Players with low golf handicaps avoid disasters in the sand. They use experience and sound technique to escape bunkers in one. Players with high golf handicaps, on the other hand, often fall prey to disasters in the sand. Instead of birdying or paring the hole, they card a 6 or a 7. If you're serious about taking your game to the next level, you must improve your sand game. Below are some golf tips that will help sharpen your sand game. These golf tips are based on the real-world principals that teaching pros impart at golf instruction sessions. In general, if you're an average player, focus on getting out and onto the fairway in one. If you're a better player, concentrate on advancing the ball forward. The key in both cases is to put yourself in good position to hit the next shot. Set up Is Key Your set up is one the keys to escaping a bunker in one. A good setup provides the foundation for a good shot. Play the ball forward of center when hitting bunker shots, open your stance a little, and place your hands just behind the ball. Try imagining the ball sitting in the middle of a six-inch box. Then, try to blast all the sand from the box, so the ball rides out on a cushion of sand. Swing like you're hitting a 7-iron from grass and accelerate through the shot. Go With The Slopes While an uphill sand shot is challenging, a downhill sand shot is among golf's toughest shots. The key to hitting both is matching your shoulder tilt to the bunker's slope. On an uphill shot, your back shoulder is lower than your front shoulder. Rest more weight on your back foot. On a downhill shot, your front shoulder is lower than your back shoulder. Rest more weight on your front foot. Expect a higher shot with more spin from an uphill lie and a lower shot with more roll from a downhill lie. Cup Your Wrists If you've short-sided yourself on a tucked pin, you'll need to hit a high shot that lands softly. To do that, cup your left wrist (right wrist for lefties) and maintain it throughout the swing. Cupping your wrist produces a higher shot, as we tell students in our golf instruction sessions. Also, use a 60-degree wedge, if you're carrying one, an open stance and clubface, and a ball position just forward of center. Place your hands behind the ball. Control carry by varying how much you open the clubface and how hard you swing. Get The Ball Out For players with high golf handicaps, landing in a fairway bunker is no fun. If you're not a good bunker player, it can cost you several strokes. If this is you, your goal is simple: escape in one. Use your sand wedge and play the safest shot possible. Look for the lowest point in the bunker's lip and the shortest carry distance to the fairway. Then, play an explosion shot in that direction—like you're playing from a greenside bunker. Swing aggressively and accelerate through the shot to a full finish. Clip The Ball First If you're somewhat comfortable playing from fairway bunkers, focus on advancing the ball forward instead of just getting out. This will leave comfortable yardage for your next shot. Select a club with the loft to clear the front lip. Then, set up with your weight on your front leg. The weight shift encourages you to swing down on the ball and helps ensure ball first contact. Picking the ball off the sand is the key to this shot. Also, grip down on the club as much as you dig your feet into the sand. Swing about 85 percent of normal. If you're serious about cutting strokes from you golf handicap, work on improving your sand play. Use the golf tips discussed above to help sharpen your sand skills. Taking some golf lessons wouldn't hurt, either. Improving your sand game will not only chop strokes off your scores, it will also build confidence. Copyright (c) 2011 Jack Moorehouse
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