Greg NormanGreg Norman
Menu
  • The Company
    • The Greg Norman Company
    • Company Timeline
    • Greg Norman Collection
    • Greg Norman Golf Course Design
    • Greg Norman Estates
    • Greg Norman Australian Grille
    • Greg Norman Australian Prime
    • Greg Norman Developments
    • Norman Design Group
    • Shark Experience
    • Shark Wake Park
  • The Shark
    • Biography
    • Career Highlights
    • Tournament Victories
    • Golf Tips
    • Fitness Tips
  • Press Room
    • Latest News
    • By Category
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Partners
    • Authentic Brands Group
    • Caddy Clubhouse Cocktails
    • Club Car
    • COBRA PUMA Golf
    • Delos
    • Nirvana Water Sciences
    • Novex Biotech
    • Playsight
    • QBE Shootout
    • Sandals Resorts
    • Spalk
    • Verizon
    • Vietnam
  • Shop at Shark.com
    • Greg Norman Collection
    • Greg Norman Estates
    • Greg Norman Australian Prime
  • Stay Connected
    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Contact Us
Greg NormanGreg Norman
  • Shop at Shark.com
    • Greg Norman Collection
    • Greg Norman Estates
    • Greg Norman Australian Prime
  • Stay Connected
    • Instagram
    • Facebook
    • Twitter
    • Contact Us
  • The Company
    • The Greg Norman Company
    • Company Timeline
    • Greg Norman Collection
    • Greg Norman Golf Course Design
    • Greg Norman Estates
    • Greg Norman Australian Grille
    • Greg Norman Australian Prime
    • Greg Norman Developments
    • Norman Design Group
    • Shark Experience
    • Shark Wake Park
  • The Shark
    • Biography
    • Career Highlights
    • Tournament Victories
    • Golf Tips
    • Fitness Tips
  • Press Room
    • Latest News
    • News By Category
    • Photo Galleries
    • Videos
  • Partners
    • Authentic Brands Group
    • Caddy Clubhouse Cocktails
    • Club Car
    • COBRA PUMA Golf
    • Delos
    • Nirvana Water Sciences
    • Novex Biotech
    • Playsight
    • QBE Shootout
    • Sandals Resorts
    • Spalk
    • Verizon
    • Vietnam
    • Shark Logo
  • How to Play the Hardest Shot

    • How to Play the Hardest Shot

    As far as I'm concerned, the hardest bunker shot is the severely downhill lie. Invariably the assignment is to get the ball up quickly while the slope is working hard against you.

    Still, there's no reason to bail out with a chip shot to the side, if you know the proper technique. Begin by playing the ball well back in your open stance. Depending on the seventy of the slope, the proper position could be as far back as your right toe. This will leave your hands well ahead of the ball and most of your weight on your left side. It will also take much of the effective loft off your wedge, so compensate for this by opening the blade wide. On this shot more than any other, you'll need to pick the club up quickly and return it steeply to the sand. You'll also have to strike the sand closer to the ball than usual.

    The common error on this shot is to blade the ball into the the face of the bunker or over the green. But if you make a point of hitting down hard, then you'll be able to get the wedge under the ball, and that action will lift it up and over the lip.

    • Previous Tip
    • Next Tip

    Part I: Before You Swing

    • Clap Hands For The Grip
    • The Short Thumb
    • Look High, Look Low
    • Aim The Clubface First
    • Your Feet Can Fool You
    • Don't Toe The Line
    • Posture Is Natural
    • The Root Of Many Evils
    • One Spot For Every Shot
    • Suit Yourself
    • Get The Picture
    • Consider A Bit Of Flare
    • Open Up On Short Irons
    • The Right Height
    • Why Jack And I Hover The Club
    • A Game Of Inches
    • Get A Countdown
    • Step All The Way Back

    Part II: The Long Game

    • Pulling The Trigger
    • The Left-elbow Lead
    • The Extension Bench
    • R.P.B. For Long Drives
    • My Swing Doesn't Change
    • Three Wrongs And A Right
    • Read Your Wrists
    • It's A Horse Race
    • Hit The Second Ball
    • Tempo And Rhythm
    • How To Hit It Off The Deck
    • On Long Irons
    • For Battles In Britain
    • The High Shot
    • How To Make It Suck Back
    • The Spinless Shot
    • Shotmaking Made Easy

    Part III: The Short Game

    • Throw Yourself Into the Short Game
    • They're Just Shorter Swings
    • Fit The Swing To The Shot
    • Hit Your Short Shots Hard
    • One of the Few Laws
    • Master The Method, Vary The Clubs
    • Chipmaking
    • Blast from Bermuda, Putt the Rest
    • Deaden Impact with a Putter Grip
    • How To Miss It Close
    • The Knockdown Punch
    • The Seven-Fingered Shot
    • The Sand Wedge Putt
    • Putters Aren't Just For Putting
    • Why You Should Putt Aggressively
    • I'm An Apex Putter
    • Trust Your Technique
    • Keep Your Eye on the Back
    • Hold the Hold in Putting
    • Know The Breaks
    • The Ultimate Nerve Test
    • Part IV: Bunkers And Trouble Play

      • Four 'Musts' In Bunkers
      • It's Just a Splash
      • Play Detective
      • Double the Distance in Sand
      • The Long Distance Runner
      • How To Make It Sit
      • Take a Stab at Short Shots
      • Seve's Softee
      • Slice An 8-Iron
      • How to Play the Hardest Shot
      • The Best Two Hours You Can Spend
      • Slash Your Way Out of Jail
      • Grass Knowledge
      • Debunking Flyers
      • How's It Growing?
      • The Lazy Lob
      • Living With Divots
      • Go Ahead, Have A Blast
      • Lean Against The Slope
      • Tips For Playing In Rain
      • Into A Hard Wind, Take A Light Grip
      • Don't Fight Crosswinds

      Part V: Managing Yourself And Your Game

      • Know Thyself
      • Pace Yourself
      • Get The Stiffest Shaft You Can Handle
      • Be Bold with Your Strengths
      • Pep Talks
      • Go To The Movies
      • Why I See the Apex
      • Suit Your Shot To A Tee
      • The Secret Weapon
      • Look For 'Bad' Lies
      • Play The Hole Backward
      • On A Tight Tee Shot, Get Loose
      • Walk Smartly
      • 3-Way Yardage
      • Yardage Is Only the Beginning
      • Between Clubs, Go with Your Tendency
      • Gauging the Greens
      • Don't Be A Sucker
      • Read Greens From Afar
      • My Practice Practices
      • Have A Post-Round Agenda
      • Shake It Off
    • The Company
      • The Greg Norman Company
      • Company Timeline
      • Greg Norman Collection
      • Greg Norman Golf Course Design
      • Greg Norman Estates
      • Greg Norman Australian Grille
      • Greg Norman Australian Prime
      • Greg Norman Developments
      • Norman Design Group
      • Shark Experience
      • Shark Wake Park
    • The Shark
      • Biography
      • Career Highlights
      • Tournament Victories
      • Golf Tips
      • Fitness Tips
    • Press Room
      • Latest News
      • News By Category
      • Photo Galleries
      • Videos
    • Partners
      • Authentic Brands Group
      • Caddy Clubhouse Cocktails
      • Club Car
      • COBRA PUMA Golf
      • Delos
      • Nirvana Water Sciences
      • Novex Biotech
      • Playsight
      • QBE Shootout
      • Sandals Resorts
      • Spalk
      • Verizon
      • Vietnam
    • Friends
      • GCSAA
      • CureSearch for Children's Cancer
    • Stay Connected
        • Instagram
        • Facebook
        • Twitter
        • Contact Us
© 1999 - Present. Greg Norman Interactive, LLC. All rights reserved.
Legal StatementPrivacy PolicyWebsite Accessibility