Bump and Run:  Bunker Basices

By DAVID ALLEN
Equipment and Instruction Editor, GolfChannel.com
Posted: November 6, 2009

We know it’s difficult to find time to practice during the week. When a Saturday or Sunday tee time rolls around, you’re hoping to find some spark or productive swing thought that will help you break 100, 90, 80 or whatever your scoring goal may be.
 
With the weekend warrior in mind we created Bump and Run, a weekly Q&A with some of the game’s top instructors. Each Friday, a teaching professional will occupy this space and answer questions directed at improving your game. This week it’s Josh Zander, a teaching professional at Stanford University Golf Course and the Presidio Golf Club in Northern California.

JOSH ZANDER Teaching professional, Stanford University Golf Course, Palo Alto, Calif., and Presidio Golf Club, San Francisco Accomplishments: - Golf Digest’s Top-20 Teachers Under 40 (2007) - Golf Digest’s Top Teachers by State (2002-’09) - 2003 Northern California PGA Section Teacher of the Year Web Site: zandergolf.comContact: Stanford: 650-323-0944, Ext. 17; Presidio: 415-561-4661, Ext. 300

Zander, a former member of the Stanford University golf team, competed in the 1992 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links. He can frequently be found on the practice range at Stanford alongside one of the school’s most famous pupils, Michelle Wie, or in the practice bunker trying to help one of his students escape the sand. Zander says amateurs would have a much easier time getting out of the bunker if they understood what the club, specifically the bounce, was designed to do.

“Every bunker shot is the not the same,” said Zander. “Sometimes the sand is hard-packed, sometimes it’s real fluffy or the ball is buried. You can’t go about them all the same way.”

To submit a question to Zander or one of our teachers, please e-mail bumpandrun@thegolfchannel.com and check back every Friday to see if your question got answered. 

You made reference to the word bounce earlier. Just what exactly is bounce, and what is it designed to do?

Bounce is the angle between the clubhead’s leading edge and trailing edge. If you hold the club up to eye level, so the shaft is straight up and down, you’ll be able to see how much lower the trailing edge is to the leading edge.

Understanding the bounce of the club is huge because if you know how the bounce works, and how it moves through the sand, then you can look at any lie and adjust accordingly. From a tight lie, you want to use less bounce so the club will dig; from a fluffy lie, you need more bounce because you want it to skid.

If you open the face more that will create even more bounce on the club than you currently have. A lot of clubs will have the degree of bounce written on them. For every degree you open the face you’re adding one more degree of bounce.

Every degree you lean the shaft forward, you’re decreasing the bounce by one degree. If the sand is really hard-packed – which is the case at many municipal courses – and you have a 60-degree club with seven degrees of bounce on it, what you want to do is lean the shaft forward at least seven degrees in order to get the bounce and leading edge on the same level. This way, the club will not skip across the hard-packed sand into the middle of the ball and skull it.

What is one of the biggest mistakes you see from amateurs out of the greenside bunker?

They get in the bunker and they open their stance 45 degrees, and then they open the clubface. Opening your stance causes an outside-to-in swing, creating a glancing blow. Opening the clubface increases the bounce, so if you’re in hard-packed sand you’re very likely to skull one, even if you make a good swing.

If you have a standard 56-degree sand wedge with 12 degrees of bounce on it, and you set up dead square with a square clubface, you’ll have 12 degrees of bounce. If you use the club the way it’s designed, it’s going to work pretty well for you. It’s when you start to get too fancy with it, opening the face way up and opening your stance, that you make it a lot more challenging than it has to be.

What causes the dreaded skulled shot?

Two things: No. 1, you have too much bounce on the club, which makes it skip off the sand into the middle of the ball; No. 2, the club is actually entering the sand too far behind the ball. If you take a divot out of the sand it’s usually six to eight inches long. After those six to eight inches the clubhead exits the sand, so if you hit a bunker shot that’s eight inches fat, the club is going to catch the ball on the way up. You’re actually skulling it by having hit too much sand before the ball.

Could you recommend a drill or tip to help amateurs overcome their fear of skulling the ball?

A great idea is to imagine a dollar bill under the ball. Let’s call it six inches long. Imagine the ball is in the middle of the dollar bill – you can draw the bill in the sand when practicing – and make the club enter two to three inches behind the ball, and exit two to three inches past it. If you can do this consistently, you’ll be in good shape.

One other thing people don’t understand is how much speed you need to hit good bunker shots. My formula is if you have a 10-yard bunker shot, you need to create enough speed to allow the ball to go 30 yards if you were hitting it from the grass. It’s about a 3 to 1 ratio. If I’ve got a 45-foot bunker shot, I look at it like, ‘Okay, that’s 15 yards. How much do I want to fly the ball in the air? Okay, I want to fly it 10 of those yards. What’s my 30-yard swing from the grass?’ I make a couple of practice swings through the air and that’s my swing. This formula is based on a decent lie in the sand. If you’re buried, you might have to swing a little harder; if the sand is firm, you don’t have to swing as hard.

Too often you see golfers leaving the club in the sand, out of fear of skulling the ball over the green. How does one stop this?

I always want my students to feel like their follow-through is longer than their backswing. It also goes back to how much you open the clubface. If you have 12 degrees of bounce on the club and you open the face another 15 degrees, that’s a ton of bounce. You could skull the ball or go right under it and hit it about a foot. If you squared up your stance, squared the face a bit, and swung in to in like a regular golf swing, you’d have a better chance of getting the ball out safely.

Let’s get off the beach for one question. One of our readers writes in that he’s starting to look up on his shots from time to time. He says it’s causing him to lose 10 or more shots per round. How can he stop?

Almost always when people say they’re looking up on a shot, it’s not so much that their head pops up, it’s that they’re changing their spine angle. If you look at any Tour player, their eyes are always following the ball; they don’t keep their head down past the shot. It may be down at impact, but then it releases with the shot.

If you keep your head down past impact, it locks your body up so you can’t turn and accelerate through the shot. Allow your head to release but maintain your spine angle

Here’s a drill that will help you on your full-swing shots. Take your normal address position and place another ball down about two feet from the ball you’re hitting, or two feet outside of your target line. Make your normal swing, trying to get your left shoulder to point at the second ball on the backswing, and your right shoulder to point to it on the follow-through. You can do this without a club, too: Stick your arms out like an airplane, bend forward into your golf posture, and then point your left arm at the ball on your backswing, and your right arm at the ball in the follow-through. Stay in this imaginary two-foot zone and you’ll maintain your spine angle and make solid contact.

Have A Plan, Draw A Picture

by Phil Rodgers with Al Barkow 

A lot of golfers don’t think about the next shot!  But that’s at the heart of the game.  Look at the good pool or chess player.  He is always thinking ahead.  That’s the way good golf is played, too.

You are always going to be more successful in the long run if you have a plan for every shot, even if it fails occasionally.  I think many golfers get upset with poor shots and simply blame bad swing mechanics.  They should realize that bad swing mechanics often are the result of not thinking about where and how they want the ball to go, and why.  Somehow, when the purpose of a swing is more than merely getting the ball properly airborne, the shot is always better.

Having a plan involves strategy, which is the intellectual part of the game.  Creating a visual image is the artistic side of it.  The intellectual part is involved in calculating distance, weather conditions, the contour of the terrain.  the artistic side makes a picture with it all, adding instinct to the mix.  You can play golf with only one or the other, but the best golf is played when the two are a team.

Positive Practice

Golf practice come in three different packages.  There is the warm-up before starting a round, the pre shot routine during the round, and the session when you work on various parts of your swing seeking to learn and improve your long-term performance.

The Pre Round Warm-up

I’m not going to dwell on the fact that everyone should hit a few balls on the practice range before starting a round of golf.  Everyone can appreciate that loosening up the muscles and joints is necessary.  However, I will make a point many golfers don’t seem to be aware of; that is, the warm-up should be only that, it is not the time when you work on swing mechanics.  You should hit balls only to develop a good rhythm and swing pace.

To establish rhythm and pace, hit more shorter irons so that you won’t be temped to press for distance.  Hit a few drivers at the end of the warm-up to stretch y;ourself to the maximum, but after you do, wind down the session with some Short pitches and chips.  The thing all great player have is the ability to carry the rhythm and pace they develop on the practice tee to the course.  Pay attention to your tempo, and you have a better Chance of taking it into your round.

Your concern with aiming and hitting for certain distances is not as great, but you should always be aware of what your ball is doing in the air.  If you’re drawing the ball during your warm-up, that is probably going to be your shot for the day, so be prepared to play it during the round.

It is also a good idea in the warm-up to mimic your pre swing routine–the way you get into address when playing on the course.  Don’t just beat out some balls.  Get behind the ball for each practice shot, pick out a target area, walk into address and take the positions exactly as you do when playing on the course.  This also helps you establish you rhythm.  The idea is to prepare yourself so that when you get on the course it is not a foreign experience.  Make your warm-up a rehearsal, not just practice.

It also helps allay tension when you’re in a pressure situation on the course to have a simple routine to go through.  when you go through a familiar pattern of activity you are comfortable, and it gives you a sense of self-confidence.  Get into the pattern on the practice tee.

People will say they don’t see the pros warming up that way on the practice tee.  In many cases that’s true, which is why I maintain that 70 percent of the warm-up practice the pros do is not as productive as it should be.

After the ball-hitting warm-up, always stroke a few putts on the practice green.  Here again, work primarily on the rhythmic, even-paced stroke and the system you use for getting up to a putt.  You’ll probably putt for a hole, but a mark on the green would do just as well.  You can concentrate better on tempo.  In any case, make most of your practice putts no longer than 12 feet.  As I mentioned earlier, that’s the length from which you can reasonably expect to make putts.  A 12 footer is long enough to give you a feel for the speed of the greens with a stroke of sufficient length.  And if a few go in, you start the round with a positive psychological felling.

Remember, always warm-up the way you play, and play the way you warmed-up.  Plan to hit them, then hit them strait.  


 

The Caribbean – Your Final Golf Vacation Destination

Have you thought of dreamed of vacationing in paradise with white sandy beaches, the best Golf Courses you will ever play, alive with vestiges of the past and a sunset that leaves you breathless. You have just found Puerto Rico – Travel to a tropical Island with miles and miles of beaches, plus an unbelievable rain forest, and the most exciting night life you will ever encounter.

Puerto Rico is alive with vestiges of the past – even though the Island is a commonwealth of the United States, it’s hard not to think you’ve stepped into a Spanish colony when you arrive at your hotel in San Juan. In fact, if it weren’t for the American flags waving throughout San Juan, you might as well be in Spain. Music is everywhere – salsa is impossible to avoid, but all music is heard and various other Latin-flavored beats pulsate through the night. For the young at heart, Puerto Rico tourism has also adopted a Cancun-like atmosphere, hoping to attract carefree teens on spring break; but the country especially San Juan, is alive with the country’s history. Few other places in the Caribbean have preserved the past as well – Puerto Rico history thrives in the carefully restored harbors and colonial architecture that remains from its days as Spanish colony.

One small downside to this beautiful Island. San Juan is nothing if not a polarizing city. One of the largest in the Caribbean. San Juan is an urban Jungle. This is, of course, a problem for many vacationers. Most visitors choose the Caribbean to get away. To disappear. And that is unlikely to happen in such a place as San Juan. Instead, the city has welcomed the crowds and aggrandized them as one of the main selling point of the Puerto Rico Tourism industry – thousands and thousands of people certainly cannot be wrong. Regardless, many move immediately from the airport to the Puerto Rico hotels in more remote locations on the Island. But those that ignore the capital city, and Old San Juan in particular, are missing out on one of the most fascinating locales in the sea. Though it has taken its rich Puerto Rico history and diluted with Americana and the carefully insinuated designs of the Puerto Rico tourism industry, San Juan is still a wonder to behold.

The capital city, San Juan also has easy access to some of the best Puerto Rico beaches. Who needs anything else when you’ve got sun and sand and fruity rum drinks at hand? the city beaches of San Juan are an anomaly – the ones closest to the urban areas are often the best Puerto Rico beaches imaginable. City high-rises almost melt into the warm summer sea. Executives on break, interns just off work and mid-level managers mix seamlessly with locals and tourists and there is always a beach side bar within walking distance.

There are plenty of fine Puerto Rico beaches all across the Island. The eastern side is growing in popularity. In fact, many Puerto Rico vacations are based solely on the Island’s Atlantic side, where the sand is more powdery, the crowds thinner and the surfing at its peak. many of the most luxurious Puerto Rico hotels are also located on this end, growing exponentially the further southward you travel.

There are Golf Courses that take your breath away.  Close to San Juan you have the Plantation Golf Club in Dorado Beach and The Embassy Suites Dorado del Mar Beach & Golf Resort.  Swing east, and you will find Bahia Beach Resort & Golf Club, Berwind Country Club, Trump International Golf Club Rio Grande, PR, the Wyndham Rio Mar Beach Resort.  Further east you will fine El Comquistador Resort & Golf Club.  Try driving south to El Legado Golf Resort, Where ChiChi Rodriguez make his home.  A little further south you will arrive at Coamo Spring Golf & Tennis Club, then to Ponce, PR, where you will find Costa Caribe Golf & Country Club.  There are many more going West.  You can find them all in the Puerto Rico Golf Course Guide at www.worldgolf.com.  Hit them strait and far, and if not, post a good score.

After Golf and If fine dining is your specialty, while in the San Juan metropolitan area you will find the most exquisite restaurants in the Caribbean. first on the list of fine dining is Pikayo.  Plan to linger for several hours at this formal restaurant, where the dishes are as rich, complex, and deserving of it’s carefully selected surrounding. Chef Wilo Benet, widely regarded as one of Puerto Rico’s culinary rock stars, draws on the country’s African, Indian, and Spanish flavors to create what he calls “exotic criollo” cuisine. The menu is seafood-heavy; three perpetual standouts are the sesame-glazed tuna carpaccio, served with a scoop of wasabi sorbet; the blackened salmon drizzled with caper butter, and the risotto, a must, mama mia!.

The second restaurant that stands out from the rest is Los Chavales, located at FD Roosevelt Ave, in Hato Rey. Here you will find the most in Spanish cuisine. Typically a Spanish cuisine restaurant with an international flare, their menu is complete from seafood to steak to Paella, and their food preparation and presentation is second to non. They pride themselves in their hospitality, friendly atmosphere, and more important, fine dining. Their three perpetual standouts are the rice paella marinara, a combination of fresh fish, clams, lobster, shrimp, and mussels; fried whole red snapper with fried green plantain (tostones), and a NY strip sliced with a special sauce and a rich tasting rice. On Thursday and Friday you may find most of the CEO’s and Excutives from major companies along with some politician, chatting and exchanging views, a great place to socialize.

So, if your thinking of a Golf vacation filled with everything and close to home, think Puerto Rico, a never ending destination. Remember, there are no Passports or visas required for U. S. Citizens.

You will lavish in the most brightest sunshine, white sandy beaches and play the best Golf Courses ever, Puerto Rico your final destination.

The United States Virgin Islands - St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John, is the most popular tourist and golf destination in the Caribbean.

Our long standing, enviable international reputation is not solely based on our pristine beaches, warm weather, and crystal-clear waters — we’re also the most culturally diverse, ethnically rich, and artistically vibrant society in the tropics.  Our biggest asset is our sun-kissed people. Our residents are island-spiced, friendly and quick to smile. Contemporary Virgin Islanders are literally from everywhere. We are as diverse as the peaceful Arawak and fierce Carib Indians—and as culturally rich as the peoples of Africa, England, Holland, Denmark, Spain, France, India and the United States.

Nowhere else in the Caribbean offers such a good vacation value as the US Virgins. Secluded beaches.  National Parks. Duty-free shopping. Campgrounds.   Kayaking. Hiking. Ecological tours. World-class diving.  Superb  sailing. Tropical forests. Local craftsmen. Island art. Sunbathing. Fine Dining. Nightlife.

 Dining in The US Virgin Island

Welcome to the all new USVI ‘Tell It Like It Is’ Restaurant & Bar Guide!

Looking for an upbeat eatery on the beach? A romantic hideaway? An extravagant dining indulgence? The US Virgin Islands have it all — and more. Whether you are in paradise for a day, a week, or a lifetime, why shouldn’t you enjoy each and every dining out experience? With that in mind, this new guide was devised to help you make the best selections — and avoid any nasty unwanted surprises.

A few quick notes:

Each restaurant and bar listed here carries an automatic recommendation. No duds have been included. Food is rated good to excellent. “Good” equals tasty and satisfying. “Excellent” indicates truly superior meals. 

Although price guidelines are indicated, island dining never comes cheap.  Categories have been created to make selecting easier — OR investigate them all before you decide.  A ‘bow tie’ image indicates you may want to ‘sharp up’ a bit — however, island-casual dress is generally accepted everywhere.

If Golf is you desire

Tee-off Virgin Islands’-style amidst a dramatic backdrop of sun, sand and sea.Configured by world acclaimed designers and putted-on by presidents, courses on St. Thomas and St. Croix cater to golf enthusiasts who love to `play a round’ while on vacation
St Thomas Golf Course: Mahogany Run  Ratee: Four Stars

This Tom Fazio-designed, par-70, 18-hole course overlooks the Atlantic ocean with a view of the neighboring British Virgin Islands beyond. Most spectacular is the Devil’s Triangle – a trio of holes so challenging that golfers who play through them without a penalty shot earn a prize in the pro shop. Overall, the course has rolling hills, tropical valleys and greens that are really green, thanks to a recently completed multi-million dollar renovation which included a brand new irrigation system, recently regrassed greens and renovated bunkers.

Call for tee times or come by to play, availability is excellent. Informal scratch tournaments held throughout the year give visitors a chance to pit their skills against local players with hometown course knowledge. Three-day special packages available to golf enthusiasts. Groups are welcome and special tournaments complete with prizes can be arranged. No need to lug clubs from home, Mahogany Run offers Callaway-brand rentals.
 

St Croix Golf Course – Buccaneer Hotel

Set on the grounds of a former sugar plantation and located just east of Christiansted, the Buccaneer Hotel is an island within an island, offering one of the most extensive roster of activities on St. Croix. The 18-hole golf course takes players over sloping hills, right to the edge of the Caribbean sea.

Golf pro Tim Johnston is on duty full-time. Guests and non-guests welcome. Breakfast on The Terrace, with views to Christiansted Harbor, makes a delightful way to start a round of play.  Hotel guests play at reduced rates. One-week golf packages are also available to guests. Discounted 10-play books are available to all golfers.

Carambola Golf Course  Rated Four Stars

Nestled in the valleyed northwestern section of St. Croix, is the Laurence Rockefeller built,

Robert Trent Jones-designed Carambola Golf Course. Since opening thirty years ago, the Carambola has been awarded a gold medal by GOLF magazine for being one of the finest golf resorts  in the world and has been given a four-star rating by Golf Digest.

The par-70 course winds through a deep valley, full of water hazards in the form of spring-fed lakes. Bright tropical foliage makes for an exotic appeal. The rolling terrain and nearly 100 bunkers provide a stern test for the accomplished golfer, but four sets of tee markers and ample landing areas make Carambola a golf course players of all skill levels can enjoy.

In addition to the 26 quaint two-story red-roofed villas of the Westin Carambola Beach Resort, facilities for golfers include an expanded clubhouse, a practice putting green, a driving range and full-time golf pro, Greg McCulloch. The pro shop has rental clubs and lockers.
Carambola’s New York Deli serves super sandwiches and salads at lunchtime daily, catering to golfers and golf widows alike. Sunday Brunch is an island institution.

THE REEF CLUB

This 9-hole mini- golf course on the northeastern part of St. Croix has a casual personality perfect for some carefree putting. Friday afternoon scrambles are an event. There’s also a driving range.  Hit them strait and far.

Whether the subject of a photograph – or a passionate conversation about mother nature’s greatest gifts, the beaches of the US Virgin Islands offer endless topics to one and all.

Swimmers, snorkelers, divers and wanderers alike, find endless bliss in and around these incomparable teal blue waters.

The relatively small size of the islands means that one of its most awe-inspiring natural resources is within easy traveling distance. The beaches routinely rate among the best in the Caribbean, and offer variety unheard of on many islands.

To help you discover the one that’s right for you, here is a brief overview of some of the island’s best beaches. By the way, all beaches are open to the public, including those adjacent to hotel and resort properties. Some may charge a small fee to outside guests wishing to make use of amenities such as lounge chairs and water toys. However, you are sure to find courteous staff members, eager to assist you in arranging the best possible activities for your party.

And it’s all wrapped up in the safety, security, and efficiency of the American flag. The United States Virgin Islands. St. Thomas, St. Croix, and St. John. Three lively islands — one gentle people