If you really want to shoot lower scores, it’s imperative that you learn the shots on the golf course you need to prevent big numbers from occurring. After all, no matter how much time you spend perfecting your golf swing, occasionally, you’re going to hit a less than perfect shot or catch an unlucky break or two. Let’s look at the shots I think you need to know to keep your scores in check.
THE EMBEDDED BLAST It’s going to happen! You hit what you thought was a great shot, only to find out you miscalculated your yardage or a gust of wind knocked your golf ball out of the sky. The result? Not only is it in the bunker, but it’s embedded in the sidehill of the bunker in perhaps the worst lie you can get on the course.
Now, before you fret over it, this shot is actually salvageable. To start, lower your expectations. The most important thing with this shot is getting the ball out of the sand, not necessarily getting it close to the hole. If you get it out and you’re still a ways from the hole, as long as you’re out of the sand, you’ve still hit a good shot. If you get it close to save par, you’ve hit an amazing one. To play this shot, set up with your weight firmly centered.
Set up with a square clubface and don’t open it a bit. Play with the hands ahead of the ball slightly and tighten your hands so the club doesn’t slip when you plow into the sand.
Next, level out the shoulders so you make your swing as horizontal as possible. Finally, come time to hit the ball, you to hit the sand about a half inch under the ball and don’t lift up at any point in the stroke! Hit the clubface into the bank, even if it means leaving the clubhead in the sand post-impact.
Don’t err by hitting too low behind the ball—a half inch is all you need to wedge some sand between the clubface and ball and lift the ball into the air. It’s almost like hitting a line-drive baseball off a tee. You want to make as horizonal a strike as you can, just beneath the ball. The sand pinched between the clubhead and ball is what will lift the ball up.
The key is being aggressive. Don’t let up!
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