Tip Of The Month

By John Pallot
Director of Instruction

August 2004

On my recent trip to Scotland and St. Andrews, golf's holy of holier, I experienced an emotional charge and the deepest bunkers I've ever played. Amongst the rolling, bumpy fairways, prickley gorse, wirey heather,and salty air lie cavernous, intimidating, vertical sodded brick like walls down to a thin layer of sand. It is a real challenge for the shot must elevate quickly and sometimes you have to play out sideways or backwards. I've seen it on TV but never fully realized the difficulty of the shot until I actually experienced it. You might not ever experience bunkers this deep, however here are my keys to hitting bunker shots with a high, soft trajectory:

A) Use a 56° or 60° sand wedge.
B) Position the ball even with your left ear.
C) Use a narrow, open stance(left foot pulled back 3 inches, then dig your feet into the sand.
D) Open the club-face slightly (10°) then take your grip
E) Make a full backswing. Make sure the weight of the club-head fully cocks your wrists.
F) Hit two inches behind the ball
G) The club-face should stay open at impact and swing left after impact(along foot line). This keeps the club-face open.
H) Your head is behind the ball at impact
I) Make a full follow through

Follow these keys and with a little practice your bunker shots will fly high and soft. As the caddies say in Scotland, "well done laddie".

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