Ever had to Lob over a greenside bunker?
posted in Instruction |We’ve all faced this shot at some point—a lob over a greenside bunker. And we’ve all probably chipped the ball into the bunker at one time or another, costing ourselves strokes. It may even have cost us the hole, if we’re playing match play. Mistakes like that chip away at our confidence, so the next time we face the same shot, we’re worried more about coming up short than hitting the ball past the hole. It’s enough to keep us awake at night.While the greenside lob is a challenge for most weekend golfers, it doesn’t have to be your undoing, not if you follow the keys listed below.
Six keys to hitting a lob over a greenside bunker:
* Check out your lie
* Take a nearly full swing
* Drop the club into the ball
* Keep the clubface pointed to the sky
* Let your legs and body rotate
* Keep your head stable and centered
The key to making this shot is the lie. Check it out carefully before making a decision. If you have a tight lie, you won’t be able to slide your club under the ball and you’ll skull it. If have a fluffy lie, you’ll get under the ball too much and dump it into the bunker. Neither mistake is good. So get a firm sense of how much grass is behind the ball and how much air is under it before deciding what to do.
Once you’re committed, assume a slightly open stance, take a full backswing, and “drop” the club into the ball, popping it up. Keep the clubface pointed to the sky as you complete a short follow-through. And let your legs and body rotate forward, but keep your head stable and centered. If you’re in deeper rough, make a slightly faster swing to compensate for the grass.
You’ll need to work on this shot in practice to master distance control. Place a club 15 yards ahead of you and try landing shots just past it. With practice, you’ll learn to hit the shot properly and stop worrying about coming up short. You’ll also build confidence. And you’ll be able to sleep again.
Article from www.Howtobreak80.com Newsletter - November 7, 2007