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Island Golfer - September 2003
A Day at "The Beach"

This month I am focusing on two kinds of bunker shots with completely different techniques. The first is the greenside bunker shot and the second is a fairway bunker shot.

Greenside Bunker Shot

When you ask most average golfers how they feel about playing a sand shot, most of them will grimace and admit they really don't enjoy them that much. Pros, on the other hand, like the sand because it is the most forgiving part of the game. You may not believe that, but it's true!!

The reason most golfers fear the sand is they haven't learned to control how and where the club enters the sand. Most golfers have heard the club should enter the sand roughly two inches behind the ball. That is half the equation. The other half is that the sand wedge should strike the sand with the back edge of the sole, and not the leading edge. When the leading edge hits the sand first, the club digs in, slows down abruptly and the ball doesn't travel very far. When the back edge strikes the sand first, the club glides through the sand, doesn't slow down as much and the ball comes out easily.

So, for you to become a good bunker player, you must first learn to use the back edge of the sole so the club doesn't dig into the sand. To accomplish this, open the clubface before you form your grip on the club, play the ball forward in your stance and keep the clubface open as it slides under through the sand and under the ball.

Next, you will need to learn to control where the club enters the sand.

1. Draw two lines in the sand
2. Practice making a divot between the lines
3. Add a ball in the middle of the lines and continue taking the same divot.

When executed well, the club will enter the sand a couple of inches behind the ball, slide under the ball and exit the sand a couple of inches past the ball. The divot made should be shallow and you don't need to move a lot of sand.

Once you have control over contact you can learn how hard to swing for different distances and how much loft to use for different trajectory shots.

The Fairway Bunker

The key to a fairway bunker shot is hitting the ball first, even if you end up hitting the ball a little thin in the process. Remember to use plenty of loft, so even if you hit the ball thin it will get over any lip the bunker may have.

Keys to getting good contact:

•  Dig your feet in slightly for stability
•  Grip down on the club slightly to make up for your feet being below ground level
•  Ball position slightly more back in your stance than normal
•  Swing motion is ¾ length to ensure your balance is maintained (see photos)
•  Make a small divot in the sand AFTER the ball

I hope these tips will help make you more comfortable when your ball finds its way to the beach. The other critical part of becoming a good bunker player is practice. Schedule 30 minutes a week in a practice bunker near you until your sand game becomes a strength rather than a liability.