Quote:
Originally Posted by SHIBUMI
What must happen to give you any chance of getting out of a green side bunker in one shot?
No its not a hand mashie.............
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Opening the face of a regular sand wedge is the classic shot; however, it requires considerable skill and practice. If you are off even the slightest bit, you will either slam the ball into the edge of the bunker or skull it across the green.
The better/easier method is to use a sand wedge with a large sole and address the ball as you would on any shot from the fairway-that is straight up and square to the hole. Minimize any movement of your body. Don't tuck in your left knee, don't try to shift your weight. Just get square to the ball, place it in the middle of your stance as you would if on the fairway, and swing the club with your arms only. Use a "relaxed" grip with the "V's" of the thumb and forefinger on each hand pointed to their respective shoulders, in contrast to a "strong" grip where both "V's" point towards your right shoulder.
Go to eBay and search for the sand wedge for this shot that was first designed by Ben Hogan. It is the Shur-Out in 56 deg (60 deg will also work). These are getting hard to find in decent condition; however, both Callaway and Tour Edge make copies which you can find on eBay. If you want one immediately, Golf Central at Brownwood (Paddock Square) has the Tour Edge model.
Finally, the key to a successful sand shot is to swing the club on through the shot just as you would a shot from the tee or the fairway. The failure of most golfers when making a sand shot is to chop down on the ball and, literally, stop the swing when the club hits the sand, or, decelerate the club on the downswing out of fear they will hit the ball too far. Rarely do amateur golfers hit a sand shot too far.
Finally, to learn this shot, do not start in the bunker! Go to a driving range where you can hit off of grass. Hit as many balls as you need with the new wedge to feel comfortable taking a full swing. You'll be surprised to learn that with a full swing you are likely to hit the ball no more than 20-25 yds. Next, when you go into the bunker to practice, take a rake with you and give yourself a nice, flat surface to hit from. For the first several weeks that you have to make a sand shot when playing, do the same thing-give your self a nice, flat, and smooth lie (just don't be playing your partners for money). Making the hard shots can come later. You first need to learn to make the easy shots from the sand.