Conference 7.286::golf

    i think the single most important tip for sand shots is
    to finish high. a lot of people just bury the head of the club
    in the sand and lose all club head speed. i think you should
    set up 45 degrees open and hit 1-2 inches behind the ball.
    getting the precise distances you want to hit will take a lot
    of practice.
    
    		dan
    

    take a sand wedge and some balls and go to the beach....
    
    I used to be a terrible bunker player, one summer I'm at my brothers
    camp on a lake in Maine, it's right on the beach..well we're gonna
    play golf this morning and I'm up at 4:30...nothing to do and noone
    else is up yet so I take a sand wedge and three balls down to the beach
    which is only 30 yards away...start hitting balls just to warm up my
    swing...two weeks later at my course I'm in a sand trap and wow I hit
    that great...ball comes out right on the green  almost seemed like I
    knew what I was doing...ever since I have had few problems....
    my conclusions were that just hitting balls on the beach had forced
    me to learn how to hit a ball in sand like a sand trap....the most
    important part which has always stuck with me is that the backswing
    has to be s...l...o..w, almost like in slow motion and the head must
    stay still...of course the head staying still is true of any golf shot
    so that is fundamental...anyway...go to the beach and hit some balls
    until you are hitting them the same each time...BUT FIND AN ISOLATED
    PART OF THE BEACH...don't go over the 4th of july when it's full of
    people...{;^)...
    

    Re No.2
    Super idea Gordy, and I'd love to take you up on it, but have you
    checked out the position of Switzerland on a map recently. Anyhow
    thanks for the tip about the slow takeaway.
    
    Norman

Re .0

>    my idea of a living nightmare is a downslope lie in a bunker.

Couldn't agree with you more! If my bunker play is off, this can cost me a lot 
of shots which go something like this:

	1 from downslope to upslope
	2 from upslope to level
	3 from level to rough
	4 from rough to green

where steps 2 and 3 can take several shots. So I took a leaf out of the book of
some octogenarians that play, superbly for their age, at my wife's club, and now 
have the following alternative scenario:

	1 take putter and come out backwards
	2 pitch over bunker onto green

A saving of at least two strokes!

Peter

	o imagine your ball is on a dollar bill - actuall *see*
	  the bill and not the ball

	o stance and clubface should be very open

	o you want to *scoop* out the bill, you're not trying
	  to dig deep.  Think of *sliding* the club under the
	  ball as opposed to a normal *divot* (down and thru)
	  type swing.  I prefer to think of *nipping" it out
	  as opposed to blasting - taking too much sand will
	  result in no spin.

	o do NOT turn your hands over thru impact like a normal
	  shot.  Your right hand stays *under* and doesn't roll
	  over.  This makes the clubhead stay very open and the
	  face points up to the sky well past impact.

	This last point is why I believe those who hook the ball
	have a much harder time in bunkers.  Slicers naturally
	have that outside-in swing with very little roll over
	with the hands thru impact.

	I also believe that an hour in a bunker will improve your
	play immensely.  Your mindset goes from "getting it out
	somewhere on the green" to actually trying to hole it.	

    Remember, "There is nothing to fear but fear itself".
    
    Your not having the opportunity to practice bunker shots is unfortunate
    because once you start practicing you would see that it is not as
    tough as you imagine.  In fact, if I am unlucky enough to find a hazard
    around the green I would prefer the sand.  1295.5 had some good
    suggestions for bunker play, let me add some others:
    
    	o if you have any bunkers anywhere on your course talk to your pro 
    	  or superintendent about practicing in one of them.  You don't
    	  have to hit the ball to the green to get a feel for getting the
   	  ball out of the trap.  You could aim for your shag bag several
    	  yards away.
    
    	o pick up a book on trap play, preferably by Gary Player or Julius
    	  Boros, and read it cover to cover before wacking any balls.
    
    	o when practicing, draw a line 1-2 inches behind the ball, which is
    	  where you want your club to enter the sand, and make this the
    	  target for your clubhead.
    
    	o try not to vary the length of your backswing very much.  The
    	  distance you want the ball to travel will depend on the length of
    	  your follow-through.
    
    	o ask your pro for a lesson in sand play.  It always pays to have a
    	  professional show you the right way to do something.
    
    Don't be frightened of the sand, it can be your friend.  A friend of
    mine just started playing golf.  After we played one day, his second
    time on a course, I took him to a practice area that had a bunker.  He
    had gotten into a few bunkers during his round and made the typical
    mistakes you see everyone make who's not used to the sand.  After
    explaining the theory of sand play and showing him the correct swing I
    had him start hitting shots out of the trap.  After about 10 balls he
    started to get the hang of it and was not making timid swings but
    really swinging through the sand and getting the ball out of the trap
    and onto the green.
    
    So take heart in knowing that sand play is not as hard as it may seem. 
    It's pretty much like hitting any other shot in golf, once you learn
    the mechanics of the shot and practice it you will improve.  Remember
    your first time hitting golf balls that weren't teed up?  I'll bet
    every one of us were either burying the club, topping the ball, missing
    it, and a hundred other things.  So chin up and take heart.  After a
    awhile you'll get the hang of trap play and possibly even come to
    enjoyt it.
    
    Good luck,
    
    Jeff

    
    What they said.
    
    Pete

	Let me tell you a war-story.
	
	It was last Friday afternoon. As we drove out to Ballyconneely
	to the Connemara Golf Club open week we discussed how important
	it was to practise on sand so that sand shots become just
	like any other shot - enjoyable..

	The Friday competition was a Scotch Foresome where both partners
	drive off from each hole, play the best drive and then alternate shots
	till ball is holed out.

	Our opposites were "A" and "B". "A" and "B" were playing very well 
	together and after the first 8 holes were four over par (H'caps 12 & 18)
	

	Then it happened....

	"A" and "B" both had good drives on the 9th, a long par 4. 
        They selected "A"'s ball as the one to play.
	"B" hit it well but it just caught the top of a fairway (just off) 
	bunker and rolled into the sand. 

	"A" walked into the sand to hit it out - and left it behind him
	"B" walked into the sand to hit it out - and left it behind him
	"A" walked into the sand to hit it out - and left it behind him
	"B" walked into the sand to hit it out - and left it behind him
	"A" walked into the sand to hit it out - and succeeded!!

	The ball was holed out with a ten. So from + 4 on the 8th tee they
	went to a + 10 on the 10th tee and the chance of winning was gone.
	
	Moral of the story
	 	 1. Get it out first time
                 2. Practise, practise, practise (but not during the round!)

	Louis

    Bunker play is EASY if you do the following:
    
    1.  Invest in a good sand wedge; that's the most immportant thing.
    2.  For normal, greenside, fluffy sand, lay the clubface WIDE OPEN.
    3.  Dig your feet in - not only will it help you maintain your balance,
    	but will encourage you do hit under the ball.
    4.  Pick out a spot about 1 to 2 inches behind the ball, and focus on
    that spot, not the ball.
    5. Make sure you ACCELERATE on the downswing, following through to a
    full finish.
    6.  Practice 1-5.
    
    Good luck!
    Stan McFarland@DCO

    RE: Invest in wedge
    
    Good point...many of us do not have the right implement to extricate
    ourselves from large silicon deposits.  Some wedges have a large flange
    (or bounce) and others are small(sharper leading edge)..  The large
    bounce helps in sand and the small or sharp edge helps on fairway and
    rough shots.  I suggest you ask around and get some advice, try out a
    few to see what is comfortable.  The small bounce clubs tend to dig or
    bury in sand, the large flange bounces thru the ball(sometimes into the
    back of it).
    
    SCD(carries two wedges because I read it Golf Digest but can't use
    either)

    
    All has been good advice so far. I'd like to add a couple points:
    
    o regarding the open stance, line up your body from feet to shoulders
      about 30-45 degrees left of the target (for right handers) but
      line the clubface up to the target (or slightly left of it as the
      shot will normally bite and go a little right). Then, and this is
      important, swing on the line parallel to your feet, not the line of
      the clubface! ie: swing outside-in. If you swing on the line of the
      clubface, you defeat the purpose of the open stance which is to
      slide under the ball.
    
    o For a good mental image, try to imagine how hard you would swing to
      hit the shot twice as far from heavy rough. Be aggressive!
    
                     -Joe
    

    Any advice on fairway bunker play, ie 100 +/- yards from the green. 
    Not that allot of courses have them 8^(.  Thanks for the previous tips,
    I used them in a scramble this past week with much greater controlled
    results!

    Freebie,

Swing the club the same as a normal correct swing. Don't assume it is a
different swing, it is not.

Sandbagger, I mean Freebie, take a lesson you cheap sonaofgun..



Come on Mountain Tour !!!


Jim

  I agree with .13 in that a fairway bunker shot should be played like a normal
fairway shot but with one important exception.  As part of a lesson that I once
took the instructor pointed out to me that when you are standing in a bunker
your feet tend to sink into the sand.  For this reason he explained to me that 
when you are hitting a fairway bunker shot you should choke down on your club 
about 1 inch or so to compensate for your sinking into the sand.

  Another tip that I received was that when hitting from a fairway bunker, play
one more club.  If you would hit a 6 iron from the same distance on the fairway,
then hit a 5 iron from the sand.  

  Of course, all of this advise is of no use if you are in a bunker with a lip
that prohibits a shot at the green.  In that case just look for the easiest way 
out and take the penalty that the hazard presents.

    In addition to .15, you should play your ball back about an inch and
    make sure you catch the ball first so you minimize the chance of having
    sand between your club & your ball. I see many players catch too much
    sand and they barely get the ball out of the bunker.  You should also
    try to minimize your leg work in the trap because you don't have a
    stable ground as on a fairway. (this does not mean don't use your legs)

    re:12-16
    
    I agree with much of what has been said...but...the shot is indeed an
    upper body(mostly arms) shot.  You should set your feet, put more
    weight on the left side and leave it there thru the swing.. By shifting
    your weight you tend to dip because of the loose footing, prompting a
    fat shot made worse by the sand.  I find the extra club helps because
    you don't get a full swing.  Also, thru experimentation, I find that by
    opening the club face a little bit and allowing for a left to right
    flight path, I get good distance and good results.
    
    SCD

    Many thanks to everyone who replied to this plea for help. I have all
    the advice noted and hope that it will help me to gain some confidence
    on bunker shots. I'm leaving on Saturday for a week's holiday in
    Norway, where I hope to get in two or three rounds, and where I am sure
    to get a chance to put all your advice into practice. Bunkers just seem
    to have a magnetic attraction for me. Wish me luck !-)
    
    Norman

    One thing I convinced myself of is if a bunker is going to  take
    me  down,  it's  going  to take me down swinging. By this I mean
    when I hit the ball out of a bunker, it's  going  *out*  of  the
    bunker. It may go 50 or more feet out of the bunker, but my next
    shot is going to be from grass. Usually, I actually hit more  or
    less  where  I'm  aiming and I very rarely experience the severe
    pain of having to hit the ball two, three, or more times to  get
    it  out  of the bunker. I guess what this boils down to is don't
    be timid, hit the ball!

    On an aside, I was playing a couple of weeks ago  and  got  into
    some casual water in the bottom of a bunker. I picked up my ball
    and dropped it inside the *expansive* bunker. It turns out  that
    not  only  is  this  sand  wet,  but it's fluffy too. Never seen
    anything like it - dropping and ending  up  with  a  half-buried
    fried-egg  lie.  I  took a *full*, *hard* swing at it and barely
    got the ball out over ~20 feet of sand. I couldn't believe it.

    d

Re: -.1

>   I guess what this boils down to is don't be timid, hit the ball!

You've identified the #1 reason that most people don't get out of traps.  They 
just don't swing through the ball!  I'm a decent trap player & my first goal
is always to get the ball out of the trap.  When I leave it in the trap it is
generally because I tried to get too cute with the shot & forgot the first 
goal.

Larry

    Any pointers for playing out of wet (compacted) sand ?
    
    Raj

    Raj
    What I try to do is either pick the ball clean as if it were a bare lie
    or make sure that the clubhead is really accelerating (power) when it
    contacts the sand. Make sure to allow for extra roll, unless the green
    is very soggy. Remember to keep the head still.
    Rich

    Thats what I try to do. Give it extra power cause the wet sand will
    offer more resistence to the club head. If i'm lucky it will get out
    nicely; more often than not, it will still be in the bunker or will have
    crossed the green to the other trap on the other side of the green
    cause I caught too much of the ball !
    
    Raj

    re:21
    
    Swing slower/easier with wet sand!!!  faster/harder with dry soft
    sand!!!  If the ball is not sitting up good, use a wedge instead of a
    sand wedge and square the blade to the hole.  The lack of bounce on the
    wedge will allow it to enter the wet sand.  Be sure to allow for some
    run this way.  It shouldn't have anything to do with luck!!!!!!  Think
    of it as the ball sitting on a tee under the sand.  All you are trying
    to do is clip the tee from under the ball.  Try this thought and a sand
    shot should become your easiest shot to accomplish.  To practice this
    just try clipping a tee you've placed in a bunker without the ball for
    a while, then place a ball on the tee under the sand and then try
    without the tee. 
    
    Mike

    The best luck I've had with this kind of bunker shot is playing it like
    a chip shot.  This means I strike the ball first (not sand), but I
    don't necessarily concentrate on picking the ball clean and skulling
    the shot.  The ball comes out with more roll and less backspin than a
    normal bunker shot.
    
    Gary

    I can handle dry sand pretty well, but the wet sand usually gives me
    trouble and inconsistent results.
    
    Thanks for the advice, will give it a go.
    
    Raj

    As it happens this months issue of Todays Golfer (UK) has some tips
    about playing out of wet sand.
    
    The key (according to them) is to make the usual stance/shot with the
    following two exceptions:
    
    1. the wetter the sand the more resistance it offers to the clubhead
    passing through it. To compensate for this and to allow the leading
    edge of the club to cut through the sand under the ball, set the club
    face square to target rather than opening it up.
    
    2. to strike the sand a little closer to the ball than usual,
    preventing the heavy, wet sand slowing the clubhead too much as it
    travels down and under.
    
    Raj

    Does the same apply to playing out of other wet conditions.  I have a
    hell of a time playing in wet conditions because typically I will make
    a great swing, take a deep divot and send the ball about halfway.  In
    the last 3 rounds, this must have cost me an average of 6-7 strokes a
    round.
    
    Dalip

    Dalip
    
    In wet conditions play the ball slightly back in your stance, take an
    extra club, aim a little left, and pick the club up a little on the
    take away to promote a slightly steeper angle of approach to the ball.
    Concentrate on making contact with the ball first. This should help.
    
    Rich

    >>Does the same apply to playing out of other wet conditions.  I have a
    >>hell of a time playing in wet conditions because typically I will make
    >>a great swing, take a deep divot and send the ball about halfway.  In
    >>the last 3 rounds, this must have cost me an average of 6-7 strokes a
    >>round.
    
    The same things happen to me when I dont make contact with the ball
    first. On normal hard ground this isn't a great problem, 
    but with soft ground the club just cuts deeper under the ball resulting
    in a deep divot and little distance.
    
    Raj

    Raj
    
    See -.31
    
    Rich

    Collison ! I didn't see your reply before entering mine.
    
    Good advice though.
    
    Raj