Golf Tips

Bunker shots make the average golfer very uncomfortable. Why is that? I believe that too many people do not understand the adjustments that need to be made that will successfully allow you to control both the distance and height variables required to execute any kind of bunker shot faced on the course. Let's look at the following ideas:

Core concept: shallow, not steep, leads to success!

To consistently hit good bunker shots, your angle of attack must be shallow, not steep. Many people misunderstand this, and think that chopping down on the sand pops the ball up. While that technique works well for buried, or fried-egg lies, that is not the way to approach a regular shot.

Steps to success

#1- Get wide and low
* set your feet 1 1/2 times shoulder width with more knee flex than normal and get your center of gravity low.

#2- Open the clubface of your sand or lob wedge to allow the bounce to work for you. The club must skim the sand, not dig into it.

*the best image to understand this idea, and how the clubhead enters the sand is to imagine standing in a swimming pool with your right hand palm up, on top of the water. Now, imagine skimming the back of your hand through the very top bit of the water. You don't slam your hand down into the water, and neither do you dig your club down into the sand.

#3- Swing the club more around your body, and not up and down in a choppy fashion.

***in addition to the principles outlined above, three more ideas will help you:

First- longer shots require a fuller swing, not a faster swing

Second- high trajectory, short bunker shots require a 60 degree wedge laid wide open, and more of a full length, accelerating swing

Third- adjust the amount you open your wedge, or the wedge you choose to fit the height and distance of your shot. Not every shot requires the same approach.

With a bit of practice and experimentation, bunker shots can and should become a strong part of your game, not a shot to be feared.