Ladies in the sand
Getting out of the sand is a challenge for most golfers but can
be even more so for women golfers. The reason being that sand is
heavier and takes more strength to get the ball out. One of the
things I do to demonstrate this in a sand lesson is to hand my
student a 14 oz cup filled with sand and I ask them if it feels
heavy. Next I have them hold their sand wedge out in front of them
at arms length with the face up and I set the cup of sand on the
face and tell them to not let it drop. Most men can hold it for a
little while, some for a few seconds, some longer. Most women
can’t; I said most not all.
Ladies in the sand
Getting out of the sand is a challenge for most golfers but can be even more so for women golfers. The reason being that sand is heavier and takes more strength to get the ball out. One of the things I do to demonstrate this in a sand lesson is to hand my student a 14 oz cup filled with sand and I ask them if it feels heavy. Next I have them hold their sand wedge out in front of them at arms length with the face up and I set the cup of sand on the face and tell them to not let it drop. Most men can hold it for a little while, some for a few seconds, some longer. Most women can’t; I said most not all.
The next thing I do is hit a ball out of the sand and take the cup of sand and fill in the, “divot”. Most of the time there is just enough sand in the cup to fill it up, sometimes I need more. What does this demonstration show? It shows that it takes more strength to keep the wedge moving through the sand to get the ball out.
Since most women don’t have strong hands and wrists they need speed to get the ball out. Here’s a different way to approach your sand shots. Think of it this way – if I told you to take a shovel into a bunker, dig into the sand and throw the sand over your shoulder behind you, how would that feel? You would have to accelerate from the sand until the shovel was behind you. So the next time you are in the sand take a full backswing and feel like you are going to throw the sand behind you like it was a shovel. You might find out sand isn’t so scary after all.
The Eagle Ridge Kids Course is open every Sunday at 3 p.m. for kids 12 and under. Cost is $5 for all the holes you want to play. We provide clubs, balls and tees. Have any golf related questions? From rules to club fitting you can call me at 408-846-4531 or e-mail me at sk*****@ea**********.com. We are beginning our Summer Junior golf programs. We will be offering classes that run from five days a week on down to once a week. So call or e-mail me for details. If you would like to read some of my past tips, you can do so at www.pinnaclenews.com. And don’t forget, if you’re not having fun playing golf call your local PGA or LPGA instructor, we will help. Golf is more fun when you’re improving. Don’t be afraid to be good.
