ditchweed

Sinking the ball in the sand. What is the best way of getting out of the sand? I get in the sand and it's like a trap for me. Does anyone have any pointers for me?

CLauncher

That might be why its called a sand trap :P .. but its the same way for me, i either hit it to the brim of the trap and it rolls back in, or i hit it over the green. once in a while i will get lucky with a good shot but not too often.

What i have been told is aim about an inch behind the ball and just let the sand take the ball up with it.

memorex88

That's right and make sure you follow through on all sand shots!

Darren

Always hit infron of the ball so your club goes right under it, this of cource means that you need to hit the ball a little harder than you would for a similar shot off of the grass.

christian231

The inch behind the ball idea is correct, however, you have to adjust that depending on how far you need to hit the ball. I like to visually pick a spot an inch or so behind the ball and never take my eyes off of it. That way I know I'm hitting at that spot.

I use a 60 degree for all greenside bunker situations. Be sure to dig your feet in well and keep the knees bent so you have a good stable stance. Watch the pros, they don't have much lower body movement in the bunkers. Keep the legs relatively still. I also open the club face and my stance, while making sure the open club face is still pointing where I want the ball go to. Just take a normal swing, hit that inch behind the ball, and FOLLOW THROUGH. You'll land on the green every time. Good luck.

Matthew_22

That inch behind the ball tip is only for greenside bunkers isn't it? What do you do for fairway bunkers, or is it the same?

ditchweed

Thanks for the tips. I know I'm going to try them on my next day off. I try hitting away from the sand, but it seems every time I'm in the sand. It's like it's magnetic, just sucks it right in. So now it's payback, me vs. sand.

christian231

For fairway bunkers I will set up with the ball a little forward in my stance, but take a regular setup like you were hitting a shot from the fairway. Key to fairway bunkers is to keep the lower body still. You don't want to be dancing all over the place in the sand. Minimize lower body movement, hit the ball like it was in the fairway and follow through. Once you do it a few times and get the feel of it, you'll have no problem getting out of fairway bunkers.

white_tiger_137

For greenside bunkers, the above posters were correct. The ball should fly out on a cushion of sand. On a slow day, throw a handful of balls into a trap and play them as they lie. There really is no other way to get the feel of bunker shots.

In a fairway bunker, everything changes. You need to open your stance, take more club than you would need from the fairway, open the clubface, and hit it thin, just below the equator of the ball. The fluffier the sand, the more club you need.

__________________

slapshot

I'm completely hopeless when it comes to sand. I just haven't got the knack for it at all