Hard-packed Sand

photo credit: bradleypjohnson     The bounce on your sand wedge makes it possible to slide the club under the ball from the sand.   After a rain when the sand is tightly packed, the last thing you want is for the  club to bounce  into the ball from the firmly packed sand.    

1)    Try using   a pitching wedge; having a sharper leading edge  it will  help cut into the  sand.   2)   Stand a little squarer to the target and have the clubface only slightly open.   3)   Hinge your wrists earlier  in the backswing to create a slightly steeper angle of attack.   Aim to hit a spot about 1 inch behind the ball.   Be sure to accelerate through the shot.   Take a little less sand than  normal.

Downhill in the Sand

photo credit: D.Hilgart     One of the most difficult shots in the game is the downhill sand shot.   The concern of most golfers faced with this shot is to “blade” the ball and have it go flying across the green  landing in  another bunker.   Try the following:

1)   Building firm footing is critical.   Bend your back leg so that your hips and shoulders are parallel with the ground slope.   2)   Twist your feet into the sand but not so much that you are no longer level with the ground.   If your back foot is out of the bunker be sure it is planted firmly.   3)   Choke down on the grip and use a very “wristy” swing.   4) Swing upright to three-quarter height.   5)   Keep your lower body still.

Fairway Bunkers

photo credit: SouthAsiaGolf     Fairway bunkers are almost always placed near the landing area of most drives, therefore, you must be ready to execute a fairway sand shot.   There are two very important factors to be considered when hitting from a fairway bunker:   1)   club selection.   2)   swing.

When confronting a plugged ball, use your sand wedge and make an explosion shot in order to get back out on to the fairway.   When the ball is sitting up, use a long iron or even a fairway wood.   The primary consideration, of any fairway bunker shot, is to get over the lip of the trap.   Make sure the club you select will get you over the lip.  

Hit the ball first and keep your lower  body relatively  ”quiet.”    Swing mostly with your arms.

Don’t Scoop in the Sand

photo credit: nsaplayer     Scooping the ball out of sand usually ends in failure.   The player gets too wristy forcing them to hit the sand early, causing a fat shot.   Scooping can also cause a thin shot (hitting too close to the ball/or the ball itself) which sends the ball over the green.  

TIPS:   1.)   Draw a ring around the ball, a few inches wider than the ball.   2.)   Open the clubface so that it aims at the target and hover the club over the back of the doughnut ring.   3.)   Open your stance with your weight on your lead side.   4.)   Be aggressive and  remove the sand from the middle of the doughnut.

The  goal of  every bunker shot is to get the ball on the green !

Don’t Quit On It

photo credit: star5112     Deceleration is one of the most common causes of missed bunker shots.    Decelerating,  causes the club to take too much sand because there is a lack of power in the forward swing.   In order to be a good bunker player, it is critical to have a positive attitude.

When  faced with a long bunker shot, simply do not make your backswing as steep as you ordinarily would.   Drive your arms and hands forward, allowing the club to sweep on a shallow path through the sand.   The ball will come out a little lower and run farther than a typical sand shot.

TIPS:   A)   Point knees forward.   B)   Keep weight on lead foot.   C)   Accelerate hard through the sand.   D)   Make a three-quarter length follow-through, for added control.

Flexed Knees on Bunker Shots

 
photo credit: www.theedinburghblog.co.uk      When playing a bunker shot, one of the most critical parts of the set-up  is  establishing the  correct knee flex.   All great bunker players have a lot of knee flex, they look like they are preparing to sit down.   The good bunker player executes the shot with the arms accelerating through the ball  and a full follow-through.   Very little movement occurs in the legs.

Using just the arms during a sand shot means that you will not very likely raise up or drop down during the execution of the shot.   Swinging with just the arms makes it easier to cut through the sand with the clubhead.   Once contact is made with the sand, the club's bounce will do the rest.

Chipping From a Bunker

photo credit: danperry.com      If you are lucky enough to have a perfect lie and a shallow front bunker lip, a chip shot may be the best play.   This shot requires some good technique.

Use a seven-iron and play the ball in the middle of your stance at address.   Make sure your hands are ahead of the clubface and keep most of your weight on your lead foot.   This shot (as does a long fairway bunker shot) requires that you keep your lower body perfectly still throughout the swing.   Any movement with your legs can mean that you may be faced with the very same location with your next shot.   Your foremost thought, when executing this shot, is that your hands lead the clubhead through the ball.   The ball should be picked cleanly off the sand, unlike a typical explosion shot.

Buried Lies

photo credit: zachd1_618     Here are some tips to help you with your buried sand lies:   1)   Distribute your weight on your left side.   2)   Tilt your spine toward the target.   3)   Spread your feet by at least two feet.   4)   Play the  ball well forward.   5)   For increased loft, set your hands low.   6)   Set the clubface open.   7)   Use a very wrist stroke.   8)   Keep your body still as you hit down into the sand about 1 inch behind the ball.   9)   Don't try to scoop the ball out of the sand.   10)   Make a full follow-through and finish.   11)   Maintain a very weak grip with the right hand (right handed players)   turned counter-clockwise (to the left).   11)   Be certain to break your wrists early on the backswing and make a more upright swing.

Hybrid Bunker Shot

photo credit: bradleypjohnson     Some  players are reluctant to use a hybrid out of a bunker but it may be just the club for you, especially if you have  a long  distance to the green.  

You can make a sweeping swing because of the longer shaft length of a hybrid and the rounded sole cuts through the sand much easier than an iron.   With an iron, amateur golfers tend to catch the ball too fat when executing this shot, not so with a hybrid club.  

TIPS:   1)   Embed your feet an inch or two in the sand.   2)   Grip down to compensate for your lower profile.   3)   Play the ball back in your stance.   4)   Don't muscle the ball, swing easy and hit it thin if you can.   Good Luck !

Under the Lip

photo credit: foxypar4     When  most  players  are faced with a ball that lies just below the lip in a sand bunker, panic sets in.   What appears to be an impossible shot,  is actually  a very playable shot indeed.  

The important goal of this type of shot is to get the ball out of the bunker.   Do this by opening the clubface and taking a big backswing.   On the downswing accelerate down and through the ball but snap the clubface back prior to it reaching the lip of the bunker.   There will be a popping sound and the ball will float right out of the sand.   You can also use  a mid iron for this type of shot  if you have a long way to your target.   Try this method next time.

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