On Par
By Brad McManus, Director of International Golf Institute
A
re you having trouble getting out of the
sand? Are bunkers spoiling your round?
If your answer is yes, it might be time to
consult professional golfing trainers.
All it really takes to improve your bunker play is
an understanding of what you are trying to do, a
sound technique and a little hard work.
The Understanding Part
• ¾ length swing (both backswing and
follow through)
• Hit the sand about 2inches behind the ball
• Let the club head pass your hands upon
impact with the sand
• Balanced and stable, no weight transfer
here, get your weight on your left knee
throughout
1 2
3 4
5 6
Most beginners and high handicappers believe
that we are trying to dig the ball out of the sand,
using the leading edge of the club. That is the
worst thing you can do, unless the sand is firm
and compact.
Here at NSRCC and at most courses in Singapore,
there tend to be a lot of very soft sand in our
bunkers. If you dig, or your angle of attack is too
steep, you go straight under the ball and it stays
in the bunker.
Therefore, you need to use the bounce of the
club. Bounce is the angle from the “trail end” of
the club’s “sole” to the leading edge.
The softer the sand, the greater the angle of
bounce we need. That’s why we open the face
and lean the shaft backwards, not forward; we
don’t want to expose the leading edge, we want
to increase the angle of bounce, so it slides
through the sand and pushes the ball up and out.
The Technique Part
• Ball position: Inside left heel and level
with the left ear
• Stance: Wide like a driver stance,
dramatically open the front foot at least
45 degrees, lean into the left knee in the
same direction as the front foot, squat
down.
• Club: Open the club face and have the
grip pointing to your belly button.
14 RESORT VIEW
Now for the hard work aspect, come and practice
– It’s that simple!