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22 | SUN LAKES LIFESTYLES | APRIL 2022 | By Brian Garlington, PGA, Director of Golf It's been a long time coming but we now have new greenside sand bunkers on the Championship Course! And as I promised last month, here are my tips on bunker play. For many golfers, greenside sand bunkers can be downright intimidating. From navigating a shifty playing surface to swinging the golf club a bit differently, there's a lot that goes into coordinating the proper escape from a bunker. Once you have the right information on how to play the shot properly, it's actually not all that hard to safely land your ball on the green. The first thing to understand is that you're not actually making direct contact with the ball on bunker shots. Your club is sliding underneath the ball using the bounce of your wedge. You enter the sand first which displaces the sand and as a result propels the ball out of the bunker. Many golfers don't know this and end up hitting it thin because they are trying to actually hit the ball. Additionally, there's no need to excessively open clubface and your stance or "swing left" across your body. That has been the conventional instruction for a long time, and it simply isn't necessary anymore with modern wedges. In fact, it might make it harder to play this shot because you need a relatively fast clubhead speed to properly execute. The Set-Up In order to play bunker shots correctly you need to have a good setup. Here are some basics you should know: Alignment: Most mid to high handicappers shouldn't aim anywhere but exactly where you want the ball to go on bunker shots. For the more advanced player, you should adjust your alignment (open stance) on how much you open the clubface. Play the ball up in your stance: Your ball position being forward in your stance is extremely important so that your club head will enter the sand before the golf ball. By placing the ball forward of center, when the club hits the sand relatively centered in your stance, it will help it to hit the sand first. You may see good players twist their feet in the sand and there is a good reason for this. When you dig your feet into the sand, this lowers the bottom of your swing, which also makes it that much easier to take sand. Open the Clubface: In order for the bounce of the club to do its work, the clubface needs to be open somewhat. A good rule of thumb is to have the grooves of the wedge pointing towards the middle of your lead foot. Also, make sure you open the clubface before you grip it and not the opposite. Keys for Bunker Shots You don't need to make any kind of special swing for bunker shots, but here are a couple of things you should be aware of. Minimize Forward Shaft Lean: One thing you want to make sure is that your hands are not getting ahead of the ball on bunker shots. This will expose the leading edge of your wedge and cause the club to dig. Instead, you almost want to feel as though your hands are arriving to the ball at the same time as the club. Hit the Sand Behind the Ball: Remember, you shouldn't make direct contact with the golf ball! You want your club to enter the sand just behind the ball, and slide underneath the ball. When practicing, try making contact with different parts of the sand behind the ball. You will see how this alters the trajectory and shot quality. Weight on Your Front Foot: You want to feel as though you have more weight on your front foot as you make contact with the sand. Many golfers have a tendency to fall backwards on this shot, and it prevents them from making proper contact. I hope these tips take some of the fear away from the bunker shot and help you become more proficient at getting the ball out and onto the green. Good Golfing! Tips for Better Bunker Shots

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