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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,568
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A few tips given to me by one who knows........ 1/ open your stance ie so that your hips and shoulders point to the left of the target (right handed golfers). 2/ make sure the ball is positioned slightly forward in your stance. 3/ establish solid footing by digging into the sand just a bit.
4/ open the clubface a little.
5/ swing the club to follow your body alignment ie as per any other shots.
6/ practice to make the club hit the sand two inches behind the ball (you are trying to ensure that the club slides under the ball).
7/ keep your wrists firm through the impact area.
8/ pray... Result, with just a little bit of practice you will get out of the bunker and onto the green everytime. How close you get to the pin then becomes just a matter of practice... -- 26/08/2008 10:05:49: post edited by TheSocialGolfer .
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Handicap: 12
Kent
Pro Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 113
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what about playing long bunker shots? the shots about 70+ yards are the ones i struggle with. Any tips on those??
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Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 76
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I'm a little late with my offering (only learned today that matchPractice has joined up), but for what it's worth: Yep - I agree with everything you said, but I've always found it very helpful to 'lean into' the left foot slightly. It ensures you hit firmly downwards, and prevents the tendency of scooping or lifting too early.
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Handicap: 12
Kent
Pro Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 113
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Not too bad from the greenside plenty of practice at my club. Still struggling with the 70yard+ bunker shots. I have been trying to play them as a normal shot (i.e not opening the stance) grip the club harder and slightly shorter some end up ok but i have a tendancy to thin some which makes for a great score!!
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The longer bunker shots you need to make sure you commit fully to the shot and stay centred during the backswing (no swaying!) then drive forward with the hips so that you don't fat the shot. Over the years I have got much better at long bunker shots simply by improving my swing and ball striking. Full length bunker shots use a full swing but try and keep the lower body a bit quieter and drive through the ball. If at any time you reverse pivot or hit it on the back foot you've got no chance of making good contact.
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Handicap: 12
Kent
Pro Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 113
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if i take a wedge for the 80-90 yard shots from the bunker i play all those shots with the ball forward in my stance is that correct?
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suppose it depends on the type of shot you're trying to play. If it is a full shot for you then I would keep the ball around the centre of my stance maybe a little further back just so that I can make good contact with the ball. Most the time I will try and fade the ball from a bunker with a sand wedge as I think it makes it easier to get the ball up. It's a really tough shot though, judging how far it will go is so hard!
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,568
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I recently made a video with Pete Cowen Europe's top coach on greenside bunker play. He coaches Stenson, Monty, Westwood, etc. He has a much simpler technique which I've been practising with - it's called The Ripple Effect. You stand much squarer to the ball and square the toe of the club to the heel during the swing with a turn of the body and a swing of the arms. This causes the sand to stay on the clubface for longer and you can therefore exercise control over ball flight and trajectory. The traditional technique described in these posts tends to see the ball flying with left to right spin so that it moves sideways when it hits the green. With Pete's technique the ball releases more like a putt either straight towards the hole or it stops and spins straight back depenending on the shot you have played. Oh you can check him out at www.petecowen.com.
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Handicap: 12
Kent
Pro Member
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 113
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Thanks lads plenty to try.
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Joined: Mar 2010
Posts: 1,568
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When playing a long bunker shot always always go up a club (if the lip allows obviously). If you normally hit a wedge from 120yds hit 9 from a bunker.
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yeah, that's good advice... Go down a club, swing a little smoother and make good contact. don't want to try and hit it too hard and end up dropping your shoulder and hitting it fat...
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TSG
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