Golf Instruction

[tgeezer]

I was in another bunker, a nightmare for me, when without thinking I actually batted one out. It occurred to me that before I was taught how to get out of a bunker, there was no problem. I wonder if it is because pros think that I hit the ball before the ground and I need to be told to hit the sand before the ball. In an effort to follow their advice I take too much sand and the ball dribbles out at best, even if I do 'quit on the shot' I don't think it is the problem. I don't quit on the shot when I do my normal swing which is to hit ground and ball simultaneously and just as on the fairway the ball goes away. I think that this is the case for all bogey golfers we don't hit the ball first, we sweep it away. Even when the pro sees a shot then advises me to put the ball back in my stance thinking that the club will meet the ball before the ground, it doesn't because I adjust my swing not to hit the ball first! I think that occasionally, when I have hit the ball first, the shot has sounded awful but the result very pleasing but it is so difficult to do I don't flirt with it.

[GregHanrahan]

Okay, my forte. Actually all of golf, especially shortgame. 'What if', off of grass you change your image of a classical swing and DO NOT swing out to your supposed target, instead your target is actually the ball, pushing down to strike the ball using the ground as leverage. Basically no right or left. If you watch the pro's swings nowadays they are swinging more efficient versus many years ago in the Nicklaus age, due basically to proper study of biomechanics of the golf swing, high speed cameras and good coaches. Their heads are rising at impact from pushing the club down by USING the ground. The back swing is a coil behind you to fire down at the ball and not backwards to your target line to swing out towards the target. This also stops pulls and slices, and adds tremendous more power to the strike increasing distance!

As for the bunker shot: easiest in golf since we don't hit the ball! Now, we can chip or pitch out, but it is actually more difficult than the normal explosion shot. I like the fact that you follow thru, many do not. Open the club face and then open your stance so that the sole of the club is targeted. Swing along with your stance, it will be slightly out to in, a cut shot. This is also one of the few times you might allow the right hand to go under the left thru impact to ensure an open club face, especially with a high bunker lip. You want to hit several inches behind the ball, you can focus on a small pebble in the sand or anything. One of the coolest pratices i found in learning is to use the shadow of the ball as your target - requires the sun in the right spot. It will only take a few hundred balls to get the feel of it, then practice with confidence. If anything screws up a golf shot it's negativety and fear. Just get the feel and work it!

Ball in the middle and use a more upright(steeper attack) - feel the toe of the club going up on your backswing. The low takeaway will usually strike the sand TOO early.

Hope that helps.

[potters]

Great advice Greg keep the tips coming