If there’s one place on the golf course that I have seen
more people consistently struggle than anywhere else – it has to be the sand
bunker. At GMS we have defined 4 Levels
of Sand Bunker Players. And have found
that once a Golfer knows their Level, understands why they’re at that Level and
then starts implementing strategies to get to the next Level – they start to
become more consistent out of the sand.
Though, before we get into to those Levels, you often see 3
types of Golfers in the sand – a Golfer that gets it out without any problem; a
Golfer that can get it out sometimes, but struggle other times; and then you
have the Golfer that would rather use the infamous “Hand Wedge” to get it out
because they can’t do it with their sand wedge.
So if you’re the Golfer that has no problem getting the golf
ball out of the sand (without using your “Hand Wedge”), you might find the
following paragraphs ‘useless’. Though,
when you think about it – just because you get it out every time, doesn’t mean
you get it out “good” every time. That’s
why we came up with the 4 Levels of Bunker Players.
Level 1 – “I hate the sand. I can hardly ever get out”
Level 2 – “I can get it out once-in-a-while, though
sometimes when it goes out – it goes way over the green.”
Level 3 – “I have no problem getting the golf ball out of
the sand and getting it on the green (I do that 10 out of 10 times), I want to
get it close enough to make the putt.”
Level 4 – “I have the ability to try to hole just about
every bunker shot.”
Where the problem lies with most Golfers is that in reality
– most Golfers are in Level 1, with Level 2 running a distant second. Once you get to Level 3 – you’re starting to
talk about a group that's pretty much exclusive to PGA and LPGA Tour Players,
along with zero handicaps. We haven’t
seen many 18 handicaps (or 5 handicaps for that matter) that are Level 3 Bunker
Players.
However, there are many golf techniques that many Golfers
have heard and/or tried that could be making the sand tougher for you than it
needs to be.
And Lord knows that there are as many different techniques
employed in swinging a golf club to hit the golf ball out of the sand as their
different flavors of Frappuccino’s at Starbucks. So to say that there’s only one way to swing
the golf club to get the golf ball out of the sand would be ludicrous and/or an
unintelligent thing to say.
Trust me when I say that I can relate to many Golfers that
struggle out of the sand. Years ago I
used to struggle out of the sand like you wouldn’t believe. I could hit greens pretty well, yet if I
missed a green and landed in a green-side bunker – whoever I was playing
against would instantly see dollar signs. I could hit 14 greens in a round, hitting 3 of those missed greens into
the sand bunker and score much higher than you would think someone hitting 14
greens should score.
I’d leave my first shot in the bunker, second shot would fly
over the green into the other bunker, two to get out of there and then because
I was so flustered – three putt. And end
up taking a 9 on a Par 4 – sometimes, two or three times a round. So if you struggle out of the bunker – trust
me – I know your pain!
However, after much practice and experimentation – I was able to figure some
things out. And some of what I figured
out was that many of the golf techniques I was taught and read about - actually
made it more difficult to get out of the sand than it needed to be.
First – One of the worst things that you can try to do is to
intentionally try to hit or blast the sand. Yes, you do need to hit the sand before you hit the golf ball. Though, it was beaten into my thick head -
that you need to hit the sand. “Hit the
sand.” “Make sure you hit the
sand.” “Feel like you’re throwing the
sand onto the green.” “Make The Sand
Explode.” “Blah, blah, blah, blah.”
Again, yes, you do need to have your club hit the sand – but
the tip of "you need to hit the sand” and the way it’s often described has
caused many Golfers to end up digging too deep. Which would cause you to hit a shot that doesn’t get out of the sand and
that will possibly roll back to your feet. Which means that your next shot is going to be a line drive over the
green. So the question you might have is
– “well, then how much sand should I hit?”
That’s a great question.
In the GMS Survey we send to all Golfers that come to
see us – it’s almost unanimous amongst our Golfers as far as if they improved
and simplified their sand shots. Why is
that? What do we do that makes it so
much simpler?
Instead of thinking of all the Sand Shot Junk that has been
pumped up to become the “How To Get Out Of The Sand Gospel” – we just have you
make a golf swing like any other golf swing. Though, you do need to move your ball position slightly. But the good news is that there’s no opening up your clubface. There’s no having to open up your
stance. There’s none of that swinging
outside the line on your back swing mumbo jumbo. There's none of that or any of
the other stuff that's often involved with making getting out of the sand more difficult than it needs to be.
All you need to do is make your golf swing – the golf swing
that you would make on any iron shot. But, because you’re moving the golf ball more forward in your stance
(as opposed to when it’s on the grass), you’ll end up automatically hitting the sand
first – and allowing the sand to knock the ball out. As opposed to deliberately trying to hit the
sand or blast it out or blah, blah, blah, blah.
Just make sure you move your body like you would on any
other golf shot. Don’t be the Golfer
that’s just all arms and doesn’t move their body. Why do these Golfers become all arms? Because they’re told to hit the sand. So what do they do? They lift the club up with their arms and
then throw their arms down towards the sand because they want to hit it. And boy, they do hit the sand. Which has an influence on how you swing on your next shot. Because you don’t want to take too much sand on this next
shot – you compensate somewhere in your golf swing (to avoid hitting too much sand) and hit the golf ball
first.
“Fore, over the green!”
Trust me – in 1994 I was the worst Sand Bunker Player on the
Planet. So I know how many of you feel
about the sand. I hated the sand. Yet, now it’s not a big deal. It’s just like hitting an iron from the grass
just off the green.
Next week – we may continue with the story of how to become
a much better Sand Bunker Player by getting into the 4 Levels Of Bunker
Players. You won’t believe how much more
effective you can become out of the sand once you understand your Level and then
learning to play to that Level. I have
seen Golfers that have practiced sand shots for years that are still Level 1
Sand Players. However, I have met and
worked with some Golfers that were almost as bad as I was in 1994 that quickly
became Level 2 Sand Bunker Players by using the GMS way out of the sand while
combining the concept of understanding their Level of Sand Play.
The Monkey is trying to hit the sand
The Player hits the sand using their normal golf swing
For Anyone Considering Video Analysis - We have added our report on: "Using Video Analysis To Improve Your Golf Swing" to the Golf Made Simple website for you to download and view.
Indoor Putting Drill - If you'd like for us to email you a special Indoor Version of an excellent GMS Putting Drill that you could spend hours on this Winter - email us at IndoorPuttingDrill@GolfMadeSimple.com and put GIW in the subject line.
Tour Putting Square - Use the Tour Putting Square inside your home to improve your scores. Just send us an email at TourPuttingSquare@GolfMadeSimple.com with the subject: Tour Putting Square – and then in the body of the email tell us whether you'd like the indoor version of the Tour Putting Square or the outdoor version (for those that live in the lower Parallels) and we'll email you how to use this game changing drill.
Swing Drills & Core Training - To view a segment that covers 2 swing drills you can practice inside, email us at: PushUp@GolfMadeSimple.com with the words 'Golf Improvement Weekly' in the subject line to receive a link and password to access the video segment from our DVD - How To Improve Your Golf Swing Indoors.
"The True Motion Of The Golf Swing!"
As an avid golfer for 8 years, Scott Hall really got across
to me the true motion of the golf swing. I now feel that I can become an above
average golfer. Scott was a great
motivator and instructor.
I had a great learning experience as did
my sister, which really made me happy. Having been to a golf school before, I
can say that GMS's approach to teaching is perfect.
Jim R –
New York,
New York
– Sent March 5th, 2009
Attended
Boca Raton location on February 23rd
to 25th, 2009
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"I Shot An 82!"
I had the most amazing thing happen on January 26 2009 at
a golf club in Florida where we had just finished our round and my buddy wanted
to practice his chipping.
I was standing by the green and putting my buddy through
several short game drills we practiced with GMS and after 1 hour an official
from the club comes over and is looking at my bag. I asked him if everything
was okay and what was he looking at. He proceeded to tell me that the powers to
be did not appreciate pro’s using their teaching facilities to give lessons.
I thanked him profusely for making my day for mistaking
me for a golf pro (which I took as a compliment) and told him I shot an 82 and
this just made the day perfect. Shooting
an 82 and then getting mistaken as a Golf Pro.
I have never forgotten the good lessons I picked up at
Golf Made Simple!
Regards,
Sheldon C – Toronto, Canada – Sent March 11th, 2009
Attended Tampa location on January 5th to 7th, 2007
Excerpted from Classic GIW Issue 130 from March 16th, 2005
Watching golf on TV is great
especially if there's a great match going on like they did last Sunday at the
Honda Classic in South Florida. When a
golf match gets down to the last few holes with a few Players around the lead
you get to see all the great shots and all the shots that don't go as great -
or as the golfer watching on TV says when the Player goofs-up "Hey that
looks like me, I could've done that." But, because most of the time
these Players that are in contention are in the "Zone" or as we like
to say - they're on a streak of good shots - you only see the best golfers at
their very best. And in a way, this is unfortunate because it would
actually help your game if you're able to watch the best Players In The World
struggle a little bit.
I haven't had much chance in
the last 5 years or so to watch golf on TV - or maybe I should say I don't have
much desire to watch golf on TV anymore because the TV networks are showing
their version of the golf match and not what's really happening. What I
mean by this is …..
To continue reading the rest of this Classic GIW
- Click Here »
Go Long & Score Low!
At this past week’s Senior Tour Event – Jay Sigel (two time
US Amatuer Champ, one time British Amatuer Champ and 8 time winner on the Senior
Tour), made a comeback after shoulder surgery.
What’s interesting is the difference in scores between Round 1 and Round
2.
In Round 1 he scored a 10 over par 82. In Round 2 he scored a 3 under par 69. That’s a 13 stroke difference and pretty
close to 1 stroke a hole (or more precisely a .72 stroke per hole difference),
which is huge for a successful Player like Jay Sigel. So what was the difference between the
rounds?
One huge difference is that in Round 1 – Sigel hit 11 out of
14 Fairways to score 10 over Par. In
Round 2 he hit 6 out of 14 Fairways to score 3 under Par. Huh?
More Fairways yet a higher score?
Well in Round 1 he drove the golf ball “only” 232 yards vs. driving the golf
ball 280 yards in Round 2. Which lead
him to have easier irons to the green, that lead to hitting more Greens In
Regulation and having shorter putts.
To view a segment that covers the Belly Swing Drill and Modified Belly
Swing Drill, along with 3 different levels of Push-ups, email us at: pushup@golfmadesimple.com
with the words 'Golf Improvement Weekly' in the subject line to receive
a link and password to access the video segment from our DVD.
FLORIDA
St. Augustine
Amelia Island
Boca Raton
Tampa
CALIFORNIA
Palm Springs
Lake Tahoe
ARIZONA
Phoenix
"World's Best Golf Resorts" TRAVEL + LEISURE / GOLF
"Home of the PGA Tour's Honda Classic
from 1997 to 2002"
"The Golf Club at North Hampton is the 7th Best Course You Can Play In Florida" - GolfWeek
"Home of the PGA Tour's Skins Game
from 2003 to 2006"
"One of 23 courses given a 5 star rating,
including Bethpage Black, Pebble Beach,
Bandon Dunes,
TPC Sawgrass, Kiawah Island
and Pinehurst #2"
Some Recent Golfers
Doug H., Melanie H., Trevor V., Sam V.
March 7th to 9th, 2009
GMS La Quinta/Palm Springs Location
Dwayne B., Mike A
February 23rd to 25th, 2009 GMS Phoenix, Arizona Location
Bill O., Tim B., Bo L., Kerstin L
March 4th to 16th, 2009 GMS Tampa, Florida Location
What does the GMS Golfer look like?
GMS has such a diverse group of Golfers that have come to see us from all over the world. From CEO's of major corporations to Emmy Award winning producers to small business owners to elementary school teachers to regular people like you and I.
With limiting our groups to only 4 Golfers - many of you don't get to meet all the great people that we get to meet. So we want to introduce you to some of them.
Your Name:
Ron Gansfuss
Where do you live?
Flemington, New Jersey. I have lived in the area all of my life.
Wife, Stacy married 16 years; 2 children - Kelly 14 and Chris 10.
Year and location of first visit to GMS:
First visited GMS in July 2006 at Amelia Island with my son Chris who was 8 at the time.
Favorite GMS location:
I have visited 4 GMS locations in total - Amelia Island with just my son - Tampa with my whole family, but just my son and I attended the instructional program - Phoenix with my son and my golfing buddy and his 10 year old son - and Lake Tahoe with my daughter. I have 2 favorite locations, Amelia Island and Phoenix. The courses were fantastic and I liked both areas. Both had separate practice areas and the non-GMS people working at the golf courses were very accommodating.
Most memorable GMS moment:
At Tampa, standing on the 9th hole, a 300 yard par 4 that is uphill all the way. The green is protected by 3 bunkers on the left side and bunkers all the way up the right side – lots of trouble to hit into. Jeff helped me with my PLAN which was to aim at the bunkers on the left (which I couldn't reach). This would leave me an 80 yard 2nd shot to the green which would take all the bunkers around the green out of play.
Well I hit my tee shot perfect, it started out towards the bunker and then softly faded (as it continued to carry longer than I've ever hit a golf ball) and landed on the green. It actually came to rest on the back of the green 80 feet past the hole. I am not sure who was more excited, Jeff or me. I did miss the 80 foot eagle putt, but did make the birdie.
Favorite GMS Quote :
One of my favorite quotes which I will never forget was in Phoenix. It was on a short par 4. I picked my driver out of my bag when it really wasn't needed as there was trouble everywhere on the hole – when my PLAN should've been to just get the ball in play. Jeff looked right through me as I was walking towards the tee and said -"I'm not a golf instructor, I'm a zookeeper". Meaning it was a Monkey decision for me to want to hit my driver on this hole.
Each trip has offered me wonderful memories, each being very different. I wouldn't trade them for anything.
Most Valuable Thing Learned at GMS :
You mean besides the fact that golf is actually fun to play when you know what you're doing!! I've also learned that most of the game is mental and you just need a smooth swing since all swings are the same.
When I first came to GMS back in July 2006, I was a true Monkey; I didn't own a driver and I convinced myself I was capable of breaking 100. Yet, the only way I could break 100 was to break the rules. Mulligans were a staple of my game and I never took a distance penalty. If I kept a handicap, my index would have been the maximum of 36. I thought it would be a miracle if I was one of the 90% of golfers that GMS has helped to break 90 as stated on your website.
I bought into the GMS philosophy 100% and I returned for a second time to my instructor Jeff in April 2007, then in January 2008 and again May 2008. I did not feel I needed to return in May 2008, I went for the sole purpose of bringing my daughter, however I got just as much or more out of the 4th time as I did the 1st time. When I finished the 2007 season, my index was down to 20.7. That's a 43% improvement in 18 months. I still hadn't broken 90, but I was knocking on the door and my low score was 92.
Now after attending GMS this year, my index is 17.7 which is a 51% improvement in a little over 2 years, and my low score has gone from well over 100 to 89, yes I finally broke 90 and my low score on 9 holes is a 42. I've had back to back 90's and many low 90 scores.
What do you like about GMS:
It's truly simplified. You have found a way to make golf instruction easy. I remember my first lesson from the local "pro"; he showed me where to roll my wrists during my swing. Can you imagine thinking about rolling your wrists during your downswing? I used to. It's no wonder I hit banana balls. Talk about Monkeys. GMS drills are simple and they work. When I start having a problem, I know what drill I need to work on, and if I don't, GMS is just an email away to help me.
Home golf course:
I have 2 home courses - Heron Glen in Flemington, New Jersey and Split Rock Resort in Split Rock, Pennsylvania. Since I have a vacation home in the Poconos, all of July & August I play up there at Split Rock. Heron Glen is very narrow and difficult. When I bring a "golfer" there, they hardly ever break 100 the first time they play, even those with teen handicaps. I had my lowest score ever on that course, an 89. I have become very proficient with the ½ swing driver shot and play it a lot on that course. I even use it on 2 of the par 3's and walk away with many pars & bogies with it.
Your favorite golf course and why:
I remember playing Ko'Alau Golf Club in Oahu, Hawaii in 2001. The course is dubbed "The hardest course in the world". I think I shot a 125 that day and went through at least a box of balls. I would love to return one day and try it again. Even though the course ate me alive, the views were breathtaking.
Favorite PGA, LPGA or Champions Tour Player:
Tiger Woods. Look at all he had to overcome to become possibly the best player who ever played the game. I admire his work ethic, his competitiveness, and sheer determination to win.
If you could play a round of golf with 3 other people (living or dead), who would you pick to round out your foursome and what golf course (if you could play anywhere) would you choose to play on?:
If I could play with any player dead or alive, I would choose Tiger Woods, my deceased father and my son. Tiger always maintains a certain element of class, and changed the sport. He also has a tremendous work ethic and I would hope some of it would rub off on my son. My father didn't play golf, but I do miss him, so it would be great to see him again. My son and I are extremely close, and do almost everything together, he's been right there with me through the GMS classes.
I would play Pebble Beach since I probably will never get the opportunity to play it.
Anything that you'd like to add:
GMS has taken me 180 degrees, from being incredibly frustrated and ready to quit the game to playing the best golf of my life and feeling as if I still can and will improve. Jeff has been great and very supportive, from the "what am I doing wrong" phone calls to the "I've finally broke 90 and kicked everyone's butt" emails. I hope to get back to GMS for the Level 2 to get me to the next level and beyond, who knows maybe I'll even get Marc to teach me.
Where Are Your Reading This Issue Of Golf Improvement Weekly?
Right now, this issue of Golf Improvement Weekly is reaching
and being read by Golfers from over 50 countries from around the world. And what’s interesting is that all these
Golfers are reading GIW for one simple reason – they’re trying to learn to
become more consistent with their golf swing. Why is this interesting?
It’s interesting to us since we all come from different
cultures, have different views on worldly affairs, different religions,
different beliefs, different lifestyles – yet we can all come together when it
comes to the game of golf and discovering how to hit that golf ball a little
better. And you know what – that makes
me feel good. That our stupid, little
newsletter can have people from all over the world that have different agendas
come together for a few minutes each week and unite. Even if it’s only for a few minutes and it’s
to read about playing better golf – at least it’s a start.
Why am I writing this – I don’t know – it was just coming
from my heart.
Though, what it does say is that regardless of who you are
and where you’re from – if you’re a Golfer, you’re looking to become more
consistent with your golf swing. And
it’s neat to think that a guy from Akron, Ohio and a lady from Singapore and a
kid from Australia, and a Golfer from Argentina and people from many countries in
the Middle East, and Golfers from all over the globe all have the same desires
of hitting the golf ball a little better.
Thomas Friedman wrote a book called “The World Is Flat” and
GMS and Golf Improvement Weekly is living proof that it is. Just in the last 5 days, we have had a Golfer
come to see us from
Italy
and a Golfer from
Israel (in
addition to all the Golfers from the States and
Canada). We have spoken on the telephone with a GMS
Golfer from
Mexico City about his golf game,
emailed with a Golfer in
Indonesia
and spoken on the telephone with a Golfer that was signing up from
Ireland. 5 minutes ago we just had a Golfer from
Ecuador send us
an email about signing up for a GMS class. And yesterday we had a Golfer from
Punjab,
India request our Indoor
Putting Drill and a Golfer from
South
Africa request our DVD.
All of that happening in just the last 5 days.
The question now becomes – if our little email newsletter
can bring us all together, to the point that Golfers from all over the world
could probably sit down at a table and talk about this Issue of GIW (about getting out of the sand) or just talk about golf in general – why can’t the leaders of our
countries do the same in a matter that brings us all together?
There are so many good people in this world and we're blessed here at GMS to have the opportunity to meet and interact with them everyday.
Regards,
Alex (Alexandria) - Director
Golf Made Simple, Inc.
Toll Free - 1-888-580-3635
International - 001.904.460.8355
Email: Alex@GolfMadeSimple.com
