Major Golf Lesson

The average amateur has made the bunker shot much more difficult than it really is.  They think the stance has to be way open with a club face that is way open.  They are mentally confused on what to really do.  A bunker lesson shouldn’t last more than twenty minutes. That’s because there is not much to it.  When someone asks for a lesson in the bunker, I will first look at the form they use for the regular chip shot.  If the chip/pitch has breakdown in the forward wrist,(left wrist for a right handed golfer), if the weight doesn’t transfer to the left leg, and the body isn’t turning through the finish, then we will first address that.  The reason is that if you chip and pitch with bad form, then the swing you will rely on in the bunker will be the same.  To start with the simplest bunker shot, here are a few things to look at.

1. Place your feet about shoulder width, and the ball just forward of center by an inch or two.

2. For starters, keep the feet square and not open.  And for most players, I would suggest you use a 60 degree or lob wedge, and not the sand wedge.  It will give you more loft, which will get the ball up easier without your help of scooping.

3. Bend the knees, almost as if you were sitting on a bar stool, this will help you hit the ball fat or behind an inch or so.

4. Follow through like a normal golf shot, with the weight on the left leg and the hips, chest, and head facing the target.

5. If you still struggle, draw a line in the sand.  Straddle the line with the line slightly ahead of the center of your chest.  Take practice swings hitting the line without a ball.  Pay attention to see if you are hitting too much behind or forward.  Make adjustments with your swing, not set up, remembering to always finish the golf shot on the front leg with balance.

6. If you are really fearful of the greenside bunker and there isn’t a lip on the edge of the bunker, putt it.

Give these tips a shot and if you need some more help in this area, give me a call and we will take care of it together.

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If you saw the end of the 2011 Farmers Insurance Open here at Torrey Pines, I think you’d agree it was a pretty good tournament ending. Bubba Watson having to really solidify his final putt and Phil having Bones tend the flag just in case he cans it. Nice ending.

And now that it’s over, I’m back to work on the lesson tee and the golf course probably teaching some of my students to hit a distance wedge of 72 yards like the one Phil attempted. Now it’s a relatively easy shot. What makes it difficult is to get it as close as Phil does. Amazingly he did almost hole it off the fly and then spun it back to about four feet. Now I don’t expect the majority of my students to do that but the fundamentals of the shot are not as difficult as one would expect.

First, ball position is important. Make sure you position the ball so you’re not going to hit it fat or skinny. That would probably be a little back in their stance for the majority of golfers. Then, by all means don’t over swing. A half to three quarter swing will be sufficient. The shorter swing will compel you have to accelerate the club through the ball.

The common errors to this shot are an over swing with a decelerated motion through the ball. Not good. Practice will help you to get it close. But knowing the fundamentals of the shot will at least give you a chance to hole the putt.

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Did you know that you can’t make a change in your swing until you know what it feels like. As an instructor I can either show you on swing analysis software, verbally explain it or get you to feel it. I think the latter is by far the most advantageous for the student of golf.

Let’s talk about over-swinging. I have seen a lot of golfers take a swing and a half when they’re swinging the golf club. Maybe trying to get more distance or it just really feels normal. The over-swing can cause a series of complications that can render the swing powerless and encourage a loss of direction.

Here is a simple drill to help you get the feel of not over-swinging:

Put a swimming noodle or some plumbers foam in your right arm pit at address. Take your backswing until your left arm comes to a stop up against the swimming noodle. That’s approximately where your back swing should stop. Yes I know, it feels like a half-swing. But if you rotated your shoulders as far as you can without compromising your lower body, i.e. (straightening or bowing your right knee) that position is as far back as the club should go.

It’s amazing how you get a half-swing feel with a full-swing ball flight. Don’t believe me, schedule your next lesson and we’ll get you to feel it and see the proof.

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