Dave Pelz: “Studying the game”

Most golfers don’t open their wedge enough before they attempt to blast shots from sand, because they don’t know how far it’s supposed to be opened. That’s about to change.

Body aimed two steps left of target. Clubface aimed slightly right of target

The photograph at right depicts the perfect sand setup. The line through the ball points directly at the flagstick (my target because the green is flat). This is the direction I want the ball to fly. The line across my toes points two steps left of the flagstick. That’s the line for my body alignment and swing path. I don’t swing across the ball to the left, but rather I aim left and swing along my body line. The dashed line shows that I’ve positioned the ball off the instep of my left foot, allowing my natural swing arc to enter the sand behind the ball and bottom out under the ball.

Take a close look at the clubface. Notice how the face looks open, and how the groove lines are aimed slightly to the right of my target line. That’s a good image for you to learn. You can internalize this perfect setup at home using two yardsticks. Aim one yardstick at the right side of a door opening. Set the second yardstick next to the first, but point it to the left side of the door opening (toward the jamb). Set your feet along the left swing-line stick (left edge of door), and open your wedge face to aim just outside the yardstick that points to the right of the door opening. If you can remember this look when you get to the golf course, you’ll get your shots out of the sand and close to the pin.