Thanks DF your the best!

Keep it up.

Special thanks to JH and CO who taught the level 1 group in Houston this shot.   I resisted, couldn't do the scoop rh push-up sand shot , as I just finished a FULL SHOT lesson w/ JH. and did not want to confuse the 2.

About 3 weeks ago, I got my notes out and saw your "getting to know matt kuchar post" and tried it on the course in the middle of a round. 5 practice swings out of bunker, letting club pass handle. Hopped in bunker and BINGO ball came out @ pin and checked immediately. Sand saves went from 15% to 50% ( 4 of 8)  with 1 hole-out. Unreal.

JH did say to execute a shot within 30 seconds after practice swinging a certain way so as to have the recency feel still ingrained, so the 4-5 practice swings with the scoop feeling works for me.

Thanks again,

In other words, let the clubhead pass your hands before impact and scoop under the ball. I feel as if I'm flicking my right wrist at the shot. Read More http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-inst...z0xuwEb2tq

I played 36 holes yesterday and was 5/7 in sand saves out of greenside bunkers.  3/5 @ nice private course w/fluffy sand, 2/2 @ nice public course w/ junk sparse sand.  My partner couldn't hit out of the sparse sand w/ the chunk/run shot. All 7 times for myself the ball came out w/ ton of spin and I was never more than 12 ft from the pin.

In 23 years of golfing, I have never experienced anything like this. I know I had to make the putts but to have 3 of these shots finish 3 feet from hole blew me away.

This success makes me believe more in proper technique or a secret, than in practicing for hours on end.
CO and JH shared the secret and it works.

I have yet to try any other club but a 60 degree 588dsg Cleveland hitting as close to the ball as possible. Last week I hit 2 bunker shots that only moved a few feet because I believe I entered sand too far behind ball and with not enough speed.

I am of the belief the 4-5 practice scoopy swings less than 30 seconds before hitting the shot is working well also.

Thanks again!

jvero - hitting relatively close to the ball working for you maybe a function of the equipment you are using. 60* wedges typically have less bounce. Less bounce = harder to glide through the sand without digging. I am betting a 54*, 56*, or 58* with more bounce might allow you to contact the sand more behind the ball and get good results too.

thanks baseballjones. makes sense.  I may try the 56-12 bounce soon, but not that soon if I keep getting these results went 2/3 last night, missed a 5 fter

My problem with hitting this shot is usually one of three things happen-I either hit a great shot, skull it over the green (this happens most of the time and is driving me crazy) or I take too much sand and leave it short or in the bunker. Has anyone else had these same issues and if so, what did you do to resolve this? I practice these shots for at least an hour twice a week. Still having the same problems. Thanks

yukon1280,
I have always been a good bunker player, but my curiosity let me to try the 'scoopy' sand shot . At first, I struggled a bit with the same problems you are having. What fixed it for me was incorporating the set-up that Stan Utley uses for the sand shot and seeing him execute the shot. Stan's latest book, 'The Art of The Swing', utilizes Microsoft Tags (bar codes) that can be read with a smartphone and connect you to video of Stan demonstrating the shot on a YouTube link. It is a very creative and effective use of technology to enhance learning beyond the traditional still pictures in a book. Stan and Jim have worked together, and from what I have seen, their approaches to the full swing and the short game are based on the same principles. Hope that helps.
John

Next time you practice put a tee under the ball  and hit the tee out from under the ball. Throw the clubhead under the ball in a scooping motion so you hit the tee. do not hit  the sand way behind the ball just hit the tee out.

also make sure you make pretty full swings.

Smitty

I have taken too much sand, and not had enough flick w/ the rh.

I didnt hit a golf ball for 5 months or a sand shot for 8 months due to an injury so I was curious to see if I still "owned" this sand shot.  I practiced the throw away lag about 5 swings and then hit 8 of 10 really well, so it still worked. I am using a 60 degree 588 Clevekand dsg, low bounce. I tried the shot w/ a 56 SW 14 degree bounce and it worked almost as well.

If you google "Krista Dunton - The Key to Escaping Sand", or look for earlier post she has a nice video that may help.

Hope this may help.

Posted By Joe Miller on 08-23-2011 06:06 AM
I have taken too much sand, and not had enough flick w/ the rh.

I didnt hit a golf ball for 5 months or a sand shot for 8 months due to an injury so I was curious to see if I still "owned" this sand shot.  I practiced the throw away lag about 5 swings and then hit 8 of 10 really well, so it still worked. I am using a 60 degree 588 Clevekand dsg, low bounce. I tried the shot w/ a 56 SW 14 degree bounce and it worked almost as well.

If you google "Krista Dunton - The Key to Escaping Sand", or look for earlier post she has a nice video that may help.

Hope this may help.

Below is the link to the video:

http://www.golf.com/golf/video/arti...11,00.html

Great stuff! I think "cup your left wrist" is essentially the same thing as "throw away your lag."

P.S.: I've found that this works great in "normal" sand (found in Texas) but it doesn't seem to work in non-fluffy sand (found in Cape Cod, MA).

Will this techniqe work with firm/hard sand?

Posted By pk on 09-04-2011 04:32 PM
Will this techniqe work with firm/hard sand?

For me, the answer to this question has been a resounding "NO." In "normal" sand, throwing away my lag and cupping my left wrist works wonderfully. But in hard sand (which I play frequently on vacations), the wedge just bounces and skulls into the ball.

I really wish someone could explain how to adjust the "Throw away your lag" technique for hard sand.

Make the clubs entry into the sand steeper and slightly closer to the ball just like wet sand.

Posted By Keywester on 09-05-2011 10:32 AM
Make the clubs entry into the sand steeper and slightly closer to the ball just like wet sand.

Should I still throw away my lag / cup my left wrist / hold the face open? Should I open it up at address?

Oh yeah, also, what range of wedge bounces is ideal for harder sand?

The way I understand it is.
In wet or hard sand you are looking for less"bounce" and more "dig".
Soooo...
It all depends on the lie and the distance you need to hit it. Some people prefer to use a low bounce lob or gap wedge or even a pitching wedge which should all dig more and bounce less.
If you are going to use a sand wedge you need to square or close the face and use the leading edge to dig.
Generally since you are hitting a digging shot the swing is steeper and closer to the ball. If you hit to far behind it while digging, you will get stuck in the sand.
Practice, practice, practice.

Posted By Keywester on 09-06-2011 02:22 PM
The way I understand it is.
In wet or hard sand you are looking for less"bounce" and more "dig".
Soooo...
It all depends on the lie and the distance you need to hit it. Some people prefer to use a low bounce lob or gap wedge or even a pitching wedge which should all dig more and bounce less.
If you are going to use a sand wedge you need to square or close the face and use the leading edge to dig.
Generally since you are hitting a digging shot the swing is steeper and closer to the ball. If you hit to far behind it while digging, you will get stuck in the sand.
Practice, practice, practice.

The thing that's so appealing about throw away your lag / cup your left wrist is that it provides so much greater room for error in normal sand. That's what's frustrating about firm sand. What I'm hearing from you is that there's no getting around the small margin of error associated with firm sand.

If there is sufficient sand in the bunker, I usually still use my sandwedge and use Jim Hardy's technique but just use a steeper entry and either square the face or only open it a little. Be prepared for the ball to come out faster than normal. When teaching bunker shots in his clinics, Jim has you look at the ball when you swing and then do what he calls a left handed pushup (break the lead wrist under the ball in order to "throw away the lag"). This technique makes you hit behind the ball and remove the right amount of sand automatically. He says most people take to much sand. Chris O'Connell and Rick Sellers are both really good out of the sand. They have also improved my set up significantly. I actually like being in bunkers now. I can say they improved my bunker play massively!!!

I used to be automatic out of bunkers, not necessarily within 3' of the pin, but I would NEVER leave it in the bunker. Since adjusting my swing with more 1 plane principles and becoming more 1 plane, I ALWAYS leave it in the bunker or send it over the green. If I go in the sand now, it usually becomes a blow up hole. I don't know why I can't execute the technique from secrets #6 properly. To make matters worse, I can't execute my old reliable bunker swing anymore which was very 2 plane with a big left side pull (as opposed to the right side hit I use now). Part of the issue may be most of the sand I play from is hard packed. I rarely play from fluffy light sand and I wonder if that may be part of the problem? The technique may not be right for that kind of sand?

Big Bee your sand swing is too shallow so your hitting too much fat or thin. Get steeper by getting some air under your lead arm pit, instead of pinning it across your chest.