DIY GOLF
Hit More Greens from a Fairway Bunker (Yes, You!) Make these shots a lot easier with this self-help guide BY DAVID LEADBETTER
Assuming you can clear the lip with a club that can easily reach the green (it’s best to club up from the sand), playing a fade gives you the
CHECK YOUR STERNUM
Set up so your shirt buttons are a touch ahead of the ball ( above ).
best chance of knocking it on. A fade encourages a steeper club path, which helps with ball-first contact, and the open clubface in relation to your swing path helps get the ball up. Now focus on making a smooth, three-quarter swing. Keep your chest more on top of the ball and your lower body quiet (above, left). If you get comfortable with this stance and these swing thoughts, your confidence from the sand will soar. – WITH RON KASPRISKE
IF YOU PARK YOUR DRIVE in a fairway bunker, what’s your mind-set for the next
and odds – of success. Start by getting in a more stable stance. Widen your feet and lean your ankles inwards. You can even dig in if the sand is soft – all this helps keep you from swaying or slipping as you swing. Also helping you make better contact with these shots are to grip down on the club and play the ball so your sternum is a touch ahead of it. Finally, stand a little taller over the ball. That will really help you clip it off the sand. Now here are a few swing thoughts:
shot? Just advance it up the fairway? Just get it out? Hello, double bogey? I get it. Fairway-bunker shots are among the least practised, mostly be- cause it’s hard to find a spot to work on them. I’m also guessing your expecta- tion of getting on the green is fairly low (the PGA Tour average was just over 50 percent last year). Let’s see if you can help yourself boost your confidence –
David Leadbetter is one of Golf Digest’s Legends of Golf Instruction.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY J D CUBAN
GOLF DIGEST SOUTH AFRICA 39
JUNE 2025
Made with FlippingBook interactive PDF creator