Sand Trap Golf Lessons

Sand traps are not only more difficult to play than a regular lie shot they can also work on self confidence and wear you down mentaly. The first thing to set straight in your mind is that with a few basics under your belt and practice sand shots are really not that impossable.

First check your lie and determine how deep your ball is and the moisture of the sand. Depending on your lie and and how much green their is to the hole you can begin to determine how much of stroke you will need. The single biggest mistake golfers will make is that they do not complete their follow through. They often make a quick stab at the ball and look up before completing their stroke. 

If your ball is not buried and is setting on top of the sand then a few adjustments to your regular swing is all that is neccessary. However if your ball is buried then lightly choke up on the club and open the club face a bit. Also open your stance slightly and put a little more weight on your front foot. Try and keep your lower body as stable as you can. Dig your feet into the sand by by gently wiggling your feet once you have your body in postion. This will provide you with much greater stability. Remember to also keep your shoulders and hip open just like your feet.

Your goal is to hit behind the ball about two to three inches. To avoid from either hitting to close or to far way from the ball make a line in the sand where you want your club head to enter.  Put weight on your front leg and lean the club slightly forward. You want the front edge of the club face to get under the ball and the sand wedge will lift the ball out. 

More Related Articles on Sandtrap Shots: 

• Golf 101 Tips » Getting out of the sand – A Golfer’s recovery tip – You’re typically going to be using the sand wedge as this club gives you the greatest loft, although if you feel that you don’t have to knock the ball as high but want the ball to travel some distance from a fairway bunker you can use …
• What is Bounce? – A sand wedge, or sand iron, is a type of golf club primarily designed for use out of sand bunkers. It has the widest sole of any wedge, which provides the greatest amount of bounce, allowing the club head to glide through sand and avoid …