One Hand From The Sand is Dry Land
Stop pulling the club through with your left side!
Sand shots from the bunker can be a dreaded event, unless you have a solid plan on what kind of shot your attempting to execute. Just walking into a fairway bunker or green side sand trap, needs a plan you can commit to with confidence, knowing it will work first time every time.
A pre-shot routine is of course your first order of business, so you'll be knowledgeable as to where you want the ball to land on the green and whether you choose to stop it at a certain distance or continue to roll more distance.
Your setup is going to be the same for both (other than ball placement) but the actual swing will differ. Additionally, there are two ways to get the ball to respond by the choice you make. One is to hit the bunt and the second is to hit the hook lob. Let's practice the shot outside the sand trap first to get a feel on likeness as to the stance and swing you'll be using in the sand trap.
This demonstration is to show greenside shots out of the sand using the one hand method versus the traditional left side full swing, whether from a fairway bunker or greenside sand trap. Remember, this is just a drill to demonstrate for you to practice, but you will have both hands on the club when you execute the final shot in play. This first shot I call the bunt, shows the setup with 75% of my weight on my left foot and my center chest area just behind the ball and clubface open at least 50%. There are sequence photos to follow, to demonstrate which hand really drives the club through impact.
My final swing consists of the right hand hinging back in the take away, with the left hand along for the ride in the next series of photos. You'll always have two hands on the club, but the dominant hand is in 80% control of the swinging of the club. The acceleration through impact with your dominant side is what you must do. If you don't accelerate while using your dominate hand, you're essentially trying to pull the club head through the sand with the weaker side and that's why you're hitting fat shots behind the ball.
Your dominant hand provides the speed to get under and past the ball which forces the sand to explode upward, forcing the ball up and out onto the green. To stop the ball near the hole, it's critical to open the leading edge of your club by about 50%. This creates the backspin you'll need to stop the ball upon landing. This is similar to the bunt play in baseball. Remember to keep the right elbow close to your body for added control. Notice the toe has not turned over, even at the last photo.
The opposite shot of landing on the putting surface and rolling towards the pin, calls for the same setup, but this time you will allow the toe of the club to turn over as you swing through the shot. Think of holding a TV controller in your right hand. As you take the club back, the buttons roll to the right and start to face skyward. As you throw the club under the ball, think of the buttons rolling left towards the target as you make contact with the sand. The toe continues to roll over as the ball is coming out of the sand. I set my ball placement back in my stance, about two inches back of center, too allow the shot to come out of the sand lower with top spin releasing to the hole.
Turning over the toe of the club is what creates the top spin needed to send the ball out low and rolling to the pin. I use this same maneuver in deep rough around the greens. Practice this technique shown in the last photos, being careful about how much swing speed you use. Too much force will sent it out and off the green, so slow down the stroke a little on this one. One other key is to sweep under the ball like skipping a rock versus digging down behind the ball to scoop it out.
This completes this article on One Hand From The Sand Is Dry Land … look for our next article soon!
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