Golf Sand Shots, Don't Be Afraid of the Bunkers Cont'd, Long Bunker Shot

It is time to finish the Bunkers Series with Long Bunker Shots.

Sometimes these can be the most difficult shots because they are relatively uncommon.  Sometimes you have bunkers flat, with lips, rocks, soft and firm sand.

To play long bunker shots, say around twenty yards, you need to stand less open, with your club face only slightly open.  Put your weight forward on your left foot ad your and slightly ahead of the ball.  Play this off the center of your stance and you aim to enter the sand closer to the ball, about  three-quarters of an inch behind.  The set-up gives you more of a U-Shaped swing arc, a flatter one through the sand, which drives the ball forward.

During takeaway, still cock your wrists early as with the standard shot and you swing back slow.  During impact your left hand goes through ahead of the ball, your left wrist has a convex bend.  This will take loft off the club, so that the ball flies lower, with a "skip and bite" action, as you have entered the sand that much closer.

This technique will serve you well for all long bunker shots, but what do you do for the thirty and forty yarders?  Answer: as with a low running shot, you take another club.  If you are faced with a thirty-yard bunker shot, you would use your pitching wedge, not your 60-degree sand wedge.  When you are forty yards recommend your 9 iron.

One last observation on bunker shots: no matter what the lie, the average golfer usually leaves his sand shots will short of the hole.  So you need to work on this.  Recommend the next time you are out with your group on the weekend four ball, make a few friendly bets.  Anyone who leaves their shot short of the green has to pay 50 cents, or whatever, towards the drinks at the 19th hole.  I promise you it won't be long before you're getting up and down in two with the best of us.
 
Well, that is it for the bunker series and I hope you all have been able to take something with you.

If you have any questions, don't be afraid to ask and if you want me to talk about any particular subject I am open for suggestions.

It is winter again and not much time for working on your golf game unless you are in a warm climate.  See some of my previous blogs on working drills during the winter months.

Till next time, keep your self limber and warm.....

Golf Sand Shots, Don't Be Afraid of the Bunkers Cont'd, Low Running Shot

LOW RUNNING SHOT

When I have a lot of green to play with and the flag is on a plateau, this is when I would consider using this shot.  when you have a plateau to play to you don't want to pitch it directly on the plateau, because you could find it difficult to stop your ball rolling off the green into deeper trouble.

Play this shot planning your landing spot and the amount of run you need.  Play the ball off the center of your stance, with weight o left and your hands slightly ahead of the ball.  This technique is similar to that required for the low, spinning shot.  Only this time you use your pitching wedge instead of your sand wedge.

Open your club face and stance just a little.  This delofts the pitching wedge and allows the ball to fly out low.  Stand Closer to the ball and aim to hit to the sand about half inch behind the ball.    If you did this with your sand wedge the ball would bite, but the loft of the pitching wedge will send it running on the green.

Next we will go over Long Bunker Shots,

Until next time, Don't be afraid of the beach and learn to play in the sand......

Golf Sand Shots, Don't Be Afraid of the Bunkers Cont'd, Low Spinning Shot

LOW SPINNING SHOT

Another shot you want to add to your bag is the low bunker shot that bites on the green.  As all shots, they are made in the set up, this one is opposite of the high shot, although, still just a variation of your standard shot.

You play this shot with the ball off the center of your stance.  Have your weight on your left side as usual and your hands, with your normal grip, are lightly ahead of the ball.   Don't set up very open and the club face will be a little open from square.  Also, stand closer to the ball and aim to hit into the sand closer, perhaps half an inch behind it.

By opening your sand wedge very little - is delofting it - resulting in the ball coming out lower.  Reason you get more spin is that you have less sand between club entry and ball.  The ball should land on the green, take one bounce and then grip firmly.

Next we will go over the Low Running Shot.

Until next time,  keep your shot low and your spin hot....

Golf Sand Shots, Don't Be Afraid of the Bunkers Cont'd, High Shot No Spin

HIGH SHOT NO SPIN

This shot has a very similar V-shaped action, although there is little spin on landing.  You need to play this shot sometimes when you're in the deep greenside bunker and there is little or no green between you and the flag.




To successfully hit this shot, you set up with the ball even more forward toward the left foot.  maintain a wide stance, but this time you should set much of your weight on your right foot.  This shot you will place your hands slightly behind the ball, having your right hand turned well to the right, as you are aiming for an even earlier flip action through impact.

You will strike the sand farther behind the ball than for a standard shot, about two and a half inches behind the ball.  The extra sand will help provide no backspin, just a high flying ball that drops gently and stays put.  Once you have set up correctly, just swing back with a smooth tempo and strike the match.

Next I will write about low spinning shot.

Until next time, enjoy the sand and bring your shovel.....

Golf Sand Shots - Don't Be Afraid of Bunkers Cont'd - Making the Short Shot

We have gone over the past few blogs how to overcome fear, understanding why the traps or bunkers are there, strategy, types of sand, bunker designs and now we will go over how to hit the shot out of these bunkers.

We will take a look at shots out of Fairway and Greenside Bunkers.

Before we go into those bunkers let me just state the standard shot from a good lie is called a splash shot because it is played with feeling; gently, yet firmly, without the sheer force used in an "explosion" shot from a difficult lie.  The basic fundamentals, you dig your feet in, bring the right, open your stance, keep your weight left, cock your wrists early and swing back slow, then strike the match, splashing through the sane under your ball.

Once you have mastered it through plenty of practice you will have a general purpose bunker shot in your bag.  You will also be well on your way to mastering even the most difficult sand saves.  The action you are practicing I used in every type of bunker shot you play around the green, with different variations of set up.  From long ones of 40 yards plus, high shots with no pin to low shots with plenty of bite and short shots of a few yards away you only need to understand how to adapt the basic shot to gain real confidence n the sand.

SHORT SHOT

On these shots that have good lies he shorter the shot the more you open the club face.  For a shot just over the front lip of a bunker, say four or five yards of green to play with, I stand so open that my body almost faces the target area, with the club face as open as you can.

Grip the club with your left hand in the usual position, but your right hand strengthened a little, turned more to the right, so that it is under the left through impact.  Play the ball off your left heel, with weight on left side and plan to enter the sand about one and half inches behind the ball.  As stated above slow takeaway with same tempo, cock the wrists quickly and the backswing is full.  Timing a shot with a short swing is difficult, although you must guard against decelerating the club from a full one.  Swing like you are striking a match.  Remember when striking a match and you go easy the match won't light.  You have to pull the match quickly through the striking area firmly so the stick will start the fire.

The set-up creates an abrupt up and down, almost V-shaped, swing arc, which gets the ball up quickly.  Your positioning of the right hand allows it to flip under the left through impact, which farther increases the loft of the club and holds the club face open.  This action has your club face go through the ball slightly ahead of your hands and there will be a concave break in the back of your left wrist through impact.

This will give you two point to bear in mind.  If you don't practice this shot, swinging with a wide open club face often results in you hitting the ball with the hosel or the neck of the club, driving it deep into the bunker face.  When you start practicing it, try addressing the ball more off the toe of your sand wedge rather than the center of the club face.  Remember also, your ultra open stance and club face will put a lot of cut, or slice, spin on the ball.  On a level green, it will spin to the right o landing; something to think about when you're picking your target spot. 

As I continue writing about the Golf Sand Shots, I will cover the High Shot without Spin next.

Until next time, while in the sand keep your tempo smooth........

Golf Sand Shots - Don't Be Afraid of Bunkers Cont'd - Strategy

Well I have informed you about sand and bunker types now we are going to talk about Strategy.

Since you have gained an understanding of bunkers your attitude toward them will start to change.  As you start to play any hole, you start to think hard about its defenses, real or imaginary, and the bunkers in particular.  First, especially when the course is new to you, get a feel for the sand, which you can check out at the practice bunker by walking in it and digging your feet in.  You note what the sand type is, softness, or well-packed down and try to estimate the effect it will have on your shots if you find yourself buried in them.

Secondly, checking the layout of the bunkers on every hole and figuring why they are positioned that way.  You will see which ones you can play toward, the ones you can flirt with and the ones you must avoid.  Sometimes the bunkers frame and guard a specific area narrowing the fairway target making you play toward them, not giving you an option.

When faced by a cross pattern of carry bunkers stretching diagonally across the fairway, or a luster of them guarding a dog-leg and inviting you to try a little too hard on your approach, don't get to greedy.  You don't want to face to tough a recovery by risking too much.

By understanding bunkers, it can really help you score better by revealing how best to tackle any hole.  You will gain confidence, particularly if you practice your sand shots, even taking a lesson or two on them from your local professional.  In fact, most pros will tell you that they prefer to find themselves in a bunker rather than in deep rough, because they can generally control the ball much better from the sand.

Confidence is everything in golf.  It comes from practicing thoughtfully on and off the course, understanding the course and the techniques and, above all, from a positive mental attitude.  Golf is very much a mind game.  You are constantly contending with weather frustration, the course, stress and luck - the "rubs of the green".  You can't combat luck, but you can certainly control yourself and develop a positive mental attitude.  When playing with my friends and they hit a bad shot they tend to get frustrated and start attacking the mental attitude by stating what a bad shot.  I turn toward them and explain the good point of how their shot made out, such as you have a better angle to the green.  You landed in the bunker instead of the thick rough and so on.

To many golfers today go out there and let the frustration and course beat them before they even start.  Think positively.  If you are standing at the tee box and looking out to the hole and you see yourself as an unlucky golfer, if your positive you will get a bad bounce off your drive and roll into a bunker of plunge into the water, or going into the trees, then you will.  Stay positive, see yourself going down the middle of the fairway hitting long and straight, chip like a pro and putt like a champion, then you have a head start on the whole thing.  What you think, you will be.  If you think defensively, you will play negatively.  Think positive and you will play positively.  That doesn't mean I am positive I am going to play bad.

Never brood on past failures.  Your out at your home course and you remember your long drive down the middle of the 1st tee, that will allow you to take positive attitude toward the start of your game.  Don't recall the times that you hit your drive into the deep rough to the right of the fairway bunker.  Clear all the negative thoughts from your mind.  Think only of the times that you made great shots.  The long 15 foot putt you drained or the 3 foot putt you holed for your first birdie or eagle.    It is up to you to bring the memory of those shots, because your competitors surely won't.  They will probably remind you of those bad shots.

So when you go out to play and end up in the bunker, think of them as your friend and not the enemy.  Strategize what the bunkers are there for to help you decide what your outcome will be.  Learn the different sand types and practice hitting out of the bunkers so you an make them work for you and not against you.

Until next time, when we learn about shot making from bunkers, if they are your friend then they will make you happy and help your score instead of ruining your score......

The Golf Dream Continues Even though had a set Back

Hi I am back.  Well before we get into rules of the game I want to let you know what is happening for my next tournaments.

Well I am still recovering from my broken finger so I have not picked up a club since the last qualifier in Georgia for the Champions Tour.

I have had to cancel and withdraw from the US Open Qualifiers because I won't be able to be ready to play on May 7th.

My finger is feeling better and I believe I might be able to still participate in the US SENIOR OPEN Qualifier in mid June along with a local tournament end of June.

With that possibility in my mine it still gives me hope that the final part of my dream will happen.  In the past 8 years I have changed my game to play like a pro, currently teach as a professional, play in professional tournaments, and still trying to qualify and play in the actual PGA Event on either the Champions or PGA Tour.

I think that within at least a week to two weeks I will at least be able to start putting drills, work myself to chipping drills and finally work on my full swing for tempo and distance.  That will get me back into form I believe for mid Jun qualifier.  I pray everything works out and With Gods help this will happen.

Until I can start practicing and preparing as stated in my last blog if anyone has any recommendations or comments on what they would like me to explain in the game of golf such as, rules, course management, certain drills, posture, swing drills let me know and I will be glad to provide this information and teachings.

During this time frame of not being able to work physically on my game, I constantly work mentally.  I still review the courses that I am to play and in my mind the drills I need to get myself in 100% playing ability.

Until next blog, remember even when you have an obstacle in your way you can still get around it.....

Tips on Golf Etiquette Hints

To Finish up on the segment on Golf Etiquette Making the Game More Enjoyable for Others I leave you with the following hints:

• Quiet Please!  Never talk during another player's swing.
• Do not yell out following a shot.  Even if boisterous behavior doesn't bother your playing partners, there are other people on the course who may be within earshot.

• Be aware of your shadow on the putting green.  Don't stand in a place that causes your shadow to be cast across another player or that player's putting line. Or seen in during their swing.

• Never walk through a playing partner's putting line  Your footprints might alter the path of a partner's putt.  Step over the putting line, or walk around (behind) the partner's ball.  Also, avoid stepping on the other side of the hole on the putting line because the putter may hit the ball long and this will also effect his next shot.

Well there are a lot more golf hints on etiquette put I think we captured the most common.

If anyone has any particular parts of their game they want talked about or want tips on what to do, I will be happy to give suggestions and tips.

Next blog, I will talk about what I did in my youth to help me understand the game and provide a challenge right in my own yard.

Until then, Always be courteous to the golfers around you and hope they provide the same......

Golf Etiquette, Taking Care of the Course

Continuing the Golf Etiquette we are going to talk about Taking Care of the Course.

• Observe the signs on the course and adhere to course rules.
• Observe cart rules, Some courses will post "cart path only" signs; others will ask you to observe the "90-degree rule." Do as you are told. 

• Keep carts away from greens and hazards.  the wheels on carts can damage these sensitive areas.

• Repair your divots in the fairway and tee boxes.  Some courses have sand and seed bottles on carts and on tee boxes.  Use to fill divots or replace your divot you have taken.

Repair your ball marks on the green.

• Always rake sand bunkers after hitting to erase your footprints and damage to the area where your ball was.  This will make it more enjoyable for the next person if they land in the bunker.

• Avoid taking a divot on a practice swing.

If you adhere to these suggestions on taking care of the golf course then you will help yourself and others enjoy the game of golf and help keep the courses in a playing condition. Also, this will help keep costs down and help the grounds keepers in their jobs.

Next blog we will continue and give tips on Golf Etiquette Hints.

Until then, please take care of the course and the course will allow you to have more fun.....

Golf Etiquette Continued, Maintaining Good Pace

Good morning everyone,  Another beautiful day for the golf course.  I am going to give some tips on
Maintaining Good Pace on Golf Course to help you enjoy the day.

Maintain a Good Pace

• Keep the round moving by being prepared to hit your shot when it is your turn.  You probably don't like waiting on other groups - don't make the other groups wait on you
• The player who is away hits first in a group.  However, in friendly matches (as opposed to tournament play) this rule an be ignored in favor of "ready play" - players hit as they are ready.  All players should agree to "ready play" before it is put into effect.
• Do not spend too much time looking for a lost ball, particularly if there is a group behind you ready to play.  If you insist on taking the full five minutes allotted in the rulebook to look for lost balls, golf etiquette says wave up the group behind to all them to play through.
• Always try to keep pace with the group ahead of you.  If space opens in front of you allow faster group to play though.
• When two players I a cart hit to opposite sides of a hole, drive to first ball and drop off that player with his club then drive to the second ball.  After both players hit,, meet up farther down the hole.
• When walking from your cart to your ball,, take a couple clubs with you.  Taking only one club then having to return to the cart to retrieve a different club is a huge time-waster.
• Always leave the putting green as soon as your group has finished putting.

Well it is time to go,  I am getting ready to depart for a golf venture in Georgia.

Take care and until next time, Hit them straight and not often.........

Golf Etiquette, Make Golf More Enjoyable Cont'd

Time to continue with the Etiquette Tips to help make golf more enjoyable.

Today we are going to talk about Keeping Golf Safe:

• Do not swing your club until you know that others in your group are at a safe distance.  Likewise, keep your distance when others are swinging.  Be aware to steer clear of trouble.

• When practicing your swing never swing in the direction of another player.  There may be pebbles or twigs or other matter in the grass that could fly up and injure a playing partner.

• Do not hit the ball until you are certain that the group ahead of you is out of range.

• If your ball appears headed toward another player or another group give them a warning by yelling out, "FORE!" (an internationally recognized alert)

• Observe the safety suggestions posted in golf carts and drive carefully.  Golf etiquette requires your cart off the grass as much as possible.
• Never throw clubs in anger.  In addition to being rude and childish, it could also be dangerous.

Tomorrow we will talk about Kindness to the Course. 

Until then, Be Safe and have fun......

Golf Etiquette, Lets make Golf More Enjoyable for All

What a beautiful day it has been.  70 degrees, Cloudy then Sunny,  some wind, but a great day for golf.

Yes, I went and played golf today,  I warmed up the range, chipping and putting green.  Everything seemed to be working well.  Then I wanted to go out and work on my course management.  The local PGA Pro teamed me up with a couple of other golfers because the course was busy.   I always enjoy playing with different people because they have different views on life and it is a lot of fun getting to know new people.  Well today was a little different.  These golfers were new to the game and unfortunately didn't know much golf etiquette at all. 

I grew up with learning golf from my Father and as a caddy at a Private Golf Club.  The first thing you learned was golf etiquette.  You didn't play or carry a bag unless you knew the game and how to act while on the golf course. 

I watch several times as people take the game of golf up for a lot of reasons; there friends play, business, they retired, or they just thought they always wanted to play and never did.  When people take up the game they don't realize that there is more to it then just hitting a little white ball around some grassy areas.  They don't realize that there are other people out there and if they are to loud they can bother them.   They don't understand how it affects a golfer getting ready to hit a ball and they walk or talk while they are in their back swing.  They don't realize that they  affect the putting line when they walk over where the other golfer is getting ready to put. 

So I want to give some etiquette tips that will help the new, average, and weekend golfers.

Golf Etiquette in today's golf is being lost.  Etiquette is a word that's often hard in relation to golf, more so than with any other sport.  But it's not just about manners. 

Golf Etiquette is important for several reasons;  Many of them relate to the safety of golfers, many relate to pace of play (which helps keep the game enjoyable), and other rules of golf etiquette relate to maintaining the quality of the golf course. 

In other words, golf etiquette is an essential part of the game.  It's something that newcomers generally learn as they go, on the course when playing with more experienced golfers.  It is truly the role of the experienced golfers to help pass on good golf etiquette. 

I am going to spend the next several blogs going over some of the golf etiquette to assist in making the game more enjoyable for you and those around you.

So keep following and if you see a golfer that isn't showing good golf etiquette please tactfully pass on the information that will undoubtedly improve his/her enjoyment, but the others they will encounter during there golf endeavors.

Information on golf etiquette will follow over the next several bogs......