The Most Dreaded Shot In Golf
By Ben Throckmorton
The long green side bunker shot is one of the hardest in all of golf.

Having said that if you'll practice the following technique, the next time you're faced with this shot you just might find it a little bit easier.

Here is the typical scenario:

You find yourself with a good lie in a green side bunker but this is no ordinary shot. The pin is a good 20 - 30 yards from your location. Now, normally, you would take out your sand wedge and try to take a mighty swing that nips the ball cleanly. Sometimes this shot comes off and the ball flies out of the bunker and lands somewhere near the flag stick, making you one of the proudest golfers of all time but most times, however, the result is far less desirable. Most likely an ugly

Sportsbooks.com offers free weekly $1,000.00 NFL Pick'em contests for all active members.
Sportsbooks.com gives all of their active members a free bet each week. This online sportsbook is offering a free weekly $1,000.00 NFL Pick'em contests for all their members. Click here for details on how to participate.
Stankowski wins Canadian Tour Championship
Tom Stankowski birdied his final two holes Sunday to earn his first victory on the Canadian Tour at the Canadian Tour Championship. He shot a final-round, three-under 69 and won the title at by two strokes at 16-under 272. Overnight co-leader Wes ...
Heffernan, Stankowski share Canadian Tour Championship lead
Wes Heffernan and Tom Stankowski both shot five-under 67 Saturday to move into a share of the lead after the third round of the Canadian Tour Championship. Heffernan and Stankowski are tied at 13-under-par 203, one shot off the tournament's 54-hol...
Im still in front at Canadian Tour Championship
Daniel Im posted a four-under 68 on Friday to stay atop the leaderboard after the second round of the Canadian Tour Championship. Im finished 36 holes at 12-under 132 and is one ahead at National Pines Golf Club. Marc Lawless fired a nine-under 63...
Im leads Canadian Tour Championship
Daniel Im fired an eight-under 64 on Thursday to take the first-round lead of the season-ending Canadian Tour Championship at National Pines Golf Club. Leading money winner John Ellis and James Hahn are knotted in second place at seven-under 65. A...
Eger grabs first win at Seaforth Classic
Kent Eger fired a seven-under 64 Sunday to win a shootout at the Seaforth Country Classic. Eger completed the tournament at 26-under-par 258, two strokes clear of three players, two of whom account for five wins this season. John Ellis, a three-ti...
Bland, Eger share lead at Seaforth Classic
Australia's Adam Bland fired a 10-under 61 on Saturday to grab a share of the lead after three rounds of the inaugural Seaforth Country Classic. A two-time Canadian Tour winner, Bland had 10 birdies in a flawless round at Seaforth Golf Club to hea...
Collins, Parr share lead at Seaforth Classic
Wil Collins and Andrew Parr both fired rounds of eight-under 63 Friday to move into a share of the lead after two rounds of the inaugural Seaforth Classic at Seaforth Golf Club. Collins and Parr completed 36 holes at 14-under-par 128. Both players...
Bland leads at Seaforth Classic
Adam Bland fired an eight-under-par 63 on Thursday to take the opening-round lead of the inaugural Seaforth Classic at Seaforth Golf Club. Daniel Im, Clint Rice, Andy Matthews and Matt Daniel share second place at seven-under 64. Bland started on ...
Coe gets first Canadian Tour win
Alex Coe shot a two-under 68 on Sunday to earn his first Canadian Tour victory at the Jane Rogers Championship at Mississauga. Coe, a tour rookie, finished at 15-under 265 and won by three over last week's winner Graham DeLaet, who only managed a ...
Coe two clear in Ontario
Alex Coe fired his second straight five- under 65 Saturday to grab a two-stroke lead after three rounds of the Jane Rogers Championship of Mississauga. Coe completed 54 holes at 13-under-par 197. That bettered the 54-hole scoring record by three s...
Bradford grabs one-shot lead in Ontario
George Bradford posted a four-under 66 Friday to grab a one-shot lead after two rounds of the Jane Rogers Championship of Mississauga. Bradford completed 36 holes at nine-under-par 131. He leads by one over Ryan Yip (66) and Alex Coe (65). Tim Woo...

thin shot that flies over the flag, over the green, and into the bunker or worse that lies just beyond the green or worse yet, you flinch and hit the shot fat leaving your golf ball in the bunker and your golf club in jeopardy of being broken, tossed in the water, or being left for some other unsuspecting duffer.

Never fear, here is the answer that will help you when confronted with this situation.

1. Do not take out your sand wedge. Instead choose your pitching wedge or even 9 iron. The pitching wedge when used in this situation will release and roll further than your sand wedge and your 9 iron will release and travel farther than your pitching wedge.

2. Take your normal stance in the bunker with your feet pointing approximately 20 - 30 degrees left of the target. Note: If you play left handed reverse the verbiage and the technique will work for you as well.

3. Open the face of the pitching wedge or 9 iron relative to your target. This will expose the back edge of the club effectively applying bounce to the club. The "bounce" will prevent the club face from digging into the sand which would leave your golf ball in the bunker or well short of the hole.

4. Take a nice smooth swing and hit 1 to 2 inches behind the golf ball just as you would with a normal green side bunker shot.

5. Accelerate to a full finish and watch the ball fly toward the hole and release after hitting the green. The ball will roll out and finish somewhere near the hole

6. Practice with each club a bit to get a feel for how far the ball will fly and how far it will roll once it hits the green when you use this technique and I guarantee you'll save yourself some shots.

Enjoy your golf.