Getting the Ball Out of the Sand Trap by Kylan Borton, CPGA Professional FGCC

When golfers hear the word “Bunker” or “Sand Trap” most cringe with fear! The Sand Traps at most golf courses are probably the most feared and hated of the obstacles you’ll face in a round of golf. If you’ve been in one and I’m sure you have, you know why they are hated! Often times it will take a few swings to get the ball out of the bunker or we’ll get it out but it will go screaming across the green and nowhere near the hole. These shots can leave us embarrassed and disappointed. Some golfers will even choose to avoid them all together and play their shots far away from the bunkers. Even so, eventually we will all be in them and will need to get out.

First, let’s forget all our bad experiences and strike them out of our memories. Instead we’ll go into the sand with a positive attitude and a new understanding of how to get out. The funny thing about being in the sand is that it’s the only shot in golf where we don’t have to hit that little white ball. The swing isn’t going to change much but how you set-up to the ball will.

The set-up will change in the following ways (for right handed golfers):

- Align your body so you are open to the target. Your feet, knees, hips, elbows and shoulders will all be pointed left of your target.
- Instead of the ball being in the middle of your stance like for most iron shots, you will set-up with the ball forward in your stance about 3 inches.
- Dig your feet into the sand to create a stable base and also to get you lower to the ball.
- Set the club face extremely open but with your groves square to the target. You should easily see all the grooves on your sand wedge at setup.

The swing will stay very similar but you must do the following to have good results:

- Keeping with your natural swing, your club will want to ground out in the middle of the stance. This is what we want. The ball is positioned 3 inches up from the center of your stance which means your club will enter the sand about 3 inches behind the ball. Like I said earlier, you don’t even have to hit the ball in the sand. You hit behind it with your club traveling under the sand and under the ball.

- Your swing path with the club will follow your body set-up. We are set-up aimed left with our body so it will feel like you’re hitting the shot left of your target. Your club face, remember is aimed at the target and is set-up very open which will make the shot go straight at your target. It will feel like your cutting across the ball from the right side to the left.

- It’s important that you always accelerate through the shot. It will take a bit of power to get the club to go under the ball and through the sand. Slowing down the club face through impact is a sure way of NOT getting the ball out of the sand.

- Continue your swing into your normal finish position.

Good luck!