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Pretty common topic of golf conversation? “How can I get off the beach without a bucket, shovel and perhaps a rake?”

There are only three elements … 1) Bottom Of Swing Arc … BOSA, 2) adequate LOFT and 3) enough Clubhead Speed.

1. BOSA for Bunker Work demands a precision bottom accomplished under a Tallish Chin with Longish Arms or ‘Lever Assemblies’. If we have control of the Tallish Chin and Hands, Wrists & Arms Length, we will have reasonable control of ‘Down Force’ and ‘Impact & Separation’. Make that “THUMP” when you hit the sand!
2. Adequate LOFT is simply about ‘Club Selection’. ‘Loft’ is your friend. Remember your #SW has generally got the most ‘Bounce’, which helps us not strike the sand overly fat. We do not want to dig a ditch! There is a procedure of what we refer to as ‘Open Open’ … Open Clubface Aim and Open Alignment. I am not a big fan until I have run out of ‘Loft’. I don’t like ‘Side Spin’ if I can avoid it!

Short Game

The primary task when you are still ‘Off The Green’ is to ‘Get the ball on the Dance Floor behaving like a Putt as soon as possible’. Might I add that you must truly believe in yourself!

When out in the ‘Approach Zone’ we should focus precisely on the 5/10/15 Foot Circles. From there we can make good things happen more often than not! Smaller circles make for improved ‘Putting Stats’.

When out in the ‘Approach Zone’ we will be well-served to ‘Quadrant The Greens’. By that, your 555 Team means ‘Gunsighting The Green’ or breaking it into ‘Four Quadrants’ of approximately the same area or size. (see ‘Cross Hairs’)

The Step Step Drill

Align properly using two ‘Ground Sticks’. Stand with your feet square and separated about 4 to 6 inches. Flare your Target Foot 45 to 55 degrees. This is essential to inviting and causing your Target Hip to Clear or Retreat Aft and thus make room for the advancing thrusting Brace Leg and Hip. You must ‘Steer So You Can Clear’.

The drill is now to Step Brace about 6 to 8 inches in a very controlled ‘Take-Away’. This ‘Step Length’ depends on your ‘Club Selection … long shafts require a slightly longer step and width.

The ‘Full Circle’ has 360 degrees. Therefore, in one hour (60 minutes) the ‘Minute Hand’ travels through a ‘Full Circle or 360 Degrees’. (12 o’clock to 6 o’clock to 12 o’clock … 180 x 2 = 360)

If we divide 360 Degrees by 60 Minutes, we get 6 Degrees per Minute. (6 x 60 = 360)

If we expand this ‘Degree-ness’ to include our ‘Clubheads’, our ‘Putter’ will usually have between 2 and 6 degrees of ‘Loft’ … the angle of the Clubface to Mother Earth. The typical Driver has between 8 and 12 degrees. The typical III Wood has 15 degrees. The typical V Wood has 20 degrees. The Typical VII Wood has 25 degrees. (see 5 degree splits) The #SW usually has 56 degrees, the #PW usually has 48 degrees, the #9 Iron – 44 degrees, the #8 Iron – 40 degrees, the #7 Iron – 36 degrees, the #6 Iron – 32 degrees, the #5 Iron – 28 degrees, the #4 Iron – 24 degrees, the #3 Iron – 20 degrees etc. (see 4 degree splits)

All our brethren world-wide sooner or later hear about our ‘555 Golf Concepts Approach’ to this Great Game. One that has been both popular and meaningful is the ‘Tether Ball Pole Concept’. It focuses on ‘Core Structure’ (‘Pivot’) as well as ‘Rope & Ball’ (‘Lever Length’). Our ‘Balsa Airplane Concept’ is also important in principle and performance.

We winde up the ‘Rubber Band Engine’ with tip of our finger. When ready to make it fly, we simply release the ‘Tension’ and launch with a deliberate toss towards the heavens.

The ‘Human Golfing Machine’ is quite similar, but we replace the ‘Airplane Rubber Band’ with ‘Soft Tissue’ that also has marvelously practical elasticity.

Your Dream Journey

I have had numerous requests over the recent months for a ‘Most Basic Abbreviated Summary’ of what is necessary to enjoy happiness coming from ‘The Great Game’! So, in this quiet moment, early in the ‘morrow, here it is … for YOU!

1. Non Optional Ingredients … Golf embodies ‘Desire Honesty and an Open Mind’
2. Master Golf Basics (MGB) … Learn The ‘555 System’. It will support YOU!
3. Focus On Fundamentals (FOF)
4. The 5 Set-Ups Are the Foundation … Learn them deliberately!
5. The 5 Essential Elements Tune The Instruments

I just had a stranger (customer now!) call me about ‘Unusual Lies’ … situations wherein the ground is not ‘Usual’ (level and clean). In this situation, your ‘Stance’ will also be a little ‘Non Standard’. Don’t fight the ‘Unusual’! Learn to adjust efficiently!

So, how do we prepare (‘Set-Up’) and ‘Execute’ abnormally?
The answer is, “As close to Normal / Usual as possible!”

If you pay attention, listen to your body talking, you shall not struggle with these anomalies!

If the ground is NOT level, do not stand as though it were! We may be ‘Plumb’ in the ‘Static State’, but we are ‘Forward Leaning’ in the ‘Dynamic Mode’.

What does this term mean?

When we ‘Set-Up’ and stand on flat ground, ready to ‘Trigger Our Take-Away and Back Swing’, that would be classified as a ‘Usual Lie’. (see ‘Flat Lie’)

Anything else would be an ‘Unusual Lie’. (see ‘Uneven Lie’)

This situation is sometimes appropriately called an ‘Unbalanced Stance’ … where the ground, ‘Mother Earth’, causes us to be ‘Out Of Balance’ … feeling like we might fall over or become unstable in our ‘Full Golf Swing’ … ‘Front and/or Back Swing’.

There are really only three categories of ‘Unusual Lies’ …

Be aware of your ‘Clubhead Mass’ at all times from pulling the golf club out of your bag, to warm-up swings and to the real thing! When you ‘Feel The Steel’ you control your ‘Momentum and the three dimensions of ‘The Working End’ of your short stick … or any golf club … just a head, shaft and a grip!

There is a fabulous ‘Short Game Bunker Drill’, a ‘555 Golf Bullet-Proof Skill Drill’, called the ‘2x4 Splash Drill’. Take a 24 inch length of 2x4 and push it back & forth in the sand until the top face becomes level to the beach! Set up to it rather neutrally or normally! Pick a precise spot on this 2x4 and strike it positively back and forth 5 times or ‘Reps’. (see ‘Tick Tocks’ with little thumps!) You will have left a distinct small impact mark! Add a very small handful of sand to the ‘Impact Point’ of the board … on the mark that your Clubhead sole left! Make a short to medium ‘Back & Up Swing’ … with your “&” Word … with a ‘Gravitational Drop’… Bend & Straighten … Pinch - Thump! Amazingly, the small ‘Pile Of Sand’ will go away very much under control! (5 Reps and 5 Series … Feel The Steel)

adding the word “SNAP” is no improvement
There’s got to be a simple FIX!

So, how might I protect from and prevent this nasty ‘Champion Killing Shot Shape Outcome’?

The three elements in a Draw Hook are 1) Inside-Out Clubhead Path, 2) Closed Clubface Aim through ‘Separation’ and 3) Fast Closing Clubface Hand Speed through the ‘Impact & Separation Zone’. (see ‘Flippy Handed’ … some instructors promote ‘Pronation’ to your peril!) (see ‘Arms Over Legs’ … your Lower Body Machine must ‘Lead The Front Swing Power Train Sequence’ … ‘From The Ground Up’ and ‘From The Inside Out’!)