Whatever you call them, bunkers or sand traps, playing out of these hazards takes a certain know-how, and a little bit of practice.
Most golf courses have bunkers to make the player think, to offer a challenge, and to add a little character to the golf course. Bunkers are commonplace and are usually found around the green, but many courses will have fairway bunkers as well.
In this article, we will cover how you can hit green-side bunker shots.
We find golfers struggling with their bunkers oh so often. So, we think that you should practice your bunker play as often as you can to solve two major problems: you’re not intimidated by bunkers, and you don’t waste a number of shots during a round.
Honestly, It’s not as difficult a shot as you perceive it to be. I really believe that if you follow the bits of advice below, and practice on these fundamentals, you can vastly improve your bunker play and lower your scores.
How to Hit Bunker Shots – The Fundamentals
Here’s a little guide on how you can hit bunker shots:
- First of all, make sure you use a sand wedge if you have one, as they are designed to make bunker shots easier.
A sand wedge has a bounce, which is technically designed to skip across the sand without digging in and slowing down the club head. Slowing down the club head on a bunker shot usually leads to leaving the ball in the bunker.
- Once you’ve selected the right club, you need to know how to use it properly and learn how to play out of a bunker.
- Then, slightly open the club face at the address which will increasingly expose the bounce of the club, again to aid in the shot.
You want the club to skid, not dig, for a standard bunker shot.
- When you take your stance in the bunker, get a good solid footing.
- You can also dig in if the sand is deep as you don’t want to be unbalanced during the shot.
- Then, position the golf ball slightly ahead of the center of your stance, because on a standard bunker shot you need to hit the sand first instead of the ball.
The sand will propel the ball out of the bunker.
- Lastly, ensure you have a good grip on the club, but don’t grip too tightly as you want to use your wrists to splash the sand.
- Now that you’ve set up correctly you need to judge how much swing you’re going to take.
This usually depends on how far the pin is. The longer and harder the swing, the further the ball is likely to travel. So, think about splashing the sand out of the bunker, not hitting the ball. If you try to chop down and dig into the sand, you will just dig a trench and the ball will hardly move. The strike should look and feel effortless.
If done correctly, you will see the sand splash up and out of the bunker with the ball following along.
Bunker Play: Step-by-Step Guide
(Basic Guide)
- Choose the right club
- Create your stance, dig your feet in a little
- Play the ball slightly ahead of the center in your stance
- Open your club to expose the bounce
- Lastly, splash the sand with the bounce of the club and watch the ball float and land softly.
And, don’t forget to rake the bunker!
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