Bunkers

1. Club Selection
o For most shots out of the sand, a sand wedge is the
preferred option due to the large amount of loft and
also a large amount of bounce.

o Bounce is a term used to describe how much

leading edge of the club sits above the trailing edge.
A large amount of bounce will stop the club from
digging into the sand, which can result in fat shots.

o Only during certain circumstances would I suggest

using a lob wedge. Although the extra loft of a lob
wedge could be useful, the lack of bounce can cause
problems.

2. Set Up & Swing

o I would encourage you to use a similar technique and set up for your bunker play as
you would for pitching the ball, with a few refinements. Here’s a great checklist for
you to work on when you are playing a normal greenside bunker shot.

Open your stance, hips and also your

shoulders.

Open your club face to add loft and greater

bounce angle.

Normal grip but lower down the shaft.

Closer to the ball and ball 2 inches ahead of

centre of stance.

Body weight 50%-50% to start the swing.

Backswing should be shorter and follow

through should be longer to encourage an
acceleration through impact.

Small lift of the rear heel in the finish.

o When you practice bunker shots, draw a line 2 inches behind the ball. Place this line
in the centre of your stance. Concentrate on bringing the club down onto the line,
then under the ball and following through taking roughly 6 inches of sand in total.

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3. Distance Control
o Don’t try and vary the length of your bunker shots by swinging harder or faster. You
vary distance by increasing the length of your backswing and follow through.
When you practice, keep the same smooth rhythm for every length of bunker shot.

o Always aim to hit the sand assertively 2 inches before the ball. Don’t try to vary the
distance of your bunker shots by increasing or decreasing the amount of sand you
take. The more variables you can keep constant (like swing rhythm and the amount
of sand you take), the more consistent your game will be.

4. Difficult Lies
o When the ball is plugged in the sand, you’ll often have less control of both the
distance and the direction of where the ball finishes. In order to get the best possible
result:

Increase your grip pressure.

Play 3 inches of sand before

the ball.

Hit the shot harder with a more

committed follow through.

Expect the ball to travel lower

and with less spin, so allow for
the ball to roll when it lands.

o Compacted, wet sand offers much more resistance than normal so aim for less sand
and clip the ball cleanly with a shallower divot than normal. When hit correctly, this
shot will spin and stop relatively quickly on the green.

5. Sloping Lies
o Up slopes: Using the added loft of the slope to help play the ball out can often make
this shot easier than a flat bunker shot.

Tilt your shoulders so that they are parallel

with the slope and that your spine angle
becomes perpendicular to the slope.

Widen your stance and stabilise your legs -

limited leg action should aid your balance
and result in cleaner more consistent
strikes.

Allow for the ball to pop out of the bunker

quickly upwards and therefore stop quickly
on landing as well.

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o Down Slopes: The down slope makes a bunker shot far tougher as the slope
decreases the loft of the club.

Again tilt your shoulders so that they are parallel with the slope and that
your spine angle becomes perpendicular to the slope.

Strike down on the ball with the most lofted and open club face you can,
maintain your balance and expect the ball to shoot out low with very little
chance of it stopping quickly.

6. Fairway Bunkers
o Usually flatter, wider and with less of a lip. Often the challenge from fairway bunkers
is not getting the ball out but covering as much distance as possible with the escape
shot.

Start by assessing which club

you feel can clear the lip of
the bunker, then take one less
just to ensure you have
enough loft.

Play the ball from the centre

of your stance to allow for a
clean contact.

Squeeze the club slightly

tighter than normal - this
helps with the strike and
keeps the club moving should
you hit the ball heavy.

Unlike a greenside bunker shot you are not aiming to take any sand
before the ball.

Make a conscious effort to move onto your left side during the downswing
and complete a full balanced follow through.

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