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Golf Sand Play : The LessonsThe Golf Sand Shot Lessons are designed to be the simplest method of getting your ball out of the sand and on to the green every time. These lessons will take concepts you have already learned either from free-golf-lessons.com, or other instructional sources, and then use them in the sand. We will make subtle changes in your setup but keep most of the basic concepts of golf the same. The Golf Sand Shot: The Easiest Shot in Golf?How many times have you read that in a magazine? Well...its sort of true. The reality is that a sand shot actually gives us the largest margin of error of any shot we will play in golf. However, for most players it is absolutely terrifying. So...technically...yes it is one of the easiest shots there is. But no..it's not because of our approach to playing a bunker shot. We first have to change our view about being in the sand. The best way to do that is take the following lessons to build your confidence in the sand. It is amazing what this will do to your whole game. It will actually help your iron play because you won't be so worried about hitting into the sand because you know you will be able to get out of it. The #1 Golf Sand Shot Rule: Don't Hit the Ball
This is where our trouble in the sand starts. A lot of players get into the sand and have the wrong mindset. They try to hit the ball to get out, but this leads to all kinds of trouble. The most important concept to understand about playing a golf sand shot is...DO NOT HIT THE BALL! I know it sounds strange...you spend so much time hitting the ball, and now I'm telling you not to. To hit a sand shot properly you want to...HIT THE SAND. Your club must contact the sand about two inches behind the ball so that your club slides under the ball. Truly speaking it is the sand that pushes your ball out of the trap so that it lands softly on the green. As you can see in the picture above, the club is entering the sand behind the ball. The club is still on it's way down so that it will pass underneath the ball. The sand will splash the ball out onto the green. Remember the Golf Sand Shot Rule...In the Rules of Golf there is a rule about the sand that must be followed at all times. A sand trap/bunker is a hazard. In a hazard a player is not allowed to touch anything with their club until they are making impact on their shot. We are not allowed to test the conditions of the hazard (sand in this case). If you do it is a two stroke penalty. Please don't touch the sand before your shot. Sand Lesson Method Please keep this in mind as you take the basic sand play lessons. It is very important in order develop your sand play. Take each lesson in order so that you can truly become an escape artist from the sand. It is so much fun to hit a great recovery shot from the sand and to save a shot on your scorecard. So let's grab your sand wedge and work on your sand play... Return to the Home Page from Basic Golf Sand Shot Lessons Copyright 2006-2012 Free-Golf-Lessons.com
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PGA Tour Winner Quick Lesson
Congratulations to Steve Stricker on his victory at the 2012 Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
I believe the commentators said he has won 9 times in his 40s. That is amazing!I also agree with Sir Nick and Johnny Miller that his swing will be copied in the future. Technology has reduced the need for hand action in the golf swing to generate power. Watch the old videos of Bobby Jones to see how much action he created compared to that of Steve Stricker.
A great objective for any player is to eliminate any unnecessary movement. Stricker does a great job of that. His hands stay very quiet on the backswing. His wrists hardly hinge at the top of his backswing. You can see from the above video that his backswing is all shoulder turn.
His downswing starts from the hips and he simply turns everything through the golf ball at the same time. His hands and wrists release naturally without any effort. This is a great way to have a consistent rhythm through the golf ball on every shot. This swing delivers enough power to win on Tour.
European Tour Winner Quick Lesson
Congratulations to Louis Oosthuizen and his victory at the 2012 Africa Open.
Louis burst onto the scene with his dominating performance at the Open Championship. Many have predicted multiple wins for this player. His victory this past weekend is likely one of many to come.
In the video above pay really close attention to when the video ends. Take a look at his left foot. Notice how all his weight his on his left heel. This is a great sign that he has cleared his hips properly.
One of the key reasons for starting the downswing with your lower body is to clear your hips out of the way to create more room for your arms to swing through impact. It is a great indicator as to how well you cleared your hips, when almost all your weight is on your heel.
If your weight is leaning on you toes or even the middle of your foot then you have not rotated and cleared your hips enough through your downswing and past impact. You really want to feel the pressure of your weight on your heel like Oosthuizen.
Make sure you start your downswing with your lower body. At the top of your backswing; either pull your left knee or your left hip (right handed player) towards the target. Also make sure your hips keep rotating through impact and into your finish position with your weight on the heel.