| Great accuracy and determination is called for when | | | | Playing better golf will mean you tackle it by inclining |
| you are playing a shot of golf just short of the | | | | more weight on the left foot. Resist the inclination to |
| green. This will make for better golf. | | | | grip more fiercely when you address the ball in a |
| Uncertainty will mean that you either hurry the | | | | nasty spot. This is one of the chief faults of the |
| stroke in a belated endeavor to pitch the ball further | | | | "hacker". Remember that too fierce a grip at address |
| up to the hole or you quit on it through a last | | | | usually means too slack a hold at impact. |
| split-second feeling that you need to drop it shorter. | | | | There remains the bunker stroke. |
| In either case you have distorted the delivery of the | | | | The straightforward bunker stroke is the explosion |
| club head to the ball. This is weakness. Make up your | | | | from a well-conditioned trap with the adequate |
| mind to go ahead with the stroke you have pictured. | | | | amount of fine dry sand. It is the simplest and most |
| To change the picture half-way is out of the | | | | effortless stroke in the game. |
| question. | | | | Taking your heavy sand-iron you lay the face back |
| Practice these vital approach shots, which open up | | | | slightly which is the reverse of hooding it. From an |
| the prospect of a birdie every time they are properly | | | | open stance, feet fairly close together and firmly |
| judged and correctly executed. Indeed practice in this | | | | planted in the sand to avoid movement during the |
| type of shot can be doubly beneficial. You will | | | | playing of the stroke, you concentrate your eyes on |
| develop a greater accuracy and confidence in your | | | | the sand an inch or two behind the ball, depending |
| ability to attack the hole by firm, not diffident | | | | upon how far you want the ball to carry. |
| stroke-making. And by making the correct | | | | On descending, the club head is going to contact this |
| movement away from, back to, and through the ball | | | | spot in the sand not the ball as in every other shot |
| in this compact stroke you will consolidate your | | | | you play. Swing the club back slowly and smoothly |
| action in the hitting area -consolidation which will | | | | OUTSIDE the line and then swing down normally to |
| spread into your playing of the longer clubs. | | | | the entry to the hitting area. |
| The high pitch-and-run is played in similar manner to | | | | From that point you simply drop the hands. The |
| the pitch shot. The low pitch-and-run, giving less carry | | | | heavy headed sand-iron drops into the sand. Moving |
| and more run (and usually the stroke to choose | | | | from outside to in, the club head comes through the |
| when the wind is blowing), is played with the | | | | sand and the ball is collected on a cushion of sand |
| club-face hooded, that is, with the hands more | | | | against the club-face. Allowed to go through into the |
| forward of the ball at address and the ball played | | | | follow-through unrestricted the club head will carry |
| more off the back foot. These considerations also | | | | the ball clear and plop it lifeless on to the green. |
| apply to the run-up which is played with a straighter | | | | Make no attempt to manipulate the club head in any |
| faced club, such as a five iron, but the club used is a | | | | way. As it comes out of the sand into the |
| matter of individual choice in the light of experience. | | | | follow-through the hands and club-face should be as |
| There is one factor which needs to be taken into | | | | they were aligned in the address, no wrist-roll |
| account when playing from the rough particularly | | | | whatsoever taking place. Guard against shortening |
| when near the green. You cannot apply the amount | | | | either the backswing or the follow-through. This is a |
| of back-spin from the rough as when "pinching" the | | | | slow, effortless, flowing motion of the club head. |
| ball against the turf of the fairway. Therefore expect | | | | Master this stroke and you will escape any bunker |
| more roll when the ball lands and allow accordingly. | | | | easily and will play much better golf. |
| Heather can be a nightmare to the average golfer. | | | | |