Bunker Sand Impact Drill – Erasing the Line
This is a helpful drill in developing greenside bunker play. As you know in greenside bunkers, we endeavor to impact the sand 2 to 3 inches behind the ball, allowing the club to slide under the ball, and get the ball into the air. You don’t need any golf balls for this drill, only your sand wedge and a bunker.
Draw a straight line in the sand using the sole of your club, perpendicular to your target line and approximately 4 or 5 feet long. Starting on the end of the line closest to you, imagine that the line represents your golf ball sitting in the bunker. Set up to the line as you would a golf ball, with your normal bunker stance, ball slightly forward of center, club face open, aligned a little left of target. Make a realistic swing impacting the sand 2 to 3 inches behind the line, allowing the club to slide through the sand to your finish position.
The divot that you have made in the sand should have erased the portion of the line where your imaginary ball was. Shuffle your stance a few inches forward and do the exact same thing with the next segment of the line. As you move along the length of the line with each swing you make, you should gain valuable feedback on where your club is entering the sand.
If done correctly, each divot should have a common starting point, ending point, and depth. The line in the sand should be completely erased by each divot. Clearly, if you have not erased the line, then your club was not in the sand at the point of impact, which would not have led to a positive result. If the place where your club enters the sand is erratic, I recommend this drill at least one time per practice session until you get it down.
