your sands shots just about 2 inches behind the golf ball. If you take too much sand, you'll have trouble getting out of the bunkers. With taking too little sand, you may end up skulling the golf ball over the green. You want to hit down on the sand to get the ball up into the air and out of the bunker. Trying to lift or help the golf ball out of the bunker will only work against you. The loft and bounce of the sand or lob wedge you use for your sand shots is what will get the golf ball out and onto the green.
Another important sand shot tip is to get your shoulders tilted the same way as the slope of the shot. (TaylorMade Rac Black TP Wedge) This is important for all uphill or downhill lie and is especially important for escaping out of the bunkers. You want to match the line of your shoulders to the line of the slope. So if you are on an uphill slope, your left shoulder will be higher than your right, the same amount so you are matching the slope of the bunker. This will allow you to take the right amount of sand behind the golf ball. Taking too much sand or too little can cause problems with bunker shots. Having your shoulders and spine angle correct will have you getting out of bunkers more easily.
