Greenside Greatness

November 4, 2011 by

1. 40-YARD BUNKER SHOT

As you can see here, I’ve got a 40-yard bunker shot, which is arguably one of the game’s hardest tests. I’ll show you two ways to play it, depending on the kind of sand that you find in the bunker.

The first is when the sand is pretty firm. Take your most lofted wedge (in this case, I’ve chosen my 60° lob wedge) and pick it clean, taking sand only after you hit the ball. To help pick it clean, I’ve moved the ball about an inch back in my stance and am placing a little more weight on my left side. This helps create a downward blow and ensures that the club bottoms out a little bit earlier than usual so I’m sure to catch the ball first. I stand tall at address and remain so through the shot. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Articles, Bunkers, Chipping, Pitching, Putting Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Bad Lies

September 18, 2010 by

Feet In Bunker, Ball Out

The key to this shot is to choke down on the golf club far enough—all the way to the shaft—if necessary.

When you set up to this golf shot, imagine you’re making the same rounded golf swing you would if you were playing tee ball. This shot is on the same swing-plane angle.

Before you actually hit the ball, make sure you take plenty of extra practice golf swings to not only find the proper swing plane, but also locate the point where your golf club bottoms out. Don’t hit the sand! [Read more…]

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Chip Control

September 16, 2010 by

Light A Match

Admit it. Chipping isn’t exactly exciting. Some might say it’s downright boring. It certainly isn’t as thrilling as busting a drive 300 yards down the middle. But as a golf instructor in Burbank, I have found that if you want to shoot the lights out (or save par), the only way to do it is to get the ball close to the hole, and it’s chipping that’ll do that. [Read more…]

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