To Leave Long Divot Marks, Do Not Reduce Swing Speed
Place the Ball in the Correct Position and Practice Consistently for 5-10 Minutes
[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Seohee] Many golfers find greenside bunker shots challenging. Unexpected mistakes often occur in bunkers. For example, you might completely miss the ball or hit it too thin, resulting in a mishit. In other words, mastering bunker shots can become a reliable weapon for you. Here are some tips to become a 'bunker shot master' on the course.
Leave a Long Divot Mark
To escape well from a greenside bunker, it is helpful to remember the long divot mark. The correct trajectory is when the club enters the sand before contacting the ball, passes under the ball, and then exits the sand again. Understanding this feeling of the club scooping the sand allows you to easily lift the ball.
Golfers who excel at bunker shots remember this as the feeling of "scooping sand with the sand wedge and scattering it outside the bunker." Keeping this in mind and practicing repeatedly will soon have your ball cleanly clearing the edge of the bunker. Practice can be done without a ball. First, keep hitting the sand repeatedly, then apply it in actual play.
Increase Acceleration
Once you get somewhat comfortable hitting the sand, practice maintaining your usual swing size and acceleration. Many golfers psychologically shrink their swing size when their ball lands in a greenside bunker. This causes the shot distance to be shorter than usual, and the ball ends up far from the hole.
Therefore, when making a bunker shot, it is important to discard fear and have confidence. Increase your swing size and speed as if making a full swing. Hold the sand wedge slightly shorter than usual and grip it a bit tighter to avoid losing the club. Open the club and address with the leading edge aimed at the target. Then take a steep backswing and practice keeping your eyes on the ball until the end.
Set the Ball in the Correct Position
Setting the ball in the correct position is also important. For the clubhead to hit the sand before the ball and enter the sand, the ball should be positioned slightly forward toward the hole relative to your stance. Placing the ball a bit more toward the hole from the center of your stance allows the club to contact the center of your stance and hit the sand first.
If the ball is placed in the center of the stance, the club is more likely to hit the ball first and send it flying beyond the green. Sometimes, skilled golfers can be seen lightly stepping into the sand and hitting the ball. Doing this lowers the swing and makes it easier to scoop the sand.
5 to 10 Minutes of Practice is Key
The final secret is consistent practice. Many golfers do not practice bunker shots enough. When the ball lands in a bunker, they are just focused on getting the shot done. They concentrate only on getting the ball out without mastering any tips or techniques.
However, even 5 to 10 minutes of steady training can noticeably improve your bunker shots. If there is no bunker practice area, practicing shots on the course is sufficient. Consistent practice will eliminate fear of bunker shots and build your confidence.
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