To Escape the Sand, Finau says "Rock the Baby" + A 13 Foot Deep Bunker Golfers Actually WANT to Land In

TIPS & DRILLS
In the Bunker, Tony Finau says to “Rock the Baby”
This Dad of 5 Brings it Back to Baby Basics

To Recap…

The next time you’re in the sand, use Tony Finau’s simple swing thought above. The 6-time PGA Tour winner (and father of 5) compares escaping the bunker to “rocking the baby”:

-STEP 1: Start with a nice wide base and lower the handle of the club.
-STEP 2: As you take the club back, think of it like you’re holding a sleeping baby in your arms. Take the club back smoothly and envision the baby’s head angled back toward you.
-STEP 3: As you glide through the sand, ensure the “baby” is still facing the sky, again angled back towards you. In other words, don’t flip your hands over through impact.

PRO TIP: You’ll of course want some clubhead speed as you move through the sand, but the smoother the better, so no jerky motions. Don’t wake the baby!

COURSES
The Nastiest Bunker in Golf?
Watch Golf Host Alissa Kacar try to escape this Scottsdale landmark

The Mine Shaft Course at Scottsdale National
Scottsdale, AZ

Most golfers do everything in their power to avoid the sand. But this beast of a bunker has become its own landmark attraction for the Scottsdale National Golf Club, so much so that players actually aim for the bunker to get the true “Mine Shaft” experience. The bunker was originally designed to be 8 feet deep, but course owner Bob Parsons said that wasn’t enough- too many people were still able to escape it. So in 2016 the bunker was dug even deeper to a depth of 13 feet. Course designer David Kahn had to add wood planks to stabilize the terrain around the bunker, and the iconic danger sign was added, as well. It was only fitting that Parsons then renamed the course “The Mine Shaft.”

Rates: Scottsdale National Golf Club is a private, invitation-only course. But if you get a chance to play, send us an invite!

Check out this escape attempt by @newladygolfer

@newladygolfer

Think you’d get out?? 🤔 @pxg #golf #golftiktok #golftok #golfer #scottsdale #arizona #pxg #pxgtroops #pxgapparel

STATISTICS
Stat of the Day: How Does Temperature Affect Distance?
presented by…

The Stat: For every 20 degrees of temperature drop, a driver will lose about lose about 4 yards of distance.

(using a Trackman to test a ball flying 155 mph)

The Takeaway: You’ve likely experienced a drop in distance when the temperature dips, but now you have a number to compare against- 1 yard lost for every 5 degree temperature drop with a driver. So club up when playing in cooler temps. And if you were curious, humidity had “almost no effect on carry” during the test.

As a reference point, the effect of lower temperature on a pitching wedge is about half of what’s described above - 1 yard lost for every 10 degree temperature drop.

TODAY’S TRIVIA
Answer to Win a Kraken Limited Edition Masters Jacket x Tommy Fleetwood Ball Marker (1 of 89 ever made)
(1 winner chosen on 4/30/24 across all April trivia entries, 1,000 respondents minimum)

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