Splash shot keys

Head pro at Littlestone GC in Kent and Golf Monthly Top 25 coach, Andrew Jones offers you advice on how to play those greenside splash shots.

Head pro at Littlestone GC in Kent and Golf Monthly Top 25 coach, Andrew Jones offers you advice on how to play those greenside splash shots.

The key to playing the greenside splash shot well is having a consistent divot pattern. This drill will help you avoid thinning the ball into the face or fatting it into the lip.

Use the handle of the rake to draw a line in the sand and place a ball at the top of the line.

Starting at the bottom of the line and working up towards the ball, make a series of practice swings, finishing by playing the ball. Hit the sand through impact and the line will give you a great idea of where the club is bottoming out in the swing. If you have set the ball forward in your stance at address and maintain a good posture, your splash or divot will start a couple of inches before the line and finish a couple of inches after it.

If you have a tendency to lean back through impact (catching the ball fat) your splash will come before the line.

If you strike bunker shots thin, your splash will start after the line.

Work your way from bottom to top and then hit the ball. Without having to think too technically about the shot, you'll start to develop a much better feel for how to play it. Remember, you are not looking to strike the ball first here. Instead, if you catch the sand first, the ball will come out softly onto the green giving you a chance at saving par!

This is a great way to master the consistency of splash you need to be a good bunker player.