Ok, so I guess you’re wondering what chocolate has to do with dancing or the beach. The answer is nothing really, unless you’re in the bunker and you need to get out. Still confused? Keep reading.
Most of us who practice usually hit balls at the range. Some of us work on our chipping, very few of us work on our putting, and no one ever works on their sand play. The truth is, once you feel comfortable “at the beach,” life becomes a lot easier on the golf course, and approach shots to the green become a lot less intimidating.
Find a practice bunker and take your sand wedge or your lob wedge into it. Rake yourself a nice patch of sand. Draw a line in the sand with your club, then make another one parallel to it so the lines are about one club head in width apart. Now make lines connecting the first two, making squares, Hershey chocolate squares. You want about 5-6 total. Now make a small dent in the sand with your club head in the middle of each “chocolate” square, this will represent the golf ball.
Now that you are all ready to practice, keep in mind there are several schools of thought on how to play a bunker shot. I find that most players have trouble getting enough height quickly; playing the ball off your front foot will help get the ball up quicker. I use this method for 95% of my shots, the only time I move the ball position to the middle is when I don’t have a big lip to deal with and there is a lot of green to work with, this helps me run the ball out more to the hole.
The other part of my set up that works best for me is having my stance square instead of opening up to the target. I found that most of my shots went left, where I was aimed. By squaring up to the target, my shots flew there instead.
The other crucial part of a bunker shot is leverage in your backswing. Pick the club up quickly with a little shoulder turn, setting the club steeply with your wrists, take it a bit inside and keep your legs quiet. On the follow through, make sure you follow through! Not finishing your swing is probably the biggest mistake most people make. The follow through will give your ball height and direction; it will also keep the momentum of your club moving forward through the sand. Your backswing length will control your distance, so follow through and accelerate, it’s crucial!
Ok, back to the chocolate! This is where you can really hone your skills. Line up your front foot with the first line you drew, the one closest to the green; this will put the ball on the front of your stance. Next, hold your club behind your first chocolate square above the sand, near or over the back line. Now make practice swings, removing your chocolate squares and landing them on the green. Check to see where your square was after each shot, use the remaining squares as feedback for your divots. Was your divot too long or too deep? Did your divot start half way through your square? Keep practicing without a ball, getting the feel for taking the right amount of sand. Now make a new chocolate bar, and place a ball in the middle of each new square. Instead of focusing on the ball (the root of most of our issues), just swing and put your chocolate on the green; the ball will magically land there, too!
If you’re not a chocolate lover, make small circles instead of squares, and take yourself to a “tropical island” instead. Who wouldn’t want a vacation at the beach? Think of this next time you’re faced with a bunker shot on the course, and watch your ball fly safely home on the first try!