Breaking 90

By Jack Lumpkin with Pete McDaniel

Photos by Chris Stanford

Photo Illustrations by Jim Luft

March 2009

Don't get greedy from bad spots

Strategy is very important for the player trying to break 90. You've probably hit enough decent fairway-bunker shots that you think you can go for the green every time. Two things should stop you: a high lip or a bad lie.

If your ball is plugged or in a fried-egg lie, use your sand wedge and blast it out like you do from a greenside bunker. Dig your feet in, play the ball forward, and drive the club an inch behind it (above).

If clearing the lip is your issue, play conservatively. Take a lofted club, set the ball in the middle of your stance, and hit down, catching the ball first. Make sure you give yourself a good angle to the green for your next shot.

Try this drill for solid strikes

The worst thing you can do from a fairway bunker is try to help the ball into the air. That leads to a flippy swing, with the clubhead passing the hands through impact -- and usually poor contact.

To learn to keep the shaft leaning forward and the low point of the swing in front of the ball, try this drill. Scrape a line in the sand just forward of the center of your stance. Practice taking sand divots on the target side of the line. This will teach you to make a downward swing and ball-first contact.