Tip From the Archives

Wings on a Duck

Problem

Mentally, you have a hard time thinking of how to make a successful sand shot.

Cure

You want to make the sandwedge to skid or bounce off of the sand instead of digging. Think of a duck trying to land on a pond. Ducks keep their wings up as they slow down their flight so they gently land on the water. If they were to turn their wings down, it would cause them to nose dive into the water. Think of the bounce angle of your sandwedge as you hit into the sand the same way a duck does about the angle of their wings as they approach the water. The more of an angle you have on the clubface, the more it will dig into the sand. That is why the sandwedge has extra weight on the back of the club, so that it will skid and bounce on the sand instead of digging.

Therapy

If you try to hit down directly onto the ball or make contact with the sand using the leading edge of the club in the sand and you will see the club will behave like a duck or a plane making a nose diving into the water. Instead, you need to open the club so the bottom of the club or flange moves through the sand first. You want to feel as if you are spanking the sand to achieve a good explosion shot. When you make contact with the sand you should hear the sole of the club slap the sand as the flange moves through the sand and under the ball. Make sure you have shifted your bodyweight onto your forward leg and face the target as you complete the shot.

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