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| THE SAND BOX (Sherri Keller) | |||
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For many of you the sand shot is one of the
most dreaded shots on the course. As soon as the ball heads in the
direction of the sand you begin to get tense. After muttering a few
choice words under your breath, now you need to have a plan to get the
ball out and on the green safely.
My first suggestion is to start by changing your vocabulary. If you are calling a sand bunker a "sand trap" you are already in a negative mindset. You will have a difficult time trying to find the definition of a sand trap in the USGA rules book. Second, we need to eliminate the fear of the shot. This is a big factor, when you are fearful it creates tension and that is a killer in anyone’s swing. Now you are ready! In a greenside bunker situation, the following is a recommended guide if the ball is sitting up. If you don’t have a sand wedge buy one, as they are designed to aid you in getting the ball out. Establish a firm footing, I call this the "Twist Shuffle" to give you a good base. Take an open stance to the target, and open the clubface to match the address position. Your weight must be favoring your target foot. The ball position is going to be slightly forward of center or closer to the target foot. Now you are ready to swing. In doing so swing through the ball with the intention of "splashing" the sand onto the green. A helpful hint would be to imagine you are taking a scoop of ice cream with you sand wedge. You can also practice by drawing a circle, the size of a medium pancake around the ball and try to get all of the sand in the circle on to the green. Remember that a bunker is a hazard, and you are not allowed to ground you club prior to swinging. Take you practice swing outside of the bunker first. Prior to entering the sand prepare your hands with the clubface in the correct position. This will help to eliminate accidental grounding of the club. A fear for this type of shot is quite common. To overcome fear practice positive visualization. The ball flying out of the bunker and on the green. Fear will only create tension and this produces tightening of the muscles. When one tightens up he inhibits the swing, causing the dreaded deceleration . . . which leaves more balls in the bunker than one would care to talk about. Practice is highly recommended for this shot, as well as all the short shots around the green. I believe that the sand shot is the least practiced shot - just think what a little practice will do for you! Sherri L. Keller is a Class A member of the LPGA Teaching and Club Professional Division. She is a teaching professional a Longshore Club Park in Westport, Connecticut. She has over 10 years of teaching experience, stressing the fundamentals of the golf swing. Keeping the instruction as fun and as simple as possible. |
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