Sarah Claridge - WPGA Teaching Professional
Sarah Claridge - WPGA Teaching Professional
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Sarah Claridge - English Girls South West Development Coach

Online Tip

Untitled Document

Splashing out of trouble...

My aim this week is to take all the terror out of your bunker shots. By making a few simple alterations to your address position, and with some positive swing thoughts, I know that you will be able to escape from the bunkers EVERY time. You're not convinced? Then read on!
  
Bunker Shot 1
1. The cardinal sin of bunker play. I see this technique again and again and again. What goes through the mind is that to get the ball to pop up out of the bunker, you need to scoop it up. By leaning back, the ball is inevitably hit thin, on the upstroke, resulting either in the ball hitting the lip and rebounding back into the bunker, or sailing over the green into more trouble on the other side.
 
    
Bunker shot 2

2 and 3

Let's get down to business. Address the ball and then open the face of your sand wedge, so that it is pointing well right of target.

Now work your feet into the sand, which will help create a steeper attack, as well as improving your balance, and shuffle round to the left until the blade of your club is pointing at the target. Place your weight 70% on your left foot.

Bunker shot 3
    
Bunker shot 4

4 and 5

Pick a spot two inches behind the ball and concentrate on swinging down and through the shot with your weight still on the left. You shouldn't feel as though you're hitting the ball itself. It will be lifted out on a bed of sand.

From there it's just a case of making a full follow-through. The ball will come out high and land softly.

Bunker shot 5
      

Sarah's Secrets

I like to think of bunker shots as being like quarry blasts. You hit the sand behind the ball, keeping your weight towards the left side throughout the shot and that produces the explosion that propels it onto the green.

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