A Great Golf Swing Resource.
Featured Golf Article
Instantly slash your
golf score by creating perfect impact!
Bunkers And Sand Traps - How To Play Them
By Lee MacRae
Many golfers have a tremendous fear of sand traps and bunkers on the golf course. Let's take a look at some handy tips to improve your play from the bunkers.
Excessive wrist action can wreck a golf shot. It usually leads to topping or blading, which in a greenside bunker can be especially ruinous. There is usually not much golf course around greens, and a ball blade is out of a bunker could end up in a water hazard, out of bounds, or in some other unplayable lie. It is a good idea, therefore to hit all sand shots with stiff wrists, even those that require you to cock your wrists early on the backswing. Remember; no wrists, no risk.
Sand shots put such fear in the hearts of most golfers that they rush the swing fast and jerkily, thus making the good sand shot a matter more of happenstance than of planning and skill. The simple way to remedy this fault is to swing as slowly as possible. You'll find this lesson useful all over the golf course, but it is most useful in sand. Remember that the whole point of the sand shot is to miss the ball. You hit the sand, and the sand lifts the ball out of the bunker. Swinging faster usually doesn't help. Swinging very slowly will give you a greater feel of hitting the sand behind the ball, take the tension out of the shot, and ultimately give you the confidence needed to play any shot out of sand.
The sand actually allows for a margin of error. Just make sure you accelerate your golf club through the sand and good results will follow. If your impact is close to your ball, it will go longer in the air but will retain a lot of spin. Impact a little farther behind your ball and you make it travel less in the air but it now has the tendency for more run on landing. Just remember to focus on the sand, not on the itself ball, and let your club [and the sand] do the work.
And no matter what the circumstances are, don't allow tension to ruin your techinque. Tension will ruin even the best of golf swings. Keep your body and your mind loose and positive. Always imagine yourself handling the shot with success. What the mind sees, the body will do. You golf game will improve immensly when you add these tips.
Find a great
golf training aid and improve your game!
Quick Golf IdeasPlaying The Game
Mechanical thoughts, especially during the backswing, have no place on the golf course. Swing issues and technical moves should be worked out on the practice range. On the course, focus on positive downswing thoughts like �accelerate through impact� and �finish with the right shoulder toward the target.� Avoid negative thoughts by visualizing the ballflight you're trying to produce, and swing with that image in mind. A consistent preshot routine helps.
...
Golf Tips magazine
Hitting the ground before the ball, or "fat shots" is a very common problem that can lead to injury. This is caused by either coming into the ball too steeply, and/or decelerating the club head as you hit the ball. Proper weight shift is important and keeping your right shoulder back on the downswing (opposite for left handers) is crucial. There is a tendency to throw the right shoulder ahead as you come down creating an outside in steep club path. Focus on swinging more around your body to remedy this. A good drill is to strap your upper arms to your body and hit balls. This makes it impossible to throw the shoulder forward. Don't forget to accelerate through the ball. When you slow down at the bottom of your swing, you will hit it fat every time.
...
PGA Tour
I can�t tell you how many people come to my lesson tee and say, �If I could just get rid of my baseball swing, then all my problems would be solved!� My initial thought is always: I wish you had a baseball swing, because it would help you play better golf.
...
The Golf Channel
Don't grip the club too tightly. A tight grip inhibits a smooth swing and follow-though. Also, keep the grips on your clubs in good condition. Worn grips force you to hold the club too tightly. Replace the grips on your clubs as they get worn and smooth. When first learning the grip, keep a club around the house and practice gripping and regripping the club a few minutes each day. Remember to keep fingers secure and arms relaxed.
...
PGA of America
Don't Neglect Your Clubs
There's nothing wrong with throwing your clubs in the trunk after a round, but make sure they get properly cleaned on a regular basis.
...
Golf Tips magazine
Golf Related News
U.S. Amateur Champion Trusts Titleist in Historic VictoryFri, 24 Aug 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Titleist is the Top Choice of More Players across Every Major Equipment Category
Irwin, Han Win with Titleist on Champions, LPGA ToursWed, 05 Oct 2005 00:00:00 GMT
Three more wins this week advances Titleist's worldwide golf ball victory count to 134, over 100 more than the nearest competitor with 29.
Hedblom and Millar overhaul WestwoodSat, 29 Mar 2008 00:00:01 +0000
<p>Peter Hedblom chipped in twice and Matthew Millar finished with a successful 100-foot putt as they took over at the top from Lee Westwood in the Andalucian Open here yesterday.</p>
Balance BasicsMon, 15 May 2006 00:00:00 GMT
Learn the basics of balance and how this relates to improving your game.
The Power of MomentumMon, 02 Apr 2007 00:00:00 GMT
Adam Scott Captures Shell Houston Open Trusting New Pro V1 Golf Ball, 907D2 Driver
golf club reviews