TEE TIME

Fairway Bunker Drill

A quick golf exercise for a lifelong better game

BACK WHEN I WAS WORKING as an assistant golf professional at Jim McLean’s flagship golf school in Dorak, Florida, I learned this tremendous drill from McLean himself. Not only is it a great drill for hitting good shots from fairway bunkers, it’s also effective for developing solid ball-striking in general, being that it helps to develop a powerproducing lag in the swing. It also provides immediate feedback.

Start by drawing a trench in the sand with the club (illustrated in Picture A). This creates a wall on each side of the trench: a front wall (the edge of the trench closer to the target), and a back wall (the edge further from the target). Then take practice swings while trying to impact the front wall without touching the back wall (Picture B). If the swing wipes out both walls, this indicates that there is not enough lag in the swing to hit a successful fairway bunker shot (Picture C). The key to hitting a solid fairway bunker shot is to hit the ball first and the sand second, so having enough lag in the swing is absolutely essential.

So what is lag? In general terms it’s when one thing trails another in the golf swing, lag is when the club head trails the grip. As one can see in Picture D, the club head is trailing the grip— the ideal pre-impact position. In Picture E, however, the club head prematurely catches up to the grip, thereby causing the club head to take out both walls of the trench.

In Picture D, I am demonstrating a few ways to develop lag, enabling me to impact only the front wall.

1 | laterally shifted the majority of my weight onto my forward leg 2 | continuing to turn my body through impact 3 | maintaining the angle between my left arm and the club

By contrast, in picture E, I am demonstrating a few mistakes that prevent the development of lag, leading to impact that takes out both the back and front walls of the trench.

1 | I kept my weight fairly even between my back and forward foot (or if anything I’m favoring my back foot) 2 | I stopped turning my body approaching impact, allowing the club head to pass the grip 3 | I lost the angle between my left arm and the club

Once you start consistently making proper practice swings that only impact the front wall of the trench, place a golf ball on the front wall and swing away. You’ll find that this drill not only helps produce crisp shots out of a fairway bunker, it also will help you hit it farther and more consistently from the fairway.

Do yourself a favor and find the time for this drill at your local practice facility. Even if you can’t actually hit golf balls (perhaps it’s a green side bunker), take the time to blast through the front wall while avoiding the back. If you can do that, I guarantee you will get out of fairway bunkers with ease, and improve your overall ball-striking at the same time. gp

A

A | Scrape a trench with the club head so that it creates two distinctive ridges on each side. B | Make practice swings that impact the front wall without hitting the back wall. C | When practice swing impacts both walls: not enough lag in the swing. D | Develop lag by: laterally shifting weight onto forward leg; turning body through impact and maintaining angle between left arm and club.

E | Things that prevent lag: keeping weight even between back and forward feet; stop turning body through impact and losing angle between left arm and club.

Not only is it a great drill for hitting good shots from fairway bunkers, it’s also effective for developing solid ball-striking in general

B C

D E

August

AUG 5 | LEMONADE DAY Location: All over town!

Lemonade Day is a free, fun, experiential learning program that teaches youth how to start, own and operate their own business — a lemonade stand. Each child that registers receives a backpack with an Entrepreneur Workbook that teaches them lessons like creating budgets, setting profit-making goals, serving customers, repaying investors, and giving back to the community. Along the way, they acquire skills in goal-setting, problem solving, and gain self-esteem critical for future success. They keep all the money they make and are encouraged to spend some, save some and share some.

lemonadeday.org/grants-pass

AUG 10–14 | JOSEPHINE COUNTY FAIR Location: Josephine County Fairgrounds

Gate Admission is FREE for everyone, every day! Specialty event tickets and discounted carnival arm bands are available online.

josephinecountyfairgrounds.com

SATURDAYS | GROWERS MARKET Location: 4th & F Street

A Saturday morning tradition (9am – 1pm) in downtown Grants Pass. The Grower’s Market has provided fresh locally grown fruits, vegetables, plants, baked goods, specialty foods, and more, for 35 years. Also at the Growers’ Market are various nonprofit community organizations who attend as guest vendors, as well as local talent scattered throughout — look for a mime, a juggler and various musical acts.

growersmarket.org

RIDE THE ROGUE – KEN ROYCE PHOTOGRAPHY

September

SEPT 16–18 | ROGUE CAVEMAN BBQ COMPETITION Location: Josephine County Fairgrounds

BBQ teams from all over the NW compete in a KCBS sanctioned event for cash payouts. "Americas BBQ Experts" will be sampling out some of the most mouthwatering BBQ in the west.

facebook.com/RogueCavemanBBQ/

SEPT 24 | RIDE THE ROGUE Location: Palmerton Park, Rogue River

A Southern Oregon Cycling Adventure! All the rides have plenty of rest stops so you can ride light, and as fast or casual as you like.

ridetherogue.com

October

OCT 7–9 | ART ALONG THE ROUGE Location: Downtown H Street

The Northwest's Premier Street Painting & Art Festival. See some of the best street artists in the nation create their magic before your eyes as you stroll through historic downtown Grants Pass. Enjoy a variety of art displays, styles, and activities. Art Along the Rogue is sponsor-supported and free to the public.

travelgrantspass.com/art-along-the-rogue/

OCT 15 | TAP WALK Location: Downtown

This is the valley's premier craft beer event. The Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Pints-N-Wine Pour House place breweries inside downtown businesses. Participants stroll from location to location sampling amazing craft brews and delicious food!

grantspasschamber.org/events/details/tap-walk-2022

FRIDAYS & SATURDAYS OCT 7–29 | HAUNTED CORN MAZE Location: Fort Vannoy Farms

23 Screams, a Non-Profit haunting company who works with the youth in Grants Pass and Merlin, will be haunting Fort Vannoy Farms Corn Maze giving you and experience you aren't likely to forget!

fortvannoyfarms.com/hauntedcornmaze

OCT 31 | DOWNTOWN HALLOWEEN SAFE-WALK Location: Local Businesses in Downtown Grants Pass

A safe, daytime opportunity for kids to trick-or-treat!

travelgrantspass.com/safe-halloween-downtown/

Relics Senior Softball Schedule 2022

Every Tuesday & Thursday at 9am and 10am you can watch the Relics play (for free) at the All Sports Park (Agnew-Lytle Field).

DATE 9 AM | FIELD 2 9 AM | FIELD 3 10 AM | FIELD 2 10 AM | FIELD 3

Aug 2nd Team 2 VS Team 5 Aug 4th Team 4 VS Team 3 Aug 9th Team 8 VS Team 2 Aug 11 Team 4 VS Team 2 Aug 18 Team 6 VS Team 2 Aug 23 Aug 25 Aug 30 Team 5 VS Team 6 Team 8 VS Team 3 Team 3 VS Team 4 Sept 1st Team 7 VS Team 5 Sept 6th Team 7 VS Team 1 Sept 8th Team 1 VS Team 6 Sept 13 Team 6 VS Team 2

Sept 15 Team 4 VS Team 8

Sept 20 Sept 22 Team 4 VS Team 1 Team 1 VS Team 5 Team 3 VS Team 8 Team 1 VS Team 5 Team 6 VS Team 4 Team 3 VS Team 6 Team 1 VS Team 8 Team 8 VS Team 4 Team 7 VS Team 6 Team 5 VS Team 1 Team 8 VS Team 2 Team 2 VS Team 4 Team 8 VS Team 7 Team 5 VS Team 3 Team 5 VS Team 6 Team 7 VS Team 8 Team 4 VS Team 3 Team 4 VS Team 1 Team 2 VS Team 7 Team 7 VS Team 5 Team 5 VS Team 8 Team 7 VS Team 4 Team 3 VS Team 7 Team 2 VS Team 5 Team 6 VS Team 8 Team 1 VS Team 3 Team 6 VS Team 3 Team 4 VS Team 5 Team 7 VS Team 4 Team 3 VS Team 7 Team 2 VS Team 5 Team 6 VS Team 8 Team 7 VS Team 6 Team 6 VS Team 8 Team 3 VS Team 1 Team 1 VS Team 7 Team 3 VS Team 5 Team 2 VS Team 1 Team 1 VS Team 7 Team 2 VS Team 7 Team 4 VS Team 6 Team 5 VS Team 8 Team 3 VS Team 2 Team 8 VS Team 1 Team 1 VS Team 2 Team 3 VS Team 8 Team 2 VS Team 7