Make the Sand Your Friend!

The Sand Shot requires more confidence that any other shot in golf, and can be the most intimidating. You must use a reasonably full swing to propel your golf ball a relatively short distance – all the while making sure to MISS the ball. Is it any wonder that the tendency to decelerate on impact is only rivaled by the desperate urge to help the golf ball up and out of the sand with the club and/or your entire body?

Before you can get creative about shot making and target visualization, you must develop confidence in your basic sand technique. If either your technique or your self-esteem needs help, consult with your local teaching pro to develop a simple “confidence shot.” This should be a shot that you can trust to get out of any sand trap and onto the green - from any reasonable lie – every time.

A good practice drill to develop this confidence is to set a goal of executing a consecutive number of acceptable sand shots from different distance and lies before quitting. When you reach your goal, stop for the day, or move on to another facet of your golf game.

How do you set a realistic goal? Here are some statistics: In a recent study of US Open qualifiers facing sand shots 50 feet from the cup, the best 50% of these shots ended up 7½ feet from the hole, or within 15% of the original distance. The average 10 handicap golfer should certainly be satisfied with getting the ball on the green within 30% of the original distance. This creates a very large and forgiving bull’s eye.

Strive to get the ball up and down, but keep in mind that PGA Tour leaders in this category get up and down only 60% of the time. So what you really want to focus on is avoiding the “up, up and down, down” or the up, down, down and down.” By visualizing the target as the middle of a very large circle, you will minimize self-imposed pressure, make fewer mistakes, and see measurable improvement in your golf scoring.

For more specific analysis of your sand game performance, go to www.ShotByShot.com.