The bunker is a scary place for many recreational golfers. When players with a bunker-phobia find the sand, they typically have one thought in mind: “Don’t screw this up.” The problem with that mindset is that it introduces doubt and leads to hesitant swings, which is never a good strategy in the trap.
The reason for their doubt and hesitation is a history of poor play from the sand. When you’ve spent your career either blading it long or chunking it in front of your feet, there’s little reason for optimism.
The good news is that with the proper technique, bunker play can become much easier. And it starts with avoiding a critical mistake in the setup, which David Armitage explained in the first episode of Top 100 Teacher Sessions.
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Don’t make this mistake in the sand
Armitage says that one of the biggest mistakes he sees recreational golfers make in their bunker play starts with the setup. While it is important to get the weight forward in your stance, it’s important you don’t tilt your upper body backward while doing so. This moves the low point back and causes inconsistent contact.
“This is a big no-no,” he says.
Instead, the sternum should be forward, with a little more flex in the lead knee. Armitage says this was something he always noticed in Seve Ballesteros’ setup.
For a standard greenside bunker shot, Armitage places the ball just in front of the middle of his stance. The strike point is in the middle, and the sternum is directly above or slightly in front of the ball. That position of the sternum controls the low point of the swing and helps the clubhead enter the sand in the correct place.
“I’m looking at really square stance,” he says. “I’ve opened the face. I’m then taking my grip, and then I have a wide stance, low handle, moving my chin, my sternum, and my belt buckle onto the ball or just in front of the ball.”
Once you nail these setup basics, it becomes much easier to hit consistent bunker shots.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: golf.com
