How to Hit Bunker Shots
May 30, 2008
I’ve wondered how to hit bunker shots for a long time now. What is the best way to go about it? - Tony in Ogden, UT
Great question and for those of us who have no clue how to hit bunker shots listen up. All of us at one time or another have hit a shot into the dreaded bunker or what is more commonly referred to as a sand trap. No fun is it? Actually, I think its quite a pain in the ass when you’re having a great game and all of a sudden the golf gods deem it necessary to blow your ball into something dirty that’s really difficult to get out of….
Anyways, if you simply need help with learning this skill and don’t actually suffer from the yips, then here is a simple drill you can use to hit golf bunker shots right every time. Find yourself a sand trap and take with you 3 clubs. These will be your sand wedge, lob wedge and pitching wedge. Take the time to hit a few shots with each club so that you begin to develop this skill and notice the difference in how the ball comes out of the sand. After that its just a matter of selecting the club that you’re most comfortable with.
1. First thing to understand is that you have to have your right index finger about an inch from the bottom of the grip. Doing so will give you more control of the club while allowing you to get a feel for the shot rather than smacking away at it.
2. Make sure to keep a narrower stance than you would normally have and address the ball a few inches forward in your stance. Applying this method provides better control of the shot which will lead to a higher ball flight.
3. Get your feet to where they are stable in the sand and make the most vertical swing as you can. Your left arm should be parallel to the ground and fully extended at the top of your swing.
4. As you start the downswing you should focus on hitting 1 inch behind the ball. Surprisingly, don’t focus on hitting at the ball and your arms and body follow the ball as it leaves the sand.
That’s pretty much all there is to it but the key is to keep a steep angle on the downswing towards the sand. However you don’t have to swing at the ball hard when you hit bunker shots because the point of this is to propel the ball out of the sand trap vs launching it into the blue yonder. Happy strokes!
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Beginner Golf Swing Tips - Golf Swing Path
April 7, 2008
I need to really learn how to get a better golf swing path. Would you so kindly dispense some beginner golf swing tips? Thank you. - Michael in Salisbury, MD
First off, for people who aren’t quite familiar yet, your golf swing path determines the starting direction of the ball. Knowing the type of swing path you currently have is the key to understanding your shots. It’s very important to recognize the type of shots that each swing path produces.
This will allow you to effectively analyze your swing. Watch the shape of your shots and the way the shots curve, after you have taken the time to do this, examine the depth and direction of your divots. Also, keep in mind that every swing has two separate golf swing paths. There is one golf swing path for the back swing, and one for the down swing.
As for your back swing, the height and the distance you stand from the ball will determine the best angle of this path. You should begin your take away by keeping the club head low and your hands as far away from your head as possible. This helps you create a larger arc and gain club head speed. As your shoulders turn and the club head rises keep the club on this path.
Imagine a line from the ball to the target. If you can keep the club on this golf swing path, you will have the club aligned at the top of your swing and this is critical as you begin to transition to the down swing. Another thing to keep in mind - there is no perfect golf swing path.
Your body build type determine the best path for you to take and you can work this out with the guidelines above and through your own hard work. A good golf swing tip for you… as long as your club is parallel at the top of your swing in relation to the ball, your shot will be a lot more accurate.
Remember, by practicing your golf swing path daily will help you to make this movement automatic and in turn will make you a better golfer. Take the time to really examine what you are doing and don’t get mad if you aren’t seeing progress over night. Simply get out there and you will be amazed at how far you’ve come with consistent and determined effort. Happy strokes!!
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Golf Explained - Etiquette of Golf in 13 Easy Steps
April 3, 2008
Your very own “beginner golf tip girl” the Golf Virgin, felt that it was time to help out with some common sense driven golf course etiquette. She has recently been appalled at stunningly stupid behavior from “people” who should know better.
Here is a nice, quick and easy chart… < - - loves charts, for all of you to fold up in your pocket and carry with you onto the green. You’ve now been forewarned. Learn this simple, etiquette of golf and be saved the misery of wide open mouths staring at you in disbelief. See below - golf explained.
| 1. Arrive at your scheduled tee off time. |
| 2. Be sure to be patient and respect other players on the course as you wish to be respected and don’t make any loud noise. Normal speaking or conversation is ok but hooting and hollering at your buddies isn’t. |
| 3. Check your marker and your ball number in order to avoid confusion during the game. |
| 4. Do not take practice swings on the tee off zone. |
| 5. For the sake of common sense, do not stand close behind, near or in front of any other player and be as quiet as possible when a player is about to take a shot. |
| 6. Normally, the player with the lowest handicap starts the game by taking their first shot. On all other tees the player with the best score out of the previous hole has “the honor”, meaning he has the right to play (with) his ball first. |
| 7. Always be prepared to play your ball in order to avoid any delay in the game and leave immediately after you’ve made your shot. (Sounds like most men doesn’t it?) |
| 8. Don’t play your stroke if other players intend to do their puts on any green in the neighborhood. |
| 9. Don’t take a shot in the direction of another player that may be in hitting distance. See the post why we yell fore in golf for more info. |
| 10. Be kind, nothing will piss off a Superintendent more than not replacing divots or fixing any other damage you cause to the course. And make sure to rake those bunkers back into perfect condition! |
| 11. To avoid looking like someone of lesser intelligence, don’t drive your cart over tee off areas, greens or through a sand bunker. Also, before putting be sure to leave your cart somewhere beside the green, preferably in an area beside the next tee off zone. |
| 12. Try to stand somewhere beside the player who has to do the next shot. |
| 13. If possible, try to observe not only your own but also the balls of the other players in your company. This will help to save time in case one of your partners may not be able to find his ball immediately after his shot. |
I could go on and on and on, especially after some of the absolutely, thoughtless behaviors I’ve witnessed in my time. So now y’all know some quick and easy ways not to look like “fantard” swaggering around, looking for a beating. Use this etiquette of golf and if you don’t hey… don’t be surprised if someone takes their club to your head. Happy strokes!!
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Beginner Golf Tips for Everyone
April 2, 2008
Hey beginner golf tip girl. I’m in need of some help here. I find that I have trouble with my stance. My buddy says he sees my left knee dropping in sometimes when I swing. But he couldn’t really tell me how to fix it. Worthless bastard huh? Anyways, what golf tips could you give me young lady? - Anonymous
Beginner golf tip… girl? Why don’t you just be proper and call me by my name? Golf Virgin… you’re not shy about that are you? Wow, all these people wanting golf tips left and right just makes me happy as a lark. Definitely makes me perk up when I know people are getting help. So Anonymous Name Person, golf tips I will give.
I’ve come across a lot of golfers who let their left knee collapse toward the right during the backswing. When your knee falls in like that, it causes your shoulder to drop, and makes you end up turning too far into the swing itself. Now in order to correct this problem, imagine taking a solid stance with your left knee going out toward the target on the backswing.
There should be a feeling of stability in both knees. If this is difficult to visualize, imagine a basketball between your knees. This basically gives you a perfect idea of how your golf stance should look and feel like.
Keep in mind that on the backswing, it is highly important to keep your weight on the inside of the right foot, and maintain a slight bend in the knee. If this does not happen, it can lead to poor contact when the clubhead meets the ball and a definite power loss.
Think of it this way, as you are drawing back the club, imagine that the right knee is rooted into the ground. Doing so allows for your upper body to coil behind the ball which enables you to powerfully swing through and make a nice clean drive.
Another good beginner golf tip for you Anonymous Name Person is that in order to work towards and maintain an accurate and powerful swing, practice making the extension and follow through with your club after you’ve taken your swing. Finally, put a tee about 8 inches in front of the ball that you are going to hit.
Make an effort to hit not only the ball but also the tee. This will help to train you to swing through the ball, not at it, just don’t get too overzealous and begin wacking away like a drunken old fogey in hysterics.
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Hit a Golf Ball Straight
April 1, 2008
I saw your last post and it got me thinking that while I can get alright distance, I have trouble sometimes when I try to hit a golf ball straight consistently. Any beginner golf tips you could give me too?? Thanks. - Nat in Conroe, TX
Hey, thanks for checking out the other posts. In seeking that perfect golf shot, many golfers experience frustration because they have yet master the basics of a good golf swing. Refer to the super quick list of steps below for another beginner golf tip so you can get those basics down. If you are able to develop control over the club and achieve a relaxed swing you will start to hit a golf ball straight.
Step 1:
Stand behind the ball and pick a mark just ahead of the ball in the line of your target.
Step 2:
With both feet together, stand facing the ball and stand about three-quarters of an arm’s length away from the ball.
Step 3:
Take a small step forward towards the ball with your left foot, and take a normal step backward with your right foot. The distance between your feet should be about a shoulder width apart.
Step 4:
Pull the club straight back from the golf ball to the top of the backswing. The club should be parallel to the ground.
Step 5:
Swing the golf club back down along the same path, without pausing at the top.
Step 6:
Keep your head down and hit the golf ball solid. Allow the club to follow through until it reaches your back.
Use your golf muscles to support the club and think of it like it was a whip that is an extension of your arms. Now, use the leverage you get from this to get a clean connection with the ball. This gives you a straighter drive.
Simply follow this little bit of advice and put the effort forth that is required when you are serious about learning something new and you will begin to see a perfect golf shot time and time again arc through the sky and land exactly where you want. Happy strokes!!
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Average Club Distance
March 31, 2008
Hey, can you help out with a beginner golf tip? What is the average club distance that I should looking for? It’s seems like almost everyone can shoot farther than I can and I want to know how to improve. - Hagen in Emporia, KS
Great question there, and a simple beginner golf tip is this.
I love charts, and there is a quick one below that provides a guide to measure by. This is a simple format that generally states what the normal yardages are for both amateur men and women golfers using a particular club. But remember this isn’t the end all and be all of the average club distance someone should expect. The ranges are pretty large, and represent short hitters, mid hitters and long hitters.
| Club | Men | Women |
| Driver | 200-230-260 | 150-175-200 |
| 3-wood | 180-215-235 | 125-150-180 |
| 5-wood | 170-195-210 | 105-135-170 |
| 2-iron | 170-195-210 | 105-135-170 |
| 3-iron | 160-180-200 | 100-125-160 |
| 4-iron | 150-170-185 | 90-120-150 |
| 5-iron | 140-160-170 | 80-110-140 |
| 6-iron | 130-150-160 | 70-100-130 |
| 7-iron | 120-140-150 | 65-90-120 |
| 8-iron | 110-130-140 | 60-80-110 |
| 9-iron | 95-115-130 | 55-70-95 |
| PW | 80-105-120 | 50-60-80 |
| SW | 60-80-100 | 40-50-60 |
There are, of course, people who hit it longer, just as there are people who hit it shorter, so don’t become attached to a certain number. Don’t be too hard on yourself, if you haven’t spent that much time golfing be patient and realize that it takes time to get your average club distance up to where you aren’t thinking about it so much. Then again this is something that we can all strive to improve upon, myself included.
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In the Leather
March 17, 2008
Golf Virgin, I saw your answer earlier and I wanted to know if “in the leather” is similar to what you talked mentioned about a conceded putt? - Don in San Diego, CA
Well, the term in the leather has nothing to do with certain types of risqué practice that some people enjoy. And yes you are correct in your thinking of this being similar to a conceded putt, where one player allows the other making the putt to move on as if the putt had been holed.
In the leather is a slang expression for a short putt, no longer than the distance from your putter head to putter grip when laid flat on the green. Be friendly to your buddies because you never know when you might find yourself all tied up.
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Are Balata Balls for Virgins?
March 8, 2008
Hey Golf Virgin, I have heard about balata balls from my friends and I wanted to know if they were better? - Ivan in Bay City, MI
Gosh, I love virgins… so naive… so willing to try new and interesting ways of doing things. Has listening to your buddies talk about their balata golf balls and how much better they feel got you curious hun?
Balata balls are covered by a substance derived from the gum of the “Bully” or Balata tree of the West Indies and Northeastern South America. These types of balls are said to have more “action” or spin to them along with a better feel but not necessarily the distance of other balls. Here is something that you should remember though, beginners should avoid these because they are not as durable due to the covering and can be more expensive.
Just keep playing with the golf balls you have right now and soon, one day… you can open your package of fresh new balata golf balls and with your nice and shiny balata putter, sink one deep into the 18th hole for The Golf Virgin. Enjoy!!
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A Golf Slice Cured
March 7, 2008
I have a golf slice but I really want to get better and improve this as much as possible. Do you think this is something that I can work out on my own? - Quinn in Rapid City, SD
A golf slice requires a lot of hard work to improve and if you really are interested in making this cure stick then lets get into the meat of how and why this happens and go from there. I want to pick this apart so you can gain a much clearer understanding of what you need to improve your stroke. Now, to make it perfectly clear, this advice is for righties so you need to reverse this if you are lefty.
If you hit a golf slice to the right, it means that it’s curving in a left-right motion across the horizon and if the ball doing this, it is spinning in a clockwise direction. Right now, imagine that your ball is sitting on a peg. To spin the ball clockwise, the club has to swing more to the left with the clubface pointing slightly to the right. In a golf slice, hitting the ball with an open clubface makes the ball curve across the sky as a slice. So tell me, my virgin friend, how’s your grip in golf?
Consider this. Your grip has little to do with the direction of the swing but has absolutely everything to do with where the clubface is looking upon impact with the golf ball such as being in the opened, closed or square position. Everyone has their own unique way of holding a golf club. To keep this simple, if your hands are turned too far to the left on the club, this will more likely than not return with the face of the club looking to the right at impact.
Something else to keep in mind while preparing to swing is having a correct golf stance. In the course of playing you find yourself hitting a golf slice far to the left, you may find yourself compensating by adjusting your swing over to the right. However, in doing this basically you are not addressing the root of the problem and creating another one from the opposite direction. What do you do to fix this then?
Lay your club on the ground and make sure that it is parallel with your target line so you can check your aim. Make positive that your aim is not too far over to the left and keep in mind the alignment between your feet, knees, hips and shoulders are parallel to the club on the ground and with your target line.
By checking your stance you can determine what is really going on with your swing. Let the ball be your guide. Are you seeing it curving less over to the right? If so then you are getting close and if its curving over to the left or flying straight, then you are starting to make some headway.
Now if you are one of those rare hard to find, self-motivated go getters, then it is definitely possible that with practice and A LOT of hard work you will see an improvement in your score, not to mention your overall enjoyment of the game.
Get out there and experience for yourself if this works go over to all your buddies and tell them how the Golf Virgin helped improve your game. You never know until you try.
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Your Nearest Point of Relief in Golf
March 5, 2008
How would I figure out the nearest point of relief? - Nathan in Odessa, TX
Hmmm, well the nearest point of relief is not the bush over yonder where you can urinate after your 8th beer.
The nearest point of relief is the spot where a ball can be played which is nearest to where the original ball lies. This is the closest spot on the course that is away from interference where a player may drop or place their ball.
Now here is an example, if the cart path interferes with your ball, stance or swing, you can move and drop the ball with absolutely no penalty. But you must drop your ball within one club-length of the nearest point where you can stand and swing without interference from the path - so long as you do not move the ball closer to the hole.
This also depends on the length of your club that you are about to take your next shot with so keep that in mind. Look at your ball in relation to the hole and what is causing the interference. Then determine the nearest point that allows you to stand and make the swing that you need for your next shot and this is your nearest point of relief.
P.S. I have recently answered a question about casual water and how this relates to the nearest point of relief. Take a look.
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