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With the assistance of Jake Hutt, you’ll be able to grow to be extra comfy hitting from greenside bunkers.
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Welcome to Shaving Strokes, a GOLF.com sequence by which we’re sharing enhancements, learnings and takeaways from novice golfers identical to you — together with among the pace bumps and challenges they confronted alongside the best way.
Ed. word: This text was printed in partnership with Cleveland/Srixon.
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Some bunker photographs are harder than the others.
Among the many hardest: the short-sided variety, which might trigger all kinds of points in case you don’t have the proper strategy and gear.
Throughout a current go to to Terranea Resort in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. — a surprising par-3 course with Pacific Ocean views — I met up with golf teacher Jake Hutt, who didn’t simply give me a lesson greenside bunker photographs but in addition challenged me to a closest-to-the-pin contest.
Naturally, I panicked. Actually, I’m fairly certain just a few profanities slipped out of my mouth when he picked the shot we’d be going head-to-head on. But it surely’s necessary to work on all points of your sport, so I attempted to be a great sport.
First, Hutt handed me a brand new lob wedge: Cleveland’s CBX 4 ZipCore Wedge, which supplies just a little extra forgiveness in comparison with the RTX 6 Zipcore Wedge mannequin he was utilizing.
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Within the video under, you’ll be able to see the 2 of us duke it out from the sand — and be taught why utilizing a extra forgiving lob wedge, just like the CBX 4, is an efficient choice for greenside bunker photographs.
Do that to flee nasty greenside bunkers
After we have been settled within the bunker, Hutt busted some frequent myths about greenside-bunker play — to which many amateurs typically fall sufferer.
“One of many largest misconceptions from the bunker is that the ball place will get manner too far ahead, and usually gamers get their fingers additional behind the ball and attempt to scoop the ball out of the bunker,” Hutt informed me. “Actually, we wish that membership bottoming out just a little bit additional behind the ball, and, in case you get it proper, you’ll be able to really add just a little little bit of spin.”
After figuring out some traps to keep away from, Hutt assessed the extent of issue of this greenside bunker shot.
“It is a powerful shot,” he stated. “We’re short-sided, so I wish to get the clubface open just a little bit extra, and I desire a longer swing for the reason that face is so open — making the ball pop up into the air.
“I nearly need you to really feel such as you’re slapping the sand with the again a part of the wedge right here.”
Hutt took a apply swing to indicate me the way it ought to look — emphasizing how he sprays the sand — then hit his shot.
“You possibly can see my follow-through, I went throughout. And then you definately simply wish to make just a little thump there. The ball ought to come out comparatively delicate.”
After taking his shot and leaving it about 5 toes from the pin, Hutt had me set as much as the ball, strolling me by the steps to stay the shot shut.
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I have a tendency to make use of a wider stance, squat down fairly a bit, decrease the butt of the membership to in regards to the mid-thigh and maintain my fingers again to make sure I take advantage of the bounce.
However earlier than taking my shot, Hutt adjusted just a few issues in my setup.
“I’d get rather less vast, and provides your self just a little little bit of toe flare with some knee bend,” he stated. “Now open that face all the best way.”
He grabbed the membership shaft to magnify how the swing ought to really feel, reminding me to launch the membership and “throw” the clubhead towards the sand to get that thump.
After taking my shot, I mis-hit it a tad, however due to the swing changes — and a few forgiveness from the CBX 4 — the ball hit the entrance of the placing floor, used the slope and pace of the inexperienced and rolled about 4 toes from the pin.
“We lightened your grip stress just a little bit, gripped additional in direction of the butt of the membership so you would really feel the load just a little higher, launched it — which is the way you’re going to sq. the face — after which if you hit the sand in the proper place, the ball’s going to pop up and land good and delicate,” Hutt stated. “In order that shot was superior.”
Who am I to disagree?
