Sand traps are always a staple of any golf course. You cannot have a golf course without a sand trap. They are known as a constant at every tournament or game for both amateurs and professionals. Whether you are playing on a pot bunker in the UK or fluffy beach sand in Brazil, getting down and up from these areas effectively play an important part in ensuring low scores.
Many golfers are afraid of the sand shot since they do not have a clear idea of what to do. As a result, their set-ups tend to be inconsistent, the ball position is often off, and the swing paths are not proper. In this guide, we’ll show you some simple golf sand shots tips to improve your performance.
Types of golf sand shots
Though the main goal is to make the ball come off of the sand, there are actually different shots that you can make in a bunker. These include:
– Normal bunker shot: In typical bunkers
– Wet sand shot: For a bunker with compact or wet sand
– Plugged sand shot: It is used when the ball lands in a firm sand bunker and digs deep instead of bouncing off
– Fried-egg sand shot: The ball lands in a fluffy bunker and stays in the crater established at impact
– Uphill sand shot: It is used when the ball rolls or lands up the side that is nearest to the green.
4 Golf sand shots tips
1. Have a big swing
In most cases, a sand shot often happens just within several yards of the green. Nevertheless, this does not necessarily mean that you would make a soft and small swing. Instead, it is important to have a big swing to produce a powerful shot and get the ball out of the bunker. Make sure to measure and ensure that your swing would help the club slide under the golf ball easily, thus enabling to get out of the sand and to fly to the green.
The most reason for this is the density of sand under the ball. Different from other shots in golf that only need your club to contact the ball’s back, a sand shot must go under the ball to move it up.
2. Lay the clubface open
This is one of the most useful golf sand shots tips that many amateur players often do understand or never heard of. Ideally, it is important to lay the clubface open when hitting the ball in a bunker. Not only a bit open, but its face should also point nearly directly to the sky when you are preparing to make a swing.
Opening the clubface is important in maximizing loft when it comes out of the bunker, which can be essential for ensuring to get over the front lip of the sand bunker. Also, it would expose the club’s bounce to the sand. As a result, your club would move through this area without digging in too deeply.
3. Have a stable stance
When playing a sand shot, you always need to wiggle the feet down in the sand before swinging. This gives you a solid base to make a proper shot. Also, use knee flex and a wide position to get the same results. This is very important as it creates a firm base to keep you staying in place. Sand is typically slippery, particularly when it is dry. Thus, failing to have a stable stance would lead to some poor sand shots.
4. Read the planned line
While stepping down a sand trap, it is good to start by reading the ball’s line thoroughly. The way it sits in the bunker would tell you almost everything about how you can play the next shot. For instance, when it is on the top, you would do everything you want. Nevertheless, when the ball digs down deeply with only a half on the surface, it can be bad luck.
If you have a bad line, which can be common in soft sand, it is necessary to think of a path with the least resistance. Even when you will play in a totally wrong direction, the most important thing that you need to focus on is to bring the ball back to the grass.
5. Visualize You Making The Shot.
Most of your pro golfers practice visualize the shot ending up a foot from the whole. As simple as this sounds it is a practice most pro golfers use.
6. Be Aware Of Sand Texture.
Is the sand soft and dry. The ball will come out of the shot softly. Is the sand wet ? This will mean the golf ball likely come out of the shot quickly and travel further.
The Conclusion
Many golf players do not have a clear concept of how to hit the ball in sand traps. This leads to inconsistent and incorrect performance during the game.With these simple golf sand shots tips, you now know what is needed to do it right. Regardless of a greenside or a fairway bunker, the key is to practice regularly and apply what you learned from this post on the course.
Check out other wonderful articles on this website: The Best Golf Swing Drills. Golf Swing Shoulder Drills. Simple Golf Swing Follow Through Drills.
