Hitting Out of Wet Sand
February 1st, 2005 | Published in Golf.com Pelz Vault
Focus on two simple keys for wet sand. Leonard Kamsler
Picture your ball sitting in wet, packed sand. To get out, do you think you have to swing harder and hit closer to the ball than you do when the sand is dry? If you are nodding yes, then you’ve got it wrong.
When your ball finds wet sand, focus on two simple keys:
- Swing EASY
- Slap the sand
Photo by Leonard Kamsler
Photo by Leonard Kamsler
Good shots from wet sand usually come out faster and fly farther than those hit from dry sand, so you need to swing easier. The danger is that if you set your club-face square at address, it might dig into the wet surface and get stuck–almost come to a stop.
The result is a completely flubbed shot. To prevent the flub, make sure your club-face is wide open, so the bounce on the back of the sole, not the leading edge, is exposed to the sand. This will ensure that the club will bounce (reflect upward) on impact with the sand.
Photos by Leonard Kamsler
Photo by Leonard Kamsler
Photo by Leonard Kamsler
Once you know that the club-face will not dig, the danger becomes the club bouncing too much and catching the ball thin. This is why you need to slap down on wet sand.
The club-face has to penetrate into the sand enough to slide under the ball. The firmer the sand, the harder you should slap down on it, but expect the ball to come out faster and go farther than normal. It’s a different feel, so practice this shot whenever you have the chance. To see this in action, check out my wet-sand shot compared to Jim Furyk’s dry-sand shot.
Photo by Leonard Kamsler
Photo by Leonard Kamsler
Hit at about the same swing speed, my ball comes out much faster and will carry much farther, while both have ample backspin. Remember, swing easy enough to prevent hitting long and slap down firmly enough to get the club-face under the ball. Do that and your worries in wet sand will dry up.
