Getting Out Of The Sand

Golf professionals find getting out of the sand fairly easy, 
and you will to when you have the right golf swing mechanics 
in place. The following step by step golf swing methods will 
help give you the right mechanics to help, and with a little 
practice will become a natural thing for you, and give you  
the solid base that you need to improve your bunker play.

Please note that the steps I’m giving you apply to normal 
sand. For techniques in different sand, read my post “Bunker 
Shot – How to Adjust Your Swing According to The Sand’s 
Texture” published on October 10 2009.

1) Get more control of your club by choking down on it to the 
point where your right index finger is about one inch from the 
bottom of the grip. This allows you not only to hit the shot, 
but to feel it which is very important.

2) To aid in controlling your shot, narrow your stance from 
your normal position, and make sure that the ball is forward 
in it.

3) Get comfortable, and dig your feet down into the sand a 
bit.

4) Do not twist your hips at all during your swing. make sure 
your body stays still.

5) While starting your swing with your arms, make sure that 
when you are at the top of your swing, that the butt of your 
club points right at your ball (put a tee in the end of your 
grip to help you see this). In a normal swing you want to 
bring your club straight back. Not here, steeper is better.

6) At the top of your swing, your left arm should be straight,  and parallel to the ground.

7) When you start your down swing, focus on the fact that you 
want to hit the sand one inch behind your ball. Remember focus 
on that spot and not the ball. The ball will come out!

As the ball leaves the sand, remember that your arms and 
body follow the ball.

9) The key point in all of this is the steep angle of your 
down swing. But, you don’t want to be swinging too hard. You’re 
just trying to out the ball, not kill it.

Try This Exercise

Take your Sand, Pitching, and Lob (if you have one) Wedges 
with you into the bunker. Realize that you may be more 
comfortable with something other than a Sand Wedge, and 
therefore make better outs.

Hit a few shots with each of your clubs paying attention to 
what each does, and choose the best one for you. Keeping in 
mind a steep downswing, and hitting the sand one inch behind 
the ball.

Remember wherever you practice this, to keep in mind the steep 
down swing, and that your grip is pointed down at the ball at 
the top of your swing. Practice this for a few days, and you 
will be pleasantly surprised at the improvement in your game.

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