 | Don Farquhar is Head Golf Professional at Rolling Hills CC, a position he has held since 1988. Don has earned several distinctive awards: 1991 South Central Section Golf Professional of the Year, 1994 South Central Section Merchandiser of the Year, 2003 & 2004 South Central Teacher of the Year and 7 Time Kansas Chapter PGA Teacher of the Year. Don has competed in 5 National Club Professional Championships and qualified for the USGA Public Links Championship. Don is also a member of the Titlist Custom Fitting Staff. Don may be contacted Rolling Hills Country Club Pro Shop, (316) 722-1181, 223 Westlink Drive, Wichita, KS 67209, or by e-mail at dafarquhar@pga.com. |
Golf
2001-12-01 16:44:00
Bunker shots... help!
Answer: You are right, a bunker shot isn't like any other shot in golf. In every shot except a bunker shot you are trying to hit the ball, in a bunker shot you are trying not to hit the ball. If you develop the right technique you shouldn't fear the sand at all. Developing the right technique and practicing that technique is the trick.The easiest way to get the ball ut of the bunker and reasonably close to the hole is to:1. Open your stance slightly to the target line2. Play the ball closer to your left foot than your right.3. Open the club face so that the leading edge won't dig into the sand. We want the club to bounce off of the sand.4. Weaken your grip (turn tour hands to the left on the grip) so you won't be able to close down the club face at impact.5. Make sure that you take a full swing and try to throw the sand out of the bunker and onto the green.6. Be committed to hitting the sand7. Try to keep your legs quiet on the backswing. Too much movement will cause you to be inconsistent in where you hit the sand.Don't be overly concerned about hitting 2 or 3 inches behind the ball. Chances are that you won't be able to hit the exact spot every time anyway. Just stay committed to hitting behind the ball and throwing the sand out.If this method doesn't work for you and you find yourself hitting too far behind the ball, try moving the ball back closer to the spot where the club is entering the sand and the square the club face up. This will be more of a digging swing but it will get the ball out. It will roll a little farther than the other technique but if you are having trouble getting out of the sand it may be worth a try.A little practice goes a long way in learning how to play out of bunkers. Try these two techniques and give them a little time. You may be surprised and find out that you are in fact a good bunker player.
