Among his victories that year, the 2005 PGA Championship was the most memorable, where he left a chip on the 18th hole to within a foot, tapping in for birdie to secure his second major title.
Mickelson’s precision around the greens extended beyond his famous flop shots. In 2005, his entire short game was formidable: he ranked 12th on tour for strokes gained around the green, ninth for scrambling, and 15th for sand saves.
Given Mickelson’s expertise, he’s the ideal source for greenside advice. Struggling with my own short game, I turned to the Golf Digest Archives for a Mickelson tip from 2005, hoping to solve my greenside issues.
To my surprise, I discovered a simple yet ingenious bunker tip from Mickelson. In an August 2005 article, he explained that typical bunker techniques assume fluffy sand, which doesn’t work well in firm or wet conditions.
“In packed sand, you don’t want your wedge to hit the ground too early and bounce into the middle of the ball,” Mickelson said. This can lead to an inconsistent strike, like a skulled bunker shot.
Tilt spine toward target
“To prevent that, set your weight forward and tilt your spine toward the target,” Mickelson advised. “From there, you’ll automatically hit closer to the ball. With an open clubface, you won’t have trouble getting the ball up.”
Mickelson emphasized that maintaining the forward weight position is crucial.
“I can’t emphasize enough that your weight has to stay forward on bunker shots from firm sand,” Mickelson stressed.
Keep weight forward
Keeping your weight forward helps you enter the sand just behind the ball, taking the right amount of sand each time.
“To get a feel for this setup, exaggerate by lifting your back foot slightly off the ground as you practice shots,” Mickelson suggested. “With no place to shift your weight, you’ll be forced to keep it forward. Repeat this feel when hitting shots from firm sand on the course.”
Armed with Mickelson’s advice, you can now approach firm sand shots with greater confidence and leave yourself a nice putt for par.
