Bunker Beating
Some helpful tips

As a rule, whenever a golfer sees his ball plop down in the bunker, you can hear swearing all the way to the clubhouse – of neighboring courses! It's not really that they are bad golfers, it's usually a confidence issue. They believe the bunkers can 'beat' them.

Take heart fellow duffer! There are some tips that many people have not yet caught onto. Here are a few 'bunker busters' that just might make you wish that you'd read this a long time ago.

Start by imagining that the bunker is NOT your worst enemy. If you think the bunkers are your worst enemy, you'll fear landing in them and this will have an adverse effect on your entire game. Bunkers affect all the players in the same manner and at the same level – it's not just you. Master your play technique from the bunker, and turn that enemy into a ally.

Okay, so the next time that your ball lands in one, don't just give up, angrily hit at the ball, and hope. That will absolutely get you nowhere – except further behind in strokes. Sloppy bunker shots usually lead to taking another bunker shot – and the scorecard will increase with every shot you take.

A really critical thing to focus on when in the bunker is your footing. Many golfers will just allow their hips, legs, and feet to adjust to the sand. This is definitely not the ideal approach. USE the sand. Make it work for you by taking the time to establish your footing into your best stance. The sand, after all, is loose and easily shifted for your best stance.

Take an open, relaxed stance. Once again – RELAX! Remember that you're comfortable on the tee, and the fairway, and probably even in most rough. If you are comfortable in those conditions, then you can be comfortable in the bunker.

Now that you're relaxed (are you getting that relaxing is important yet?), distribute your weight in a effective, comfortable manner. That's customarily slightly more to the left-hand side when you're resting in a bunker.

Once you're comfortable in your stance, go ahead and practice your motion – several times. You likely don't take that many bunker shots, at least not by comparison to all the other shots you take, so be sure to let your body and mind 'remember.' Now, remember that when swinging the club, move the same distance backward as you do forward. Practice this, and learn it, and remember it. Bunker shots will always be different, and often tricky. But that's the challenge you're here to beat!

Okay, you're set – and now it's time to prepare for the shot. Don't forget rule #1: hit the sand roughly two inches before the ball – NOT the ball itself. This 'scooping' technique will allow the ball to be played all the way out of the rough — instead of a disappointing roll straight back into the same bunker.

Try to accelerate your shot as you go through the ball. This will give you more power in your bunker shot. Have you noticed how most bunker shots fall short, not long? Accelerate through the ball and give it that little bit of extra distance it needs to make it to the hole.

Now head for the links and initiate your new course ambassadorship. You need to turn that enemy, into your ally. Watch your cronies wallow in amazement when you don't go ballistic when you land in the bunker. Those folks in the clubhouse will just have to listen to someone else swearing.

For a complete listing of Tucson Arizona golf courses, including course information, championship rating and slope click here

For a complete listing of golf courses in the area surrounding Tucson Arizona, including course information, championship rating and slope click here

Golf Sites and Forums that offer more information:

http://forums.golfreview.com/
http://www.obesityhelp.com/forums/golf/
http://boards.rivals.net/default.asp?sid=1398&p=16
http://www.iznadgolf.com/golfforum.html
http://www.lowprogolf.com/cfbb/
http://www.oilcontrol.it/dg/dgindexe.shtml
http://www.network54.com/Forum/403301
http://www.torontogolfnuts.com/
http://golf.about.com/mpboards.htm
http://forum.ottawagolf.com