Hi and welcome
This week's lesson is entitled, "How to Get out of Bunkers", and everyone knows how frustrating they can be if you don't know the proper mechanics to get out of them. But the bottom line is, for the pros, bunker shots are some of the easiest shots on the course.
These steps will ensure that you have the right mechanics for getting out of bunkers. Once you've read these steps, practice them and get used to hitting out of bunkers, and they will become just as natural as a regular short game shot. These steps will give you the solid foundation that you need for bunker success.
Here are the steps: (note: These steps apply to a normal sand bunker. Not wet or hard sand)
1. Choke down on the golf club (Have your right index finger about an inch from the bottom of the grip). Choking down gives you control of the club and allows you to "feel" the shot rather than hitting it.
2. Narrow your stance a little and play the ball a few inches forward in your stance. This will also aid in controlling the shot, and it will contribute to higher ball flight.
3. Dig into the sand with your feet a little and get comfortable.
4. Keep your body completely still throughout (no twisting hips).
5. Start your swing with your arms and keep your swing vertical. The end of the grip butt should be pointed at the ball at the top of your backswing. (Don't bring the club straight back, remember steep is better here!)
6. Your left arm should be parallel to the ground and fully extended at the top of your swing.
7. Then start your downswing at the sand focusing to hit 1 inch behind the ball. Don't focus on hitting the ball, hit the sand an inch behind and the ball will get out every time!
8. Your arms and body follow the ball as it leaves the sand.
9. Remember - a steep angle into the sand is key here. You don't have to swing too hard; we are not blasting the ball out, we are advancing it.
Drill: Go into a bunker and take 3 clubs your pitching wedge, sand wedge, and a lob wedge(if you have one). Remember that you can get creative with shots; just because it's a sand wedge doesn't mean that you'll "feel" the most comfortable or get the best results. But I want you to notice the difference in design and performance.
Hit a few shots with each club and really notice the difference in how the ball comes out of the sand. Then choose the club that bests suits you. But remember, with all these clubs swing steep and hit 1 inch behind the ball. You can even draw a line behind the ball and aim for that line.
At home, office, or at the course take practice swings and focus on bringing the club up at a steep angle. Watch as your grip end points to the ground. And stop there - this is the position that you want to be in. A great way to see if the grip is pointed over the ball is sticking a tee in the grip handle. Do that a few times to ensure that you know where to stop the golf club and start your steep downswing. Then the downswing is easy! Just hit an inch behind the ball. Practice this for a few days then go have fun in a bunker!
Good golfing. If you would like to order "The Simple Golf Swing" Tap here
Thanks, and have a great day!
David Nevogt
David Nevogt writes golf instruction material that helps golfers of all levels reach their full potential and lower their scores. David is the author of "The Simple Golf Swing" which guarantees to have you shooting 7 strokes lower in only 1 week from today. You can find more of his golf instruction by going to Golf Swing Guru
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Saturday, January 19, 2008
Tuesday, January 1, 2008
"Approach shots"
Dear Friend,
This week's lesson is entitled, "Approach Shots: What it takes to master them".
Basically, your approach shot is your shot onto the green. One of the things I like to say is this, "You know your game is improving when you start fixing more ball marks on the green" - most likely meaning that you hit it on your approach, which is your objective.
Here are a couple of tips to keep in mind, and then we'll get to the heart of this article.
-Aim for the middle of the green, not the flag. Pin placements and greens are getting tougher to stick all the time. Don't be a sucker and go for a pin that you'll most likely miss, which will leave you in a bunker or some other position which will add strokes to your round.
-Focus on alignment, not distance.
As you know, it's not an easy task to master the approach shot, but there are some ways in which you can drastically improve the accuracy of the shot. Alignment is the key to improving your approach shots. Most golfers don't practice their alignment too much on the practice range, but they should.
Think about this for a minute. Generally, when you miss the green it is due to alignment, not distance. Chances are, you have your 160 yard club, 150, 140, 130, etc...
And if you hit a less than perfect shot, the ball may go a little further or a little shorter. But even if that happens, most greens are deep enough that you should be on the putting surface if you have selected the club that would leave you in the center of the green.
But...alignment is another story. If you pull the ball, more times than most you really pull the ball, correct?
When your alignment is off, it's usually off by much more than 5-10 yards!
And if you push the ball, you generally are pushing it for much of the round, correct? Bunkers, water, and uneven lies are the obstacles you face.
How are you supposed to compete? The answer is simple. Practice your alignment.
Take your home course for example. I would be willing to bet there's somewhere in the ball park of a 160-yard par 3 on the course. Now picture that hole. What happens if you're 5-10 yards deep or shallow? You're probably still okay, right?
But what happens if you go right or left? That shot, more than likely, has trouble written all over it.
Summary:
Go to the range, and practice your alignment. Always hit to a target. The Simple Golf Swing makes staying down the middle easy, and in a few weeks, I'll be releasing a new tool that will make it much easier on you to work on your alignment. It's a pretty simple device really, but the package is really geared towards improving the alignment for every type of shot. Putting, approach shots, and drives.
David Nevogt writes golf instruction material that helps golfers of all levels reach their full potential and lower their scores. David is the author of "The Simple Golf Swing" which guarantees to have you shooting 7 strokes lower in only 1 week from today.
The Book. This is a Brand New Swing Theory so you won't find this in bookstores, or in pro shops.
The Swing theory is a direct result of needing to fix golf instruction "gone bad" over many years.
With this golf swing, it is possible for ANYONE to become a good golfer. We've taught thousands of golfers on the internet, through this New instruction theory, and through our golf schools, and almost everyone is successful with this swing theory.
This is for the golfer that has unsuccessfully tried other methods, as well as for the beginner.
We look forward to working with you, and we hope that you will use these tips and the book to meet all of your golfing goals. Good Luck
Tap Here to Order
This week's lesson is entitled, "Approach Shots: What it takes to master them".
Basically, your approach shot is your shot onto the green. One of the things I like to say is this, "You know your game is improving when you start fixing more ball marks on the green" - most likely meaning that you hit it on your approach, which is your objective.
Here are a couple of tips to keep in mind, and then we'll get to the heart of this article.
-Aim for the middle of the green, not the flag. Pin placements and greens are getting tougher to stick all the time. Don't be a sucker and go for a pin that you'll most likely miss, which will leave you in a bunker or some other position which will add strokes to your round.
-Focus on alignment, not distance.
As you know, it's not an easy task to master the approach shot, but there are some ways in which you can drastically improve the accuracy of the shot. Alignment is the key to improving your approach shots. Most golfers don't practice their alignment too much on the practice range, but they should.
Think about this for a minute. Generally, when you miss the green it is due to alignment, not distance. Chances are, you have your 160 yard club, 150, 140, 130, etc...
And if you hit a less than perfect shot, the ball may go a little further or a little shorter. But even if that happens, most greens are deep enough that you should be on the putting surface if you have selected the club that would leave you in the center of the green.
But...alignment is another story. If you pull the ball, more times than most you really pull the ball, correct?
When your alignment is off, it's usually off by much more than 5-10 yards!
And if you push the ball, you generally are pushing it for much of the round, correct? Bunkers, water, and uneven lies are the obstacles you face.
How are you supposed to compete? The answer is simple. Practice your alignment.
Take your home course for example. I would be willing to bet there's somewhere in the ball park of a 160-yard par 3 on the course. Now picture that hole. What happens if you're 5-10 yards deep or shallow? You're probably still okay, right?
But what happens if you go right or left? That shot, more than likely, has trouble written all over it.
Summary:
Go to the range, and practice your alignment. Always hit to a target. The Simple Golf Swing makes staying down the middle easy, and in a few weeks, I'll be releasing a new tool that will make it much easier on you to work on your alignment. It's a pretty simple device really, but the package is really geared towards improving the alignment for every type of shot. Putting, approach shots, and drives.
David Nevogt writes golf instruction material that helps golfers of all levels reach their full potential and lower their scores. David is the author of "The Simple Golf Swing" which guarantees to have you shooting 7 strokes lower in only 1 week from today.
The Book. This is a Brand New Swing Theory so you won't find this in bookstores, or in pro shops.
The Swing theory is a direct result of needing to fix golf instruction "gone bad" over many years.
With this golf swing, it is possible for ANYONE to become a good golfer. We've taught thousands of golfers on the internet, through this New instruction theory, and through our golf schools, and almost everyone is successful with this swing theory.
This is for the golfer that has unsuccessfully tried other methods, as well as for the beginner.
We look forward to working with you, and we hope that you will use these tips and the book to meet all of your golfing goals. Good Luck
Tap Here to Order
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