The Golf Traps

The Golf Traps

It's a nightmare - You're golfing along with a perfect swing, perfect stance and you've even managed to eliminate that slice that's plagued you. Despite doing everything right, even the best golfer will find himself (or herself) occasionally mired in the sand, knee-deep in grass or standing behind the largest tree on the golf course. If golf courses were all perfectly smooth with no bunkers, sand or water, the game would likely become boring for even the most dedicated golfer. Obstacles make golf a better game, and you'll be even more appreciative of these traps if you know the best ways to get out of the situations.

What are the odds that your golf ball will roll to a stop directly behind a tree? You have a couple of options. You can bore a hole through the tree large enough for your ball to pass through, but that's probably not going to meet the approval of either your fellow golfers or the course maintenance crew.

The option many golfers take is to sacrifice one putt to put the golf ball in a better position. Whether this is your best option depends on your ability as a golfer, and how much you're willing to risk on this one play. If there's another tree handy, a ricochet shot is sometimes an option, but it's too uncontrollable. You can't tell how the ball will react against the rough bark of the tree.

A better choice is to work on a curve ball before you get to this point, so that you'll be confident trying it when the time comes.

Sand presents another problem altogether. Many golfers choose the "whack and see" method. Just pull a sand wedge from the golf bag, whack the general area of the ball, then watch the sand flying through the air to see if a golf ball happened to take flight as well.

Consistency is the key to golfing overall, and getting out of the sand trap is no exception. Sand is a real problem when trying to control a golf ball. Golf balls don't roll well in sand and you're going to have trouble controlling a putt from the sand trap. Add to that the fact that you're often going to be dealing with an upward face of the trap before you're back on open course, and the only consistently reliable way to get out of a sand trap is to use the wedge and get enough loft on the ball to clear the face of the trap.

Choose your wedge carefully. Remember that you're looking for enough loft to clear the sand, but less loft is usually easier to control.

Regardless of the obstacle you're facing, controlling the ball, choosing the best club and setting up your shot are the steps that will get you back onto open ground.