# Sand Tips



## ditchweed

Sinking the ball in the sand. What is the best way of getting out of the sand? I get in the sand and it's like a trap for me. Does anyone have any pointers for me?


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## CLauncher

That might be why its called a sand trap  .. but its the same way for me, i either hit it to the brim of the trap and it rolls back in, or i hit it over the green. once in a while i will get lucky with a good shot but not too often. 

What i have been told is aim about an inch behind the ball and just let the sand take the ball up with it.


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## memorex88

CLauncher said:


> What i have been told is aim about an inch behind the ball and just let the sand take the ball up with it.


That's right and make sure you follow through on all sand shots!


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## Darren

Always hit infron of the ball so your club goes right under it, this of cource means that you need to hit the ball a little harder than you would for a similar shot off of the grass.


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## christian231

The inch behind the ball idea is correct, however, you have to adjust that depending on how far you need to hit the ball. I like to visually pick a spot an inch or so behind the ball and never take my eyes off of it. That way I know I'm hitting at that spot. 

I use a 60 degree for all greenside bunker situations. Be sure to dig your feet in well and keep the knees bent so you have a good stable stance. Watch the pros, they don't have much lower body movement in the bunkers. Keep the legs relatively still. I also open the club face and my stance, while making sure the open club face is still pointing where I want the ball go to. Just take a normal swing, hit that inch behind the ball, and FOLLOW THROUGH. You'll land on the green every time. Good luck.


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## Matthew_22

That inch behind the ball tip is only for greenside bunkers isn't it? What do you do for fairway bunkers, or is it the same?


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## ditchweed

Thanks for the tips. I know I'm going to try them on my next day off. I try hitting away from the sand, but it seems every time I'm in the sand. It's like it's magnetic, just sucks it right in. So now it's payback, me vs. sand.


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## christian231

Matthew_22 said:


> That inch behind the ball tip is only for greenside bunkers isn't it? What do you do for fairway bunkers, or is it the same?


For fairway bunkers I will set up with the ball a little forward in my stance, but take a regular setup like you were hitting a shot from the fairway. Key to fairway bunkers is to keep the lower body still. You don't want to be dancing all over the place in the sand. Minimize lower body movement, hit the ball like it was in the fairway and follow through. Once you do it a few times and get the feel of it, you'll have no problem getting out of fairway bunkers.


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## white_tiger_137

For greenside bunkers, the above posters were correct. The ball should fly out on a cushion of sand. On a slow day, throw a handful of balls into a trap and play them as they lie. There really is no other way to get the feel of bunker shots.

In a fairway bunker, everything changes. You need to open your stance, take more club than you would need from the fairway, open the clubface, and hit it thin, just below the equator of the ball. The fluffier the sand, the more club you need.


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## slapshot

I'm completely hopeless when it comes to sand. I just haven't got the knack for it at all


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## christian231

That's not at all true, you just need some practice in the bunkers. You hit balls on the range right, you practice on the putting green right, but how often do you go to the practice bunker and hit a bucket out of it, probably never or not that often. Just like the rest of the shots we have to hit, you have to practice your sand game to get comfortable with it.


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## bcbspsu

*Harvey Penick*

Harvey Penick's Little Red Book has the best sand tips I've ever heard. It's the basic open stance and open club face drill, but in the Video of the book he demonstration taught me how to hit bunker shots. Get the video and you'll learn how to hit bunker shots.


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## stirls

Tension can ruin your sand shot faster than anything else. When tension occurs, the swing is inhibited and so is the chance for a good shot. Try to visualize a good shot. Stay muscularly light and mentally positive. Gary Player, one of the worlds' best bunker players, once said, "If I am one of the greats, it's for one simple reason: no bunker shot has ever scared me and none ever will. Approach every bunker shot with the feeling you are going to hole it."


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## igolfconcepts

Hitting sand shots is something that takes practice. Here are a couple of things to work on in greenside bunkers.
1. Open stance and open the club face. a lot of people don't open the club face enough but don't be scared to open it up. 
2. Swing plane shoud be a bit outside of normal...meaning on your back swing take it back outside and take a full back swing. You almost want to feel like your taking a Jim Furyk type swing. Sounds funny, but it works.
3. Hit about an inch behind the ball. Don't dig down in the sand at contact ...just let the club do the work
4. Soft dead hands. Don't get too "handsy" with the shot or you will chunk it and leave it in the bunker or you will skull it over the green. 
5. Don't release the club on shorter bunker shots (this takes a lot of practice). this pops the ball up quickly a makes it land softly.

Hope this helps and remember it takes a lot of practice to be a good bunker player.


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## Surtees

I thought this was a handi post so I'd bring it back to life. It's sot some good tips in it for sand play


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## broken tee

How about traps that are like cement from being water packed?


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## Surtees

play it like a hard fair way just be careful about hitting the sand too hard the shoulders dont like that trust me


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## marwin24

The most important thing in playing this shot is making good contact between the club and the ball. Here's how you do it ... play the ball back in your stance as this will produce a steeper angle of attack at the ball which will give you a better chance to hit the ball cleanly


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