Perhaps no other club is designed to work specifically for the players favor as much as the sand wedge is. Most golfers struggle mightily with the sand wedge, but understanding the club’s true potential is key to becoming an accomplished bunker player.
Gene Sarazen: Otherwise known as the “father of the sand wedge.” Despite winning several major titles, Sarazen actually considered himself a poor bunker player. The sand wedge came about one day when Sarazen decided to file away the sharp leading edge of his wedge – which tended to encourage the head of his wedge to dif too deeply into the sand. Out of this and other experiments came the eventual rounded sand wedge club.
Proper Sand Wedge Set Up
- Open the face of the club and form your grip. The golf club should look like it is going to send the ball way right upon impact (it may look awkward to you at first). You want the clubface to stay open on impact otherwise you will send the ball way over your target area.
- Open Your Stance. Both your stance and your clubface should be open to the target line. Again, combining an open stance and an open clubface will actually combine to produce a straight shot, provided you hit the sand first and drive the club through correctly.
- Dig a solid foundation in the sand. You want to really shuffle your feet into the sand and dig in. This will help with both swing control and balance. Burying your feet properly will also give you a feeling for the depth and texture of the sand, thus allowing you to figure out how hard to drive the club through the sand.
Remember, the clubface actually hits the sand before it ever touches the ball, and if practiced and done properly, many times the club and ball will never really meet. The force of your club through the sand will allow the ball to explode out of the bunker to your target line.
