{"id":249468,"date":"2025-10-29T21:12:10","date_gmt":"2025-10-29T21:12:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/249468\/"},"modified":"2025-10-29T21:12:10","modified_gmt":"2025-10-29T21:12:10","slug":"the-worst-thing-you-can-do-in-the-bunker-and-how-to-fix-it","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/249468\/","title":{"rendered":"The ‘worst thing’ you can do in the bunker \u2014 and how to fix it"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome to\u00a0Play\u00a0Smart<\/a>, a regular\u00a0GOLF.com\u00a0game-improvement column that will help you\u00a0become a smarter, better golfer.<\/p>\n

Bunkers can be scorecard killers for recreational golfers. While pros and high-level players make escaping the sand look easy, for weekend hacks it\u2019s anything but.<\/p>\n

For lots of high-handicappers, just getting out of the sand is cause for celebration. But if you really want to become a stick, you\u2019ve got to learn not only how to escape, but to give yourself a reasonable chance at making your ensuing putt, too.<\/p>\n

The problem recreational golfers face with bunker shots is either typically a lack of understanding of the proper technique. Sure, many of them are familiar with the basic tenets (open clubface, hit behind the ball, etc.) but in practice they still are making critical errors. <\/p>\n

Heck, I struggle with this, too. While I do know how to hit a proper bunker shot, sometimes I still struggle to execute correctly.<\/p>\n

Luckily, GOLF Top 100 Teacher<\/a> Joe Plecker showed me a trick that makes hitting bunker shots a breeze. Check it out below.<\/p>\n

This hack fixed my bunker game<\/p>\n

In the past, when I lined up to hit a bunker shot, I gripped the club like I normally would. However, this turned out to be a huge mistake.<\/p>\n

With a neutral (or even strong) grip,<\/a> I was making it far too easy to close the clubface as I approached impact.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat is the worst thing you can do in a bunker release is close the clubface,\u201d Plecker says. <\/p>\n

To combat against this, Plecker suggested weakening my lead-hand grip by rotating it more toward the target. With my hand pre-rotated in this direction, it made it harder to shut the clubface \u2014 and dig the leading edge \u2014 in the sand.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf you were really struggling with your bunker shots and were closing the club too much,\u201d Plecker says. \u201cThe easiest thing you can do is move that [lead] hand across the club, get it a little more in that weak position and make sure you can\u2019t close the clubface.\u201d<\/p>\n

If you do that, you\u2019ll find that popping your ball out of the bunker becomes a breeze.<\/p>\n

\"Divot<\/p>\n

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\nDurability That Lasts
\nUnlike typical practice mats, the Turf Mat is designed for longevity. The heavy-duty construction withstands countless swings without showing signs of wear and tear. Furthermore, this rugged mat can handle both indoor and outdoor use, providing versatility for your training sessions. So whether you\u2019re practicing in your backyard or in a garage, this mat offers the same performance, making it a worthwhile investment for serious golfers.
\nEasy Setup and Storage
\nThe Turf Mat is not only high-performing but also incredibly user-friendly. It rolls out straight for immediate use and can easily be rolled back up for storage. This simplicity makes it a popular choice among golfers who value convenience. So, if you want to maintain a regular practice schedule without the hassle of complicated setups, the Turf Mat is the perfect solution.<\/p>\n

View Product<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Welcome to\u00a0Play\u00a0Smart, a regular\u00a0GOLF.com\u00a0game-improvement column that will help you\u00a0become a smarter, better golfer. Bunkers can be scorecard killers…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":249469,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[566],"tags":[64,63,755,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-249468","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-golf","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-golf","11":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249468","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=249468"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/249468\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/249469"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=249468"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=249468"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=249468"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}