Gene Sarazen invented the sand wedge; see how you can apply his vision to improve your bunker game
By Ray Carrasco
Gene Sarazen was born Eugenio Saraceni in Harrison, New York in 1902. He was a small man with big accomplishments. He was the first to win all four modern major championships, now known as the “career grand slam.” He hit “the shot heard ‘round the world” when he made double eagle on the 15th hole at Augusta National to go on to win the 1935 Masters. In all, he won seven majors, including three PGA Championships, but for all his amazing accomplishments, his greatest gift to the game was inventing the modern day sand wedge.
The Invention
Influenced by the airfoil on the wing of an airplane, Sarazen saw how the same addition of added angle and bulk to the bottom of a lofted club would cause a compression against the sand. This compression forced a mini-explosion upward and would pop the ball out of fluffy sand. The “bounce” in the sand wedge was introduced.
He brought his new invention over to Princes Golf Club in England in 1932 for the British Open. It worked well. He won. Thank goodness that the immediate thoughts of having his club banned did not reach fruition.
How it Works
With a good lie, open the club face slightly and aim slightly to the left. The open clubface presents the bottom of the back of the flange to the sand and not the leading edge of the club. This is the bounce factor at the bottom of the club. Keep your weight on the left side and hover the club head two-to-three inches behind the ball and above the point of contact into the sand.
The Stroke from a Good Lie in the Sand
Compress the sand. Use an immediate wrist break back and throw the club head into the sand behind the ball and turn through with your lower body. Practice this, and you will sense what Gene Sarazen was looking for — a club that would get the ball out of the sand with consistency. Practice this and you will develop confidence out of the sand, collect on more sandies and start signing for lower scores!
Please remember to set up correctly for your specific lie in the sand. Compress the sand, not the ball. For hands on coaching please contact me or my team at (949) 233-6317 or at [email protected]
