This made for a slight descending stroke, increasing his chances to take some sand on his shots, an essential ingredient in executing good bunker shots. Next, I asked him not to open his club face as much as he had been. Unless you need an extremely high shot out of the sand, there is no need to have the club wide open. A wide open club face increases the amount of the club flange's bounce and the risk of skidding the club atop the sand for a bladed shot. Last, we worked on accelerating the club through the ball by taking a smaller swing.
Good players accelerate the club through the ball while poor players slow down.
It is very difficult to judge distance and get solid contact when you slow down through impact. So, to improve your bunker play, address the ball with your upper and lower body tilted slightly left, open your club face slightly and accelerate to find the right distance. If you are like Hugh Gorman, you will improve quickly and find that sand shots can be fun. Click here for assistance .