Sand trap help

[woodenshoe]

Help! I can not get out of a sand trap. I hit shots out of the sand for almost 2 hours yesterday at our courses practice area. I could not get anything out of the trap. I have tried all that I know about getting out of the trap and nothing works. I put a line in the sand and I still hit way behind the ball or I dig so deep into the sand I think water is going to rise up! Please any thoughts or suggestions. Thanks.

[SavvySwede]

[EverythingGolf]

Sounds like your coming into the ball too steep, you have to shallow out your path and brush through the sand, kind of like a flop shot.

[Mr. Desmond]

Sounds as if you are getting too steep as mentioned above. Use the lower body more instead of all arms - turn the butt to shallow out the club.

I like Phil's technique, but Pete Cowan, an excellent Euro instructor, gives a fine demo.

[dfreuter415]

I don't know if you are open to trying something a little different, but my wife was a terrible bunker player until she got an Alien Sand Wedge by Pat Simmons. It's kind of gimmicky, and I would never use one, but it works for her.

[mvmac]

  woodenshoe said:

Help! I can not get out of a sand trap. I hit shots out of the sand for almost 2 hours yesterday at our courses practice area. I could not get anything out of the trap. I have tried all that I know about getting out of the trap and nothing works. I put a line in the sand and I still hit way behind the ball or I dig so deep into the sand I think water is going to rise up! Please any thoughts or suggestions. Thanks.

[Stretch]

I have also had problems with taking too much sand in the bunkers (i.e. entry too far behind ball, too deep divots etc.) and here's how I was coached out of it. Ball position further forward (off left instep), stand taller (was "sitting down" more and more to try and shallow out approach), hinge faster on backswing and (most importantly) keep turning all the way through the shot. Feel is your left hip getting all the way around/open as quick as it possibly can from the top of the backswing -- this is what creates the fast overtaking of the clubhead that you need in the sand. If you keep your arms on the body as Mike shows above, it also creates the short arc/rapid rehinge and shallower angle of attack that will help you to get the ball coming out high and soft.

If you are looking for more of an emergency band-aid kind of remedy, try making your left hand grip super strong (turn to right) and right hand grip super weak (turn to left) and hitting a few shots like that. I think you'll find that alone forces you to do a couple of things that make you less likely to completely duff it.

[vangator]

I'm a pretty good bunker player. What I do is keep my lower body very quiet. Bring the club back and through. I pick out a spot I want to hit on the green and adjust how hard I swing. Works great for long bunker shots too. I'm sure there's a little lower body movement, but I don't do it consciously.

[EverythingGolf]

Here is a great video of Brant Snedeker in slo-mo.

[MrDC]

Here's what worked for me, Stan Utley, soft arms was a big help, a rigid lead arm is bad-

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/2012-07/bunker-dos-donts-stan-utley

[RayG]

Right- go out and spend all the time practicing to get out of traps... Then improve the rest of your game enough that you don't hit into them any more, or rarely. Then forget EVERYTHING you practiced in the first place. :-D