Talk Sand Play

The world's No.1 coach, David Leadbetter, found himself cast in the unlikely role of spectator as Ernie Els and Gary Player put on an impromptu bunker clinic during the filming of a video for sponsors SAP earlier this year at Old Palm Golf Club in Palm Beach, Florida. After a three-hole shoot-out, Ernie and Gary spent a few minutes sharing their thoughts on bunker play, taking in turns to demonstrate the skills that have made both men legends in the game. Courtesy of SAP, Golf International dropped in on their conversation..

KNOW YOUR SAND-IRON "I think the one main thing you have to understand is the sand iron is designed differently to the other irons in the golf bag. You have this big area of metal on the sole of the club – the flange – and the key on the majority of these basic green side shots is that you aim to get the back edge of the flange entering the sand first, and not the leading edge. That just wants to dig down too deep and stop. The secret here is that the clubhead is always moving through the sand, and you achieve that by gliding or surfing the flange through, which is exactly what it's designed to do. I always aim to focus on a spot an inch or so behind the ball. That's where I want to make contact. There's always a bit of 'give' in sand, so don't be afraid to accelerate the clubhead – like I say, you have to keep the clubhead moving. That's the secret. Ernie Els

SMOOTH 'n' EASY Here, on a regular sand shot, with a good lie, the clubface is opened up just a fraction (this is something you can and must experiment with), the ball is in the middle of the feet, my weight pretty evenly spread. As I start the club back, you'll notice there's an early hint of a wrist action – that helps me to get a real feel for the clubhead and sets my rhythm for the swing. And all the time I'm focused on entering the sand an inch behind the ball

SWING IN HARMONY The wrists, arms and shoulders are working together to create a connected swing. Note there's relatively little hip turn involved – with the feet nicely grounded, this is basically all hands, arms and upper body

COMPACT, CONTROLLED This is the full extent of my backswing for typical green side bunker shots – it's all you need, too. A good turn of the shoulders, with a full wrist cock, will give you all the acceleration you need in the downswing. My weight remains even between the feet