Gary
on... Fairway Bunkers
Gary Alliss is Manager of the
PGA National Golf Academy at the Belfry, Captain of the Great Britain
PGA Team, and one of the top golf coaches in Europe. Here, Gary gives us some
tips to escape the dreaded sand.
1. You must first decide what club will give the ball enough loft to escape
over the top of the bunker. Having decided on your club, it is sensible to
perhaps take one more lofted for safety.
2. Aim the clubface where you want the ball to go.
3. Hold the club as normal, but go down the grip 3/4 inch, maybe a little more
if the sand in the bunker is very deep and soft. Hold the club more tightly, if
you normally hold at 4 out of 10 on a scale firm up to 6 or 7, this restricts
wrist action and should help to eliminate taking excessive sand.
4. Position the golf ball 1/2 an inch further towards your front foot than
normal.
5. Take a similar stance to a shot from the fairway, but shuffle your feet a
little into the sand to create a firm foundation. If the sand is deep and soft
you may need to shuffle more and consequently hold the club shorter as
described above.
6. Align your body parallel to the direction you wish to hit the ball, just as
you would on the fairway.
7. Try to assume a posture the same as from the fairway. Look at the top of the
golf ball, rather than the back as you would on the fairway.
8. Now make a good full shoulder turn, with a slightly shortened arm swing,
your hands should be level with your ear at the top of the backswing.
9. Swish your arms down and through impact to a 3/4 finish. Try to let the
clubhead gather the ball off the top of the sand, don't go digging for it and
don't swing too hard at the ball.
With a bit of practice fairway sand should hold no fears for you!