Curing ‘sand phobia’

Tips for escaping the dreaded greenside bunker

By Anthony Martinho

One of the most feared shots for the amateur golfer is the greenside bunker shot. How many times have you heard “don’t go in the sand” when playing a round of golf? The expression that golf is 90 percent mental and 10 percent physical certainly holds true for bunker play. A sound pre-shot routine and good in-swing fundamentals will rid you of “sand phobia” forever.

Here is what you should do the next time you find yourself in a greenside bunker:

1. Lay the clubface open and then grip the club, rather than gripping the club and rolling your forearms to open the face. Be sure not to ground your club in the sand.

2. Align your feet, shoulders and hips to the left of your target with the clubface open and aiming at your target. The ball should be positioned off the left heel for right-handed players.

3. Sixty percent of your weight should be on your left side for right-handed players. Leaning your weight slightly to the left helps create a steep angle of approach, which is optimal for a greenside bunker shot.

4. Pick a spot two inches behind the ball and swing along the line of your feet, hips, and shoulders, taking the club up abruptly on the back swing. A key for this shot is to splash the sand two inches behind the ball rather than hitting the ball cleanly. The greenside bunker shot is one of the few shots in golf where you do not swing the club at your target. The ball will go toward your target because the clubface is open and you do not actually hit the ball when playing a shot out of the sand, near the green. The open clubface will propel the sand and your ball toward the target even though the path of your swing is to the left.

Like everything else in the game of golf, how you approach a bunker shot mentally will also affect the outcome. Always remember to pick a spot on the green where you want the ball to land. Take a few practice swings outside the bunker. It is wise to take your practice swings outside the bunker because a bunker is considered a hazard in which you cannot ground your club.

While taking your practice swings, picture the shot hitting the spot you picked on the green and rolling into the hole. Your goal should be to put the ball in the cup on any short shot around the green. Set-up to your ball in the bunker and hit the shot quickly by duplicating your practice swing. Standing over the ball too long will allow negative thoughts to creep into your mind. You want the image of the ball rolling into the hole to be the last thought you have before actually hitting the shot.

Other helpful tips include:

• Use your sand wedge. This club is designed specifically to hit the ball out of the sand.

• Practice! When is the last time you practiced hitting the ball out of the sand?

• Go through your pre-shot routine before every swing when hitting practice bunker shots.

• Be positive and you will persevere because ?being challenged is inevitable, but being defeated is optional.?