Score from the sand

OUTSIDE-IN

Watch It! One of the best ways to make a full swing, inside a bunker or out, is to allow the head to rotate through the shot. By doing so, you’ll swing more freely and without any restrictions. As far as watching the golf ball, go ahead! Just make sure you stay in position as you swing through the shot.

MAKE AN OUTSIDE-IN SWING HITTING A GREAT SAND SHOT is one of golf’s greatest thrills. It’s also one of the most satisfying ways to save par or even make a birdie. But unlike shots outside the sand that typically require you to swing parallel to your target line, bunker shots are generally best played with a swing that starts outside the target line and moves to inside the target line. Why you ask? The main reason is that, with a typical bunker shot, you want to hold the clubface open longer than you would a normal shot—meaning, in order to hit the ball straight with an open face, you have to swing along the direction of your feet and body, and not toward the target. If anything, play your next bunker shot as though you wanted to slice it toward the hole. This will instinctively help you both swing from outside the target line to inside the target line, as well as make it easier to hold the clubface open through the sand shot. Just remember, a good bunker player doesn’t try to lift the ball from the sand; rather he or she uses the sand to push the ball up, and the clubhead slides through the sand and under the golf ball.