Let’s not write off the summer time just yet! As for myself, I’ll get to the beach any chance I can get, and even though summer is starting to wind down, there’s still plenty of opportunities well into September to get over to Wrightsville Beach for some fun in the sand and surf! And while you’re there, check out a cool Panamanian restaurant called Ceviche’s. It’s on the right if you are headed to the beach, just before you get to the draw bridge. Awesome food and a chill atmosphere!
So, speaking of the sand, let’s try to get everyone out if those golf course bunkers with a bit more ease. I’d like to illustrate four talking points and one drill for your practice sessions.
1. Turn the club face open: to assist in having the wedge glide through the sand, open the club face before gripping the club. This utilizes the bounce of the club rather than having the leading edge dig.
2. Create some speed: the last thing we want to do is decelerate as the club enters the sand, and we need some rhythm and power to get the ball out, so let’s take the club back fully, hinge the hands and make a longer back-swing.
3. For the same reason we look to create a longer back-swing, let’s do the same with the follow through. Now, it’s not like the club needs to get wrapped around your shoulders like a swing with the driver, but we do want a sufficient follow through to keep the club moving quickly through heavy sand.
4. Resist the urge to stand tall through the swing when you are worried about the club digging too much in the sand. Instead keep your knees flexed well past impact. The club will slide under the ball and pop it out, even with some backspin.
Try this drill:
Here is a great way to learn how to get the low point of your swing arc under the ball. In the sand, tee a ball so the tee is almost completely buried in the sand and the ball sits even with the sand’s surface. Set up in a slightly open stance, with the ball a bit forward of center and the grip of the club pointed towards your belt buckle. From there, make a normal back-swing, and try to splash the tee onto the green. This will help you gain control of where the club head bottoms out, leading to more consistency in the sand.
