Bunkers for Beginners

All golfers at some point will inevitably find themselves in the sand. For beginners it can be a very intimidating shot so here are a couple of hints to get you out without the stress.

1. When you are playing from a bunker you are not hitting the golf ball - you are hitting the sand. The club digs into the sand which forms a cushion between the club face and the ball. It's this cushion that pushes the ball up into the air. If you try to hit the ball instead of the sand, then you can easily thin the shot and either sail the ball way over the green or hit the lip and have the ball roll back to your feet.

NOTE This exercise is to be carried out in a practice bunker area and not on the golf course.

* Place a ball in the bunker and set up as if you were going to hit a normal shot.

* Now draw a line in the sand 1 inch behind the golf ball - this is your target to hit.

* When you play a normal golf shot the most important thing to do is keep your eye on the ball. For this shot you need to ignore it and focus on that line 1 inch behind the ball & do not look at anything else through the shot. If you hit the line the ball will pop out every time.

* If you draw the line in the sand longer than the width of the clubhead you will still be able to see it after the shot. You can use this to get some feedback on where the club first made contact with the sand.

2. When playing a bunker shot you always need to accelerate through the ball. If the club head is slowing down on the downswing then the sand will absorb all of the impact and the ball will not travel very far often staying in the bunker.

* To make sure that you are accelerating through the ball you always want to make your follow through longer than your back swing.

SUMMARY

1. Always hit the sand 1 inch behind the ball.

2. Always accelerate through the downswing. 

REMEMBER

This exercise is for practice only. When you are playing on the golf course the rules prohibit touching the sand before the shot so you will have to imagine the 1 inch line.

If you would like a 1 on 1 lesson with Resident Golf Professional Ernie Wilson to help with any aspects of your game please give us a call on 01325 315257.

Prices are available on the lessons homepage.