The choice between a green side bunker and heavy rough can be the difference between par and double bogie depending on which side of the coin you fall on. Occasionally, I find myself aiming for a green side bunker after hitting an errant drive into the trees. For those of you that have seen my game, you know that I like to play the Little Mill chimes at least once during a round of golf. Okay, maybe three or four times. I guess I like to play music. The reason I will shoot for a bunker is simple. I do not have a direct line to the green and my options in thick rough will limit my control of the next shot. I am comfortable in the sand and feel that I will be able to execute a shot that gets me near the pin even if it is cut close to the bunker. For others, their chances would be better left to a flip of a coin as to whether they simply get out. There is no quick trick. But once you get it you will be aiming for the bunker.
There are several key elements to playing a successful shot from a green side bunker.
ADDRESS POSITION
1. The alignment is open to the target compared to a full swing from the fairway. This means for a right handed golfer the feet will aim as much as 20-30 feet (15-20 degrees) left of the target for a mid length bunker shot.
2. The ball position is forward as it relates to the target line, positioned just inside the front foot.
3. The club face alignment is open aiming almost in the mirror opposite of the feet and body. For a right handed golfer the club face is aimed well right of the target. The club face alignment changes slightly depending on the condition of the sand.
4. The grip should be choked down on the club making it shorter. And the arms should hang lower making the hands feel slightly closer to the body. The butt end of the club will point toward the font leg.
5. THE LOWER-BODY WEIGHT MUST BE HEAVY ON THE FRONT FOOT. That is the left foot for right-handed golfers. And the right foot for left-handed golfers.
6. The feet should be settled into the sand for better traction. While testing the sand and building a stance is forbidden under the rules, there is still a lot to be learned when settling the feet into position.
THE SWING
1. If we can visualize a full swing from the fairway as having a 'U' shape. A green side bunker shot is executed more in the shape if a 'V'. The swing is initiated more with the hands than with the body. In fact, one good reason the stance is so open to the target is to help stabalize the lower body and to reduce the amount of weight that moves away from the target. Compared to a full swing from the fairway the club head will feel like its being picked up as the swing starts. This is a factor of the open stance. As a good bunker player I feel like the downswing is somewhat left of my target (I swing right handed), mainly because it is steeper than other swings.
2. Hold the lower body extremely firm so that a heavy amount of weight remains on the front foot. The weight must stay on the front foot and drive even further toward the target. THIS IS THE NUMBER ONE FAULT OF THE AVERAGE GOLFER. If the weight hangs back the club will either dig leaving the ball in the bunker or the club will bounce off the sand striking the ball thin sending it flying over the green. Most good bunker players feel that the lower body is very stable with little turn. More hands and arms than the standard full swing.
3. The eyes should focus slightly behind the ball. The amount behind the ball is generally determined by the condition of the sand. Packed sand requires impact to be a little closer to the ball. And fluffy sand requires impact be a little further behind the ball. The difference is typically one to five inches.
Friday, August 10, 2012
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Green Side Bunker: Variations
We can face a wide variety of conditions in a green side bunker. Whether it's the sand, the specific lie or the level of the ball related to the feet, the conditions are endless. The ball can decide to lodge in the face of the bunker, maybe under the lip. Or, on the edge of the bunker raising the question as to whether it's in or out of the hazard line. A green side bunker is treated as a hazard with the distinct restriction of not allowing the golfer to ground the club at address. As I have described in a different post, you probably either love them or hate them.
SAND CONDITIONS
Packed sand requires the club face to be LESS open and a smaller swing is required to reduce club head speed. Often, simply shortening the follow through will accomplish the slower club head speed. Impact with the sand is relatively closer to the ball. Maybe one to two inches.
Fluffy sand requires the club face to be MORE open and a longer swing is required to increase club head speed. In this case, simply lengthening the follow through will accomplish the faster club head speed needed. Impact with the sand is relatively further behind the ball. Maybe three to five inches.
AWKWARD LIES
The challenge with unlevel lies is positioning the stance to follow the terrain while keeping good balance. Remember that the weight needs to be toward the target on level ground. How is this affected when you are faced with uphill or downhill terrain, or the ball is above or below your feet? And, how will the terrain affect the movement during the swing? Gravity is typically working against us. Or is some cases we are working against it.
UPWARD SLOPE (incline toward the target)
If the ball sits on an upward slope toward the target the tendency is to fall back away from the target. The trick is to keep the weight toward the target in the same relation as if on level ground. There needs to be some effort to remain on the front foot while staying level to the terrain. On an upward slope the ball will tend to come out with more loft and pull to the left (for a right handed golfer). Therefore, a little harder swing and less open stance is required.
DOWNWARD SLOPE (decline toward the target)
On a downward slope we have to hold back the forward drive because we naturally want to fall down the hill toward the target. However, on a downward slop, stability is more important because we need the weight moving toward the target anyway. Because of the slope the sot will come out lower. More loft is accomplished by opening the stance and club face slightly. But keep in mind that the ball will tend to push toward the right (for a right handed golfer). Any change in the body alignment or club face should be done in small increments.
BALL BELOW THE FEET
When the ball is above or below the feet the lateral movement is not the issue. The weight, as described for level terrain, is the same. Toward the target. Now the issue is our ability to manage a swing that keeps our head level with the ground. When the ball is below our feet we must find a stance that positions us lower. And because the ball will push toward the right (for a right handed golfer) positioning the entire set up toward the left will help off set the direction. This includes a combination of bending the knees and upper body to strike the sand with the bottom of the club. Also holding the club at the end of the grip will add some length. The tendency is to stand up hitting the ball thin. so we need to get down there and hold the posture through impact.
BALL ABOVE THE FEET
When the ball is above the feet our posture should be slightly taller. We still need to get into an athletic position, but with less bend. Depending on the severity we usually need to choke down on the club more, making the club shorter. It is important to note that when the ball is above the feet the flight of the ball is usually that of a pull shot. Positioning the set up toward the right (for a right handed golfer) will help off set the direction.
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Green Side Bunker: Loft and Bounce
Understanding how your sand wedge works is just as important as how you swing it. Between loft and bounce the options seem endless. Most effective wedges used in the sand range from 54 - 60 degrees of loft. While most range between 6 - 16 degrees of bounce.
Every club has bounce on the bottom of the club. Basically, the angle built into the sole of the club creates a certain level of bounce. Higher bounce creates more actual bounce off whatever terrain it hits. And lower bounce creates less. Because we can not have an unlimited number of wedges in our bag, we are forced to carry several wedges that work well in most conditions.
The condition of the sand is one factor in choosing the proper bounce on a wedge. Soft fine sand requires more bounce. While hard packed sand requires less bounce. There is no absolute formula in choosing a wedge because in addition to the actual bounce on the wedge we have to consider the way we use it. When executing a green side bunker shot the proper address position requires that we open the club face to some degree. Because of this we are adding to or exposing more of the bounce on the sole of the club. And if we consider wet sand, which makes even the softest fine sand pack together, one more possibility is added to the conditions we face.
The use of a sand wedge in the fairway or thick rough around the green is another factor to consider when choosing the proper bounce. From a short distance on the fairway the most significant factor is how hard or soft the ground is. If the turf is wet and somewhat saturated a low bounce wedge will tend to dig into the ground. While a higher bounce wedge will slide and effectively bounce a little reducing the margin of error. If the ground is firm and dry, a lower bounce wedge will typically have sufficient bounce to appropriately slide under the ball. And a higher bounce wedge will react more dramatically and bounce too much, causing thin shots.
(more to come...)
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| Open face increases bounce (original image credit) |
The condition of the sand is one factor in choosing the proper bounce on a wedge. Soft fine sand requires more bounce. While hard packed sand requires less bounce. There is no absolute formula in choosing a wedge because in addition to the actual bounce on the wedge we have to consider the way we use it. When executing a green side bunker shot the proper address position requires that we open the club face to some degree. Because of this we are adding to or exposing more of the bounce on the sole of the club. And if we consider wet sand, which makes even the softest fine sand pack together, one more possibility is added to the conditions we face.
The use of a sand wedge in the fairway or thick rough around the green is another factor to consider when choosing the proper bounce. From a short distance on the fairway the most significant factor is how hard or soft the ground is. If the turf is wet and somewhat saturated a low bounce wedge will tend to dig into the ground. While a higher bounce wedge will slide and effectively bounce a little reducing the margin of error. If the ground is firm and dry, a lower bounce wedge will typically have sufficient bounce to appropriately slide under the ball. And a higher bounce wedge will react more dramatically and bounce too much, causing thin shots.
(more to come...)
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Eastern Cicada Killer Wasp
Have you wondered what those big wasp looking things are that nest in the fairways? They create large patches of sand and soil as they burrow into the grass. Well, they may actually be helpful to our trees. They are eastern cicada killer wasps. Officially known as sphecius speciosus. Sounds more like a spell from Harry Potter. If you watch them closely as they return to their hole, most often they will have a large cicada that they have snatched from the trees. If you are not familiar with the cicada simply listen and you will hear them. They make that grinding clicking noise so common to the summer. They are large and en mass they can cause damage to the trees by scarring the tree branches when the females lay their eggs deep in the branch.
The female cicada killer stings the cicada and brings it back for lunch. She may go out for more because she is larger than the male. The dead cicada also supplies nutrients for the eggs laid by the female and male cicada killer. So unless you are from Malaysia or the Congo where cicadas are a prized treat, we can let the eastern cicada killer wasp do its work without fear that we will be stung by one of the largest wasps in the eastern United States. Check out the excerpt below from Wikipedia regarding the threat to humans.
Are Cicada Killers Harmful to Humans?
"Although cicada killers are large, female cicada killer wasps are not aggressive and rarely sting unless they are grasped roughly, stepped upon with bare feet, or caught in clothing, etc. One author who has been stung indicates that, for him, the stings are not much more than a "pinprick". Males aggressively defend their perching areas on nesting sites against rival males but they have no sting. Although they appear to attack anything that moves near their territories, male cicada killers are actually investigating anything that might be a female cicada killer ready to mate. Such close inspection appears to many people to be an attack, but male and female cicada killers do not land on people and attempt to sting. If handled roughly, females will sting, and males will jab with a sharp spine on the tip of their abdomen. Both sexes are well equipped to bite, as they have large jaws; however, they do not appear to grasp human skin and bite. They are generally non-aggressive towards humans and usually fly away when swatted at, instead of attacking"
Cicada Killers on Wikipedia
The female cicada killer stings the cicada and brings it back for lunch. She may go out for more because she is larger than the male. The dead cicada also supplies nutrients for the eggs laid by the female and male cicada killer. So unless you are from Malaysia or the Congo where cicadas are a prized treat, we can let the eastern cicada killer wasp do its work without fear that we will be stung by one of the largest wasps in the eastern United States. Check out the excerpt below from Wikipedia regarding the threat to humans.
"Although cicada killers are large, female cicada killer wasps are not aggressive and rarely sting unless they are grasped roughly, stepped upon with bare feet, or caught in clothing, etc. One author who has been stung indicates that, for him, the stings are not much more than a "pinprick". Males aggressively defend their perching areas on nesting sites against rival males but they have no sting. Although they appear to attack anything that moves near their territories, male cicada killers are actually investigating anything that might be a female cicada killer ready to mate. Such close inspection appears to many people to be an attack, but male and female cicada killers do not land on people and attempt to sting. If handled roughly, females will sting, and males will jab with a sharp spine on the tip of their abdomen. Both sexes are well equipped to bite, as they have large jaws; however, they do not appear to grasp human skin and bite. They are generally non-aggressive towards humans and usually fly away when swatted at, instead of attacking"
Cicada Killers on Wikipedia
Monday, August 6, 2012
Blah Blah Blah To The Top
from the series "how it feels to me"
The left shoulder goes down and rotates under the chin while the rest of the body coils in. The hands should stay relatively connected with the overall turn and downward motion of the left shoulder. Maintaining the original arms to shaft angle during the initial turn is important for keeping the hands on plane, lower than most people realize. The feeling creates a connection between the shoulders and hips for the initial start of the swing that is gradually over taken by the shoulder turn. Maintaining proper posture will have the affect of the left arm coming in close to the chest. By keeping the elbows closer to each other creates a relatively tighter swing, better for both power and control.
The hands should begin extending and become activated, picking the club up when they reach the right leg. Because the upper torso is rotating in correlation with the hips, the hands will be lower and on plane. The dynamics of this motion creates a certain amount of hip rotation. The amount of hip rotation and its relation to the axis point determines the amount the right leg straightens at the top of the swing. If the weight moves to the right or away from the target the right leg remains more flexed and stable. If the weight moves left, essentially tilting toward the target, the right leg straightens more to some degree. This left leaning position at the top of the swing also adds stability. This movement is balanced and centered. The weight and force from your chest and arms creates a force that is countered by a leftward motion as the backswing reaches the top. A reaction to remain balanced realizing your back is to the target.
Like trying to close gaps within the fingers of the grip, the golf swing is often about finding parts of the body that are moving or bending that do not need to move or bend.
The left shoulder goes down and rotates under the chin while the rest of the body coils in. The hands should stay relatively connected with the overall turn and downward motion of the left shoulder. Maintaining the original arms to shaft angle during the initial turn is important for keeping the hands on plane, lower than most people realize. The feeling creates a connection between the shoulders and hips for the initial start of the swing that is gradually over taken by the shoulder turn. Maintaining proper posture will have the affect of the left arm coming in close to the chest. By keeping the elbows closer to each other creates a relatively tighter swing, better for both power and control.
The hands should begin extending and become activated, picking the club up when they reach the right leg. Because the upper torso is rotating in correlation with the hips, the hands will be lower and on plane. The dynamics of this motion creates a certain amount of hip rotation. The amount of hip rotation and its relation to the axis point determines the amount the right leg straightens at the top of the swing. If the weight moves to the right or away from the target the right leg remains more flexed and stable. If the weight moves left, essentially tilting toward the target, the right leg straightens more to some degree. This left leaning position at the top of the swing also adds stability. This movement is balanced and centered. The weight and force from your chest and arms creates a force that is countered by a leftward motion as the backswing reaches the top. A reaction to remain balanced realizing your back is to the target.
Like trying to close gaps within the fingers of the grip, the golf swing is often about finding parts of the body that are moving or bending that do not need to move or bend.
Lag & Release the Putter
from the series "how it feels to me"
The distance from my dominant (right) hand to the putter head has increased with the new cross-handed grip, in turn increasing the overall distance from my right shoulder to the putter head. The increased length, acting like a lever, creates a small amount of additional lag in the putter head. Although tough to see and feel, there is lag and release in a proper putting stroke. The lag creates a softer feel during impact. A small amount of give or shock absorption in the hands. I think it depends on the individual and their tendencies. If someone generally needs to hit putts softer, increasing the length will increase the lag, thus softening the impact on the ball.
Technically this does not make sense considering that increased lag in the full swing typically adds swing speed and ultimately more distance. But, that is how it feels to me.
The distance from my dominant (right) hand to the putter head has increased with the new cross-handed grip, in turn increasing the overall distance from my right shoulder to the putter head. The increased length, acting like a lever, creates a small amount of additional lag in the putter head. Although tough to see and feel, there is lag and release in a proper putting stroke. The lag creates a softer feel during impact. A small amount of give or shock absorption in the hands. I think it depends on the individual and their tendencies. If someone generally needs to hit putts softer, increasing the length will increase the lag, thus softening the impact on the ball.
Technically this does not make sense considering that increased lag in the full swing typically adds swing speed and ultimately more distance. But, that is how it feels to me.
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