Ask a professional what he thinks about upon finding his ball in a sand trap around the green and he or she will probably tell you, it's not a tough shot. Ask an amateur and they will show how much it bothers them. They know it could be an added 2 or more shots over par. Many will either scull the shot or take too much sand and have to try and blast it out again. Watching many miss hit sand shots, it is obvious that the fear of being in the sand terrifies golfers but why?
I believe the lack of practice is one major contributor. The average player may hit warm up shots before beginning their round, but you never see them in a sand trap before teeing off.
Here is why the sand shot could become your favorite shot, or at least you will not fear the shot. First of all, you don't hit the ball. You take a nice solid stance making sure to dig your feet into the sand so there is a foundation that is not insecure. You can't afford to slip with either foot. I recommend turning your left hand to a slightly more weak position. Maybe keeping the thumb directly on top of the grip end. The one thing you don't want, it to turn the blade over and have it dig into the sand. Open the stance to where you are standing with your left foot pulled back a good 2 inches from the left. Pick a spot about 2 inches behind the ball, that is precisely where you need to concentrate. Take your back swing straight back and break your wrists a little quicker than if you were hitting a normal 50 yard pitch shot. The open stance will assure you have a slicing downswing. Now, here is a couple tips that are taught by top sand trap teachers. Imagine a dollar bill is directly under your ball and you just want to slice the dollar bill from under your ball, not the ball itself. This will teach you to concentrate on a spot 2 inches behind the ball, and to keep the club moving through the sand.
Here is the other tip. Assuming you are right handed, you want the right hand to come into the shot and feel like the palm is facing the sky after your go through the sand and see the ball lifted up and out. If you can keep the palm in that position, the club face won't be able to turn over and also, you will have not flipped the club head from the top of your swing into beginning your downswing.
Practice this and you will start saving valuable shots around the greens. See you on the green ~ Dave Mark
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