Tyler Ferrell is the only person in the world named to Golf Digest's list of Best Young Teachers in America AND its list of Best Golf Fitness Professionals in America.

Fix Your Bunker Shots with the Under Armpit Throw Drill

After this video, you'll be able to:

  • Feel the correct leftward hand path for better bunker shots
  • Understand how to maintain bounce for higher, softer landings
  • Practice single-arm techniques to enhance your club control in bunkers

Learn the Under Lead Armpit Throw drill to correct your bunker shot technique. This drill helps you achieve a better hand path for improved bounce and contact in the sand.

Video Transcript
WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.800
This bunker drill is throw under your left or lead armpit so this is a drill

2
00:00:06.800 --> 00:00:09.920
that I got from James Seachman that works pretty well for golfers who have a

3
00:00:09.920 --> 00:00:16.080
tendency to get the hand path on the way through going too much out to the

4
00:00:16.080 --> 00:00:16.320
right

5
00:00:16.320 --> 00:00:22.280
or into out. That typically takes away bounce and causes the body when the arms

6
00:00:22.280 --> 00:00:26.720
are extend forward like that it causes the body to want to hang back or move

7
00:00:26.720 --> 00:00:33.280
backward so it tends to cause kind of like this where at the very least I catch

8
00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:39.080
them with not a lot of bounce and I hit them really low. So in order to get a

9
00:00:39.080 --> 00:00:44.880
little bit more leftward path and keep the bounce open we're gonna imagine that

10
00:00:44.880 --> 00:00:51.240
we're gonna throw a frisbee or throw a ball under our left armpit. So almost

11
00:00:51.240 --> 00:00:56.480
similar to something we've done with the driver I'm going to get down towards

12
00:00:56.480 --> 00:01:01.840
impact so right arm only feel and then I'm going to feel like I throw that palm

13
00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:06.960
underneath my left armpit up towards the sky so it's kind of having a motion

14
00:01:06.960 --> 00:01:11.400
going more like this where the thumb is pointing away or going into ulnar

15
00:01:11.400 --> 00:01:15.800
deviation but there's not a lot of rotation and extension like we might do

16
00:01:15.800 --> 00:01:22.520
in the full swing. So now if I keep that arm out has a feeling kind of like

17
00:01:22.520 --> 00:01:22.680
that

18
00:01:22.680 --> 00:01:27.840
and you can hear how well it hits the sand. It's hard to do this single arm but

19
00:01:27.840 --> 00:01:32.120
you're welcome to give it a try so if I hold this out or even put it on a club

20
00:01:32.120 --> 00:01:37.480
I can do single arm kind of throwing it over there and then if I put my left

21
00:01:37.480 --> 00:01:42.070
arm on you'll feel that if you're used to the club going out to the right you

22
00:01:42.070 --> 00:01:42.180
'll

23
00:01:42.180 --> 00:01:47.680
feel that your arm is very bent and almost along your side instead of if it

24
00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:51.600
goes out to the right you'll tend to keep both of those arms straight. Because

25
00:01:51.600 --> 00:01:51.720
the

26
00:01:51.720 --> 00:01:56.400
club's going to pass the hands down at the bottom of the shot it's much more

27
00:01:56.400 --> 00:02:00.840
common for this arm to bend pretty quickly or chicken wing on the way

28
00:02:00.840 --> 00:02:05.960
through and finish over here kind of in your holster as opposed to out to the

29
00:02:05.960 --> 00:02:11.400
right like we might do in the full swing. So once I have this feeling of the

30
00:02:11.400 --> 00:02:11.840
the

31
00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:18.680
hand going more under and more around I can apply that feeling into my full

32
00:02:18.680 --> 00:02:24.560
swing now or sorry my full bunker shot. One thing that I've noticed is that

33
00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:24.720
some

34
00:02:24.720 --> 00:02:28.400
golfers when they start trying to do this in order to keep the palm up you'll

35
00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:32.600
see that they start leaning back. You want to make sure that the you stay on

36
00:02:32.600 --> 00:02:36.940
top of it with your upper body and that you don't get tilting backward because

37
00:02:36.940 --> 00:02:39.960
that's going to make it really hard to get the bottom of your swing out in

38
00:02:39.960 --> 00:02:40.160
front

39
00:02:40.160 --> 00:02:51.400
of the golf ball. So now working around and under getting on top kind of like

40
00:02:51.400 --> 00:02:57.760
that that's one way to help control the splash and the depth of your bunker

41
00:02:57.760 --> 00:02:57.960
shot

42
00:02:57.960 --> 00:03:01.420
if you're a good player or to control solid contact and not getting too

43
00:03:01.420 --> 00:03:05.000
shallow if you really struggle with bunker shots. So it's a great drill for

44
00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:11.080
both good players as well as poor skilled bunker players because it combos the

45
00:03:11.080 --> 00:03:16.360
path working more around as well as the face staying open as long as you

46
00:03:16.360 --> 00:03:16.580
control

47
00:03:16.580 --> 00:03:20.320
low point with a little bit more arm sequencing. You're almost guaranteed if

48
00:03:20.320 --> 00:03:23.360
you make this movement you're going to get out of the bunker shot and it's

49
00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:23.560
gonna

50
00:03:23.560 --> 00:03:30.080
help build your feel of how you become really adept with your bunker touch.

51
00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:45.000
[BLANK_AUDIO]

Have questions?

Ask Mulligan for help
Related topics
This video hasn't been assigned to any topics yet. Browse all topics in the sidebar.
Tyler Ferrell is the only person in the world named to Golf Digest's list of Best Young Teachers in America AND its list of Best Golf Fitness Professionals in America.

Fix Your Bunker Shots with the Under Armpit Throw Drill

After this video, you'll be able to:

  • Feel the correct leftward hand path for better bunker shots
  • Understand how to maintain bounce for higher, softer landings
  • Practice single-arm techniques to enhance your club control in bunkers

Learn the Under Lead Armpit Throw drill to correct your bunker shot technique. This drill helps you achieve a better hand path for improved bounce and contact in the sand.

Video Transcript
WEBVTT

1
00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:06.800
This bunker drill is throw under your left or lead armpit so this is a drill

2
00:00:06.800 --> 00:00:09.920
that I got from James Seachman that works pretty well for golfers who have a

3
00:00:09.920 --> 00:00:16.080
tendency to get the hand path on the way through going too much out to the

4
00:00:16.080 --> 00:00:16.320
right

5
00:00:16.320 --> 00:00:22.280
or into out. That typically takes away bounce and causes the body when the arms

6
00:00:22.280 --> 00:00:26.720
are extend forward like that it causes the body to want to hang back or move

7
00:00:26.720 --> 00:00:33.280
backward so it tends to cause kind of like this where at the very least I catch

8
00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:39.080
them with not a lot of bounce and I hit them really low. So in order to get a

9
00:00:39.080 --> 00:00:44.880
little bit more leftward path and keep the bounce open we're gonna imagine that

10
00:00:44.880 --> 00:00:51.240
we're gonna throw a frisbee or throw a ball under our left armpit. So almost

11
00:00:51.240 --> 00:00:56.480
similar to something we've done with the driver I'm going to get down towards

12
00:00:56.480 --> 00:01:01.840
impact so right arm only feel and then I'm going to feel like I throw that palm

13
00:01:01.840 --> 00:01:06.960
underneath my left armpit up towards the sky so it's kind of having a motion

14
00:01:06.960 --> 00:01:11.400
going more like this where the thumb is pointing away or going into ulnar

15
00:01:11.400 --> 00:01:15.800
deviation but there's not a lot of rotation and extension like we might do

16
00:01:15.800 --> 00:01:22.520
in the full swing. So now if I keep that arm out has a feeling kind of like

17
00:01:22.520 --> 00:01:22.680
that

18
00:01:22.680 --> 00:01:27.840
and you can hear how well it hits the sand. It's hard to do this single arm but

19
00:01:27.840 --> 00:01:32.120
you're welcome to give it a try so if I hold this out or even put it on a club

20
00:01:32.120 --> 00:01:37.480
I can do single arm kind of throwing it over there and then if I put my left

21
00:01:37.480 --> 00:01:42.070
arm on you'll feel that if you're used to the club going out to the right you

22
00:01:42.070 --> 00:01:42.180
'll

23
00:01:42.180 --> 00:01:47.680
feel that your arm is very bent and almost along your side instead of if it

24
00:01:47.680 --> 00:01:51.600
goes out to the right you'll tend to keep both of those arms straight. Because

25
00:01:51.600 --> 00:01:51.720
the

26
00:01:51.720 --> 00:01:56.400
club's going to pass the hands down at the bottom of the shot it's much more

27
00:01:56.400 --> 00:02:00.840
common for this arm to bend pretty quickly or chicken wing on the way

28
00:02:00.840 --> 00:02:05.960
through and finish over here kind of in your holster as opposed to out to the

29
00:02:05.960 --> 00:02:11.400
right like we might do in the full swing. So once I have this feeling of the

30
00:02:11.400 --> 00:02:11.840
the

31
00:02:11.840 --> 00:02:18.680
hand going more under and more around I can apply that feeling into my full

32
00:02:18.680 --> 00:02:24.560
swing now or sorry my full bunker shot. One thing that I've noticed is that

33
00:02:24.560 --> 00:02:24.720
some

34
00:02:24.720 --> 00:02:28.400
golfers when they start trying to do this in order to keep the palm up you'll

35
00:02:28.400 --> 00:02:32.600
see that they start leaning back. You want to make sure that the you stay on

36
00:02:32.600 --> 00:02:36.940
top of it with your upper body and that you don't get tilting backward because

37
00:02:36.940 --> 00:02:39.960
that's going to make it really hard to get the bottom of your swing out in

38
00:02:39.960 --> 00:02:40.160
front

39
00:02:40.160 --> 00:02:51.400
of the golf ball. So now working around and under getting on top kind of like

40
00:02:51.400 --> 00:02:57.760
that that's one way to help control the splash and the depth of your bunker

41
00:02:57.760 --> 00:02:57.960
shot

42
00:02:57.960 --> 00:03:01.420
if you're a good player or to control solid contact and not getting too

43
00:03:01.420 --> 00:03:05.000
shallow if you really struggle with bunker shots. So it's a great drill for

44
00:03:05.000 --> 00:03:11.080
both good players as well as poor skilled bunker players because it combos the

45
00:03:11.080 --> 00:03:16.360
path working more around as well as the face staying open as long as you

46
00:03:16.360 --> 00:03:16.580
control

47
00:03:16.580 --> 00:03:20.320
low point with a little bit more arm sequencing. You're almost guaranteed if

48
00:03:20.320 --> 00:03:23.360
you make this movement you're going to get out of the bunker shot and it's

49
00:03:23.360 --> 00:03:23.560
gonna

50
00:03:23.560 --> 00:03:30.080
help build your feel of how you become really adept with your bunker touch.

51
00:03:35.000 --> 00:03:45.000
[BLANK_AUDIO]

Have questions about this video?

Ask Mulligan for personalized guidance on technique, drills, or how to apply what you've learned.

Ask Mulligan
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This video hasn't been assigned to any topics yet. Browse all topics in the sidebar.
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