Ball position in line with front heel: A common fault in the bunker is people having the ball to far back in there stance. This causes many undesireable things to happen. Firstly, the leading edge of the club will dig into the sand, stopping the club and the golf ball will not come out of the bunker. Secondly, by playing the ball in this position the club is delofted. We need height to clear the steep rivetted faces of the bunkers at Hayling and therefore need as much loft as possible. Finally, the golf ball acts like a magnet during the swing. Therefore if you have the ball positioned near your back foot, during the swing you will fall back away from the target to try and help the ball up in the air. This makes it very difficult to strike the sand consistently. When the ball is forward in the stance, the bounce can be used correctly with a shallow angle of attack and this helps launch the golf ball high and over the lip of the bunker. More Weight on front foot: By positioning roughly 60% of your weight on your front foot, this allows the club to impact the sand in the right place (Roughly 2-3 inches beofre the ball). The key is to keep your weight forwards during the swing and not to fall back and try to lift the ball up in the air. Follow Through: Many people when in a bunker make a long back swing and then the club slows down and eventually stops at impact moving the ball a few inches. In a bunker, one of the most important elements is confidence. Be confident to accelerate the club through to a full finish and to vary the length the ball will go, simply vary the length of your backswing. Speed at impact is needed to get height and spin on the ball to get it to stop on the green. |