Paul Azinger's "Bunker Lesson" at the Skins...

[Jim Kobylinski]

He should've just stayed a player because he obviously isn't that good of a commentator however i'll admit when him and Faldo make fun of each other it is comical and today he shows why he can't teach.

Here are Azinger's "fundamentals" for a bunker shot:

1) stand far away from it
2) sit down
3) DON'T, yup, DON'T hit behind the ball
4) make sure you throw it away

----

Sure Zinger, lets just teach alllllllllllllll the hackers in the world a professional bunker shot where you:

- time a flip
- hit the ball before the sand
- open the face about 45*

I hope people who try this out don't have any houses or cars on the other side of the bunker because they are going to thin the crap out of it 8/10 times and watch it fly about 50 yards.



P.S. If you want to try this shot, go right ahead it will work if done right. However Zinger in all his teaching glory forgot one of the fundamentals and that is THAT YOU HAVE TO AIM LEFT! If you're going to open the face about 45* you have aim left of where you want the ball to end up about the same 45*.

If you really want to improve your bunker play, just buy Brian's short game video.

 

[Steve Khatib]

Azinger would not be doing that type of lesson if he kept taking lessons from Ben Doyle after the PGA at Sahalee.
The sad truth of the matter is that now all golfers will take this information as gospel as Azinger would have more credibility than any good instructor in the eyes of the general golfing public. Now with about a three month time lag, these students will be coming to us for bunker lessons and we will be arguing and trying to sell the merits of a flat left wrist and pressure point pressure to these folks, even though it is an imperitive to us, it is not these staple golfing diet.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

So true...but let me reiterate:

There is nothing wrong with the shot he's showing you. Its how the majority of tour players hit their shots because of the amount of spin they need to generate to hold their hard/fast greens. Its an "extreme" option.

But like i said, not suited to the majority of players.

 

[birdie_man]

Zinger is the guy that I hate to listen to the most....I like Faldo better but he's pretty vague too....funny guy though.

These guys seriously need to reserve their comments about the swing....or else stop saying "he really releases through it"...."chases down on it".......and about 100 other useless sayings.

I think he should stop saying Tiger's the man too....I like Tiger, but honestly- shut up.

...

......

I'm done.

 

[Steve Khatib]

What about Ken Venturi talking about Faldo using an 'arm swing' shot, when all he really does is zero out acc #2. HA HA HA. They all describe golf but only G.O.L.F. guys can explain the facts and the illusions, visual and sensory.

 

[hue]

quote:Originally posted by FOUR BARRELS AUSTRALIAN

Azinger would not be doing that type of lesson if he kept taking lessons from Ben Doyle after the PGA at Sahalee.

When did Azinger work with Ben Doyle and how long were they working together ?

 

[bray]

Guys,

I agree that Azinger should not be teaching the mid to high handicap's of the world this style of bunker shot. Instead they should teach a bunker shot that employs the flat left wrist.

However, when I reached the level necessary I had a G.S.E.M. and Golf Mag. Top 100 teacher, Mike Perpich, show me how to use a different "tour" style bunker shot where the left wrist does break.

Mike called this breaking of the left wrist true vertical hinge action.
Here's what he explained to me.
First the set up: set up like a normal shot, then open the face, at this point you can open your stance to offset the open face.
Now here's the key to the set up, spread you knees wide enough so a greased pig could just slide through them.

Now that your set up make a normal swing but make sure you bottom out, or take sand before the ball. The difference between this swing and your normal swing is that you have to keep your right foot on the ground all the way through the shot. Why?? because keeping your right foot on the ground promotes the breaking of the left wrist.

There you have it the very basic explanation of what Mike taught me on this shot. I also use this method for some, not all, of my flop shots.
Now you guys can tear it apart as you like.

I personally employ two styles of bunker shot. The breaking left wrist and the flat left wrist.

Sorting through the Circuit Player's Handbook.
B-ray

 

[Steve Khatib]

Azinger worked with Ben at PGA championship at Sahalee. I will ask Ben more about it next week at the AI Summit and let you know. Ben did tell me that Azinger said'nobody has ever told me any of this before!'Azinger loved it, but tour pro's are fickle and most of them wouldnt know good information or a good lesson if they fell over it. That's why they all see these marketing gurus with blind faith.

 

[cjgolf]

quote:Originally posted by FOUR BARRELS AUSTRALIAN

Azinger worked with Ben at PGA championship at Sahalee. I will ask Ben more about it next week at the AI Summit and let you know. Ben did tell me that Azinger said'nobody has ever told me any of this before!'Azinger loved it, but tour pro's are fickle and most of them wouldnt know good information or a good lesson if they fell over it. That's why they all see these marketing gurus with blind faith.

geez Steve what kind of logic is that

 

[Steve Khatib]

Youre, spot on Chris I see it every day when teaching pro's.