Category: Wedges

The Partially Submerged Ball in a Greenside Bunker

Your ball is semi-buried in a sand trap near the green.

The Flubbed Pitch

You are flubbing your pitches because you are either slowing down during your downswing or the ball is placed too far forward in your stance.

Hit Out of a Divot

Your ball landed in a divot and you end up skulling it. When you scoop the ball, you make contact with the leading edge of the club, causing it to skull the ball.

The Windy Downhill Sand Shot

It is windy out and you find your ball on a downhill slope in the sand.

Pitch Close To the Pin

You tend to scoop the ball because you lean the shaft forward and place the ball too far back in your stance, thereby reducing loft. You need to improve your pitching to take strokes off of your game.

Rough near the Green

You find yourself in greenside rough and want the ball to get up into the air. You might also have problems skulling shots from the rough because you only brush the top of the grass.

Impenetrable Hardpan Lie

Your ball lands on cement, asphalt, or gravel but is still considered to be inbounds.

Sand over Hardpan

You try using your sand wedge and end up skulling the ball when attempting to hit off of a thin layer of sand over hardpan, especially if the sand is wet, or scruff. This is because the ball bounces off of the flange of the sand wedge and you end up blading or chunking the shot.

Penetrable Hardpan Lie

Your ball lies in hardpan composed of hard-packed sand or dirt such as greenside bunkers where the club can penetrate the sand.

Angle Your Feet for More Control

Decreased flexibility can prevent proper hip rotation and therefore power, causing you to sway during your backswing. This is a very common problem for senior golfers because their muscles tighten as they age, inhibiting a proper turn for a full swing.