Mel Sole

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3 Tips For Playing Out of Firm Sand.

3 Tips For Playing Out of Firm Sand.

Hi, I’m Mel Sole, Director of Instruction at the Mel Sole Golf School, headquartered at Pawleys Plantation Golf and Country Club in Pawleys Island, SC.  We conduct 1, 2 and 3-day golf schools, hourly golf lessons, and senior golf schools—any golf instruction program your heart desires. Give us a call at 800-624-4653 or 843-237-4993.  We will be happy to book a commuter school or a package that contains accommodations, golf, and golf school.

Monthly Golf Tips by the Mel Sole Golf School.

Watch as I explain the technique for playing great bunker shots out of firm bunkers.

If you frequent public golf courses, you've probably come across some very firm bunkers in your time. Compared to the soft & fluffy bunkers you'll find at upscale resorts and country clubs, these hard bunkers necessitate a different approach. I explain the 3 pillars of hard bunker play in this video golf tip: club selection, low bounce, and an aggressive swing.

Club Selection.

In a bunker with hard sand, you want to select a club with the lowest bounce possible.  Most sand wedges have between 10 and 15 degrees of bounce.  That is too much for a firm bunker.  The bounce will strike the sand first, and the club will slide into the ball, and you'll end up skulling the ball over the green.  Ideally, you want to use a lob wedge with a low bounce.  My current lob wedge has 4 degrees of bounce.  So if I keep the clubface square at the address and don't open it up like a regular bunker shot, it will get the ball out easily.

If you do not have a lob wedge, you can use a sand wedge but keep the clubface square and have about 10 degrees of forward shaft lean, to nullify the bounce.  The downside to this is the ball will come out lower and run more.  The best bet is to buy yourself a 60-degree lob wedge with low bounce!  Tell your wife I told you to!

Aggressive swing.

The real secret to this shot is to be as aggressive as possible. Of course, you need to aim 2" behind the ball still, but with an aggressive swing, some give in the ground, and the club will be able to slide under the ball without any problem.  You definitely cannot be timid or afraid of this shot!

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JSxQ7QueK8U[/youtube]

Source: Mel Sole Golf School.

Thanks for watching - 3 Tips For Playing Out of Firm Sand.  I hope this helps your sand game!

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