WATCH: Amateur golfer takes hacking to a new level – leaving crowd in fits of laughter
You will often have heard golfers or others referring to certain players as hackers.
They swing at the ball as if they were hacking their way through the Amazon jungle and get just as sweaty as an explorer making their first foray into the tropics.
Add a camera into the mix and you have a painful experience.
We hope this chap was playing a matchplay shootout here and not strokeplay.
If at first you don’t succeed…
Basic bunker rules and tips
When your ball’s in a bunker, it’s crucial to remember not to contact the sand with your hand before your stroke. Some players use this to evaluate the sand’s quality, remove footprints left by previous players, or discover an easier position to play from, which is a whole other category of breached rules.
Before striking a shot, players must avoid contacting their club with the sand.
Touching the sand before a shot is only acceptable if you’re not testing the conditions.
If there is a leaf against your ball, you may remove it as long as it does not move the ball. Similarly, it’s OK to sweep aside pebbles, twigs, leaves, etc from the space around your ball before setting up for a shot. Just make sure not to touch the sand or move your ball.
It is basic etiquette to help other players and staff maintain the course. This entails raking your footprints and any divots left from your bunker shot.
You should also rake the bunker if you have to stand on the sand to make your shot.
Weakening your lead hand grip, which implies turning your left hand to the left (for right-handed golfers), is the first and most important stage in striking a bunker shot. Positioning your hand like way keeps the clubface open throughout the forward swing. It keeps the clubface from shutting down, allowing the ball to fly higher and settle softer.
Getting your legs down to the ground flattens the shaft, allowing your wrists to be more flexible and dynamic. Bringing your centre of gravity closer to the ground will allow you to swing the clubhead beneath the ball. You also want your sternum directly behind the ball and your weight should be shifted onto the lead foot. You want to make contact with the sand behind your ball and get underneath to propel it up and out of the bunker and into freedom.
Latest
-
Features
Five must-play golfing gems on England’s Golf Coast beyond the Open venues
Royal Liverpool and Royal Birkdale host the Open but there are plenty more wonderful links courses on the Merseyside and Lancashire coast.
-
Courses
Top 7 golf courses for incredible wildlife encounters around the world
Top 7 golf courses for INCREDIBLE wildlife encounters around the world.
-
Equipment
5 reasons to try the Qi10 Max – TaylorMade’s most forgiving driver
The Qi10 Max is a driver for the masses and is designed to help club golfers around the world to get more out of their tee-shots.
-
News
How far Scottie Scheffler hits each club
While many players tinker, Scottie Scheffler stuck with the same bag set-up in 2024 and it helped him record record figures.
-
Instruction
The step drill that will help you launch your driver
At the Challenge Tour Grand Final in Spain, Ireland’s Gary Hurley put the ‘step drill’ into play, a move championed by Padraig Harrington.
-
Features
Trying to break 90 again: do not try to be Phil Mickelson
In his latest diary piece, Golf365’s Dave Tindall bid to shoot in the 80s takes further twists and turns in Cheshire and West Yorkshire.
-
Features
Five must-play courses in Wales – the UK’s hidden golfing gem
Wales is often overlooked when discussing the best British courses but it shouldn’t be says Golf365’s Matt Cooper.
-
Videos
WATCH: Brad Faxon reveals unbelievable and game-changing Ben Crenshaw putting tip
Before becoming one of greatest putters the PGA Tour has seen, Brad Faxon was given a great piece of advice by another genius on the greens.
-
Videos
WATCH: Tom Watson reveals the amazing secret move that made Jack Nicklaus a great and which everyone can repeat
In this must-watch video, Tom Watson describes a key movement made by his old foe and now great friend, Jack Nicklaus.
-
News
The best deals in the American Golf Black Friday sale 2024
From drivers to irons and balls to golf bags, we take a look at the best deals in the American Golf Black Friday sale.