Hard Pan Greenside Bunker Shot

This year's teaching tips illustrate 12 separate and distinct short game shots. Just last month, Natalie Cruse, our LPGA Teaching Professional, demonstrated the hinge and hold from the rough around the green, and back in April, Eddie Young, PGA Teaching Professional, performed the high lofted deep sand green side bunker shot. Many of you have chosen to like Classic Swing Golf School on Facebook and are enjoying the added benefit of seeing each month's newsletter tip come to life in the accompanying video clip. All of us here are glad the combination is working well for you. This month, let's discuss the hard pan bunker shot around the green. 

Hard pan bunkers are simply bunkers around  the green that do not have much sand! The keys to execution are as follows:

1. Use a wedge in your bag that does NOT have much bounce...THE LOB WEDGE! 
2. Move the ball position to just forward of center in your stance in your set up.
3. Stance width is comfortable, not too wide, not too narrow, and my stance line is parallel to my line of flight. 
4. Place 80% of your weight forward when you address the ball by simply moving your head forward of the ball at address. 
5. Then have a very upright backswing and only hit 1 inch behind the ball.

Think:

 V shape swing, weight forward, and 1 inch behind the ball.

The major difference between this shot and deep sand bunker shots is that with less sand, you will hit closer to the ball, and most importantly, you will use the LEADING EDGE of the club to dig!  In the April tip Eddie used the trailing edge of the wedge for deep sand therefore utilizing the bounce on the sole of the wedge. The discussion of bounce and when to use a sand verses a lob wedge will be highlighted in the July and August tips. This month, dig with the leading edge.

Have a great summer! Be sure to like us on Facebook and enjoy these tips in action, and please keep those TripAdvisor reviews coming!

Ted Frick 

Owner/Director of Instruction 

Classic Swing Golf School