Normally one camera is enough to put your average tour player off, so how do you think they would fair with 60 going off during a bunker shot?
Nikon celebrate 21 years as a patron of the Open in 2013 and as part of their stand at Muirfield they set up 60 Nikon D800 SLR cameras to use Timeslice technology to create a 3D image of your bunker swing.
This is the same technology that is used in films such as The Matrix to rotate around an image. It is done by taking a simultaneous picture using 60 camera's that form an arc around the player and then stiching them together using some clever software from TimeSlice to create a single image that you can rotate around.
The results are very impressive visually, but what it also does is enable a coach to analyse elements of your swing from every angle. On hand was PGA Pro Ben Clayton and on my first swing we noticed that the hands had rotated over through impact, which created a flat ball flight with low spin.
Ball postion and set up are crucial in any successful short game shot - more than people realise. Ben suggested squaring up my stance and positioning the ball opposite my sternum so the ball is in line with the bottom of my swing. I also really open the face and lowered my hands a little as this actually kept the face in line with the target whilst adding more loftt.
Then Ben said to hit through the ball and rotate the club more up and through by having the butt of the club follow the turn of the chest through impact. Done correctly the face of the club should face back at you like a mirror at the 3 o'clock position on your follow through.
Before: Too Closed |
After: More Open |
Seeing this visually using the 3D made it very easy indeed to picture what I had to do and within a couple of swings I had it nailed. My bunker shots came out higher and landed softer with more spin. Now I just have to practice it more!
If you make it to the Open at Muirfield then go along to the Nikon stand and try this out. If not then use this video to see if your set up suffers from being out of postiton and then go for a short game lesson or view our bunker tips to get yourself out of trouble more easily.
Click Here For More Bunker Tips.