To play a basic bunker shot begin with a slightly weakened grip. Pick your target and align your body and the clubface in an open position. Swing along this line and hit into the sand about 2 inches behind the ball and explode the ball out. The clubface, in this explosion shot, hits the sand rather than the ball. Remember not to ground your club into the sand, it should hover above the ball until you start the swing. Use a three quarter swing but make a full follow through.
To weaken your grip, move your hands slightly to the left so your left thumb rests on top of the grip and points down the club shaft. A weaker grip helps keep the clubface open. With a strong grip, the clubface is more likely to dig into the sand instead of skimming through it.
As you take up your stance twist your feet into the sand to get a firm footing. This will prevent your feet sliding around in the slippery surface which could cause you to lose balance. You should feel that your feet are slightly restricted by the sand. This will affect your stance making your hands closer to the ball so grip down slightly to make the club shorter. When you swing you’ll make a three quarter shot but with your left arm fully extended.
Opening your stance means aligning your body about 10 degrees to the left. Turn your hips and shoulders slightly left, place a little more weight on your left foot, and swing along that stance line. Although your swing moves left of the target, the open clubface points slightly right, helping the ball fly straight toward the hole. Opening the clubface also adds loft. The flange on the back of the sand wedge helps the club skim through the sand, while the sole design keeps the leading edge from digging in. Aim to strike the sand about 2 inches behind the ball and the sand explodes the ball out of the bunker.
As you pull your left foot back to open your stance, pay attention to the ball position. Golf is a game of angles, so the ball may appear too far forward, but this is only an illusion. Play the ball about 2 inches forward of centre.
Aim to take a long and shallow swathe of sand as you swing through it and extend it through the sand another eight inches or so. It is useful to practice bunker shots from uphill and downhill lies as well as a normal flat lie. Watch the spot you want to enter the sand, not the ball.
In order not to scoop the ball out try and avoid taking too deep a swathe of sand. In the shot keep your left arm moving through. Make sure you follow through properly and finish high just as you would in a full swing. You have a greater margin for error with a sand shot because you don’t hit the ball, you only have to hit the sand two inches behind the ball.
To control distance in bunker shots you shorten or lengthen the swing, just as you would with a pitch shot. If you are in a deep bunker your swing path should have a steep descending blow and this will give you a short, high shot that clears the bunker face. Normally for a sand shot your swing path should be shallower, with a U shaped swing path. Rhythm and tempo are important in these shots, something that can be gained from regular practice.
Remember to swing along the contour of the sand. Swing with the slope, align your body and adjust your stance to keep your balance.
Long Bunker Shots
If you are in a fairway bunker or some distance from the green, use a squarer clubface. Play the ball from the middle of your stance and make a firm swing. A pitching wedge or 9-iron works well for this shot. To gain extra distance, strike the sand closer to the ball.
Ball in the bunker but under the lip
Where your ball has landed not in the middle of the bunker but under the front or side lip, more skill is involved than in a normal bunker shot.
Ball landed under the front lip you will be swinging uphill. Adjust your stance to the slope, leaning back with your upper body. If the ball is buried in the sand swing the clubhead just underneath the ball. Open the clubface more than usual and swing harder.
Ball landed under the side lip. This can be a very difficult stance to hit from. You may have to have one leg in the bunker and the other knee bent on the side. Extend down into the bunker and hit a normal explosion shot.
Ball outside of the bunker
If the ball lands on the grass just above the bunker you may have to climb inside the bunker to hit out. To play this grip down on the club to make it shorter, that way you will stay in balance. Aim to the right of the target and position the ball back in your stance. Keep your hands ahead of the ball and swing your arms back and through to keep the ball on target.
Ball in the bunker, played from outside
If you end in this difficult position bend over more at the waist to address the ball. Make the club long and grip at the end of the club. Swing more with your arms and try and restrict your body movement. Aim to the left as the ball will fly out to the right.
Fried Egg Shot
This happens when the ball lands in like a crater in the sand. It sits up but there is a swathe of sand either side of it. Work the leading edge of your sand wedge underneath the ball with a square or even closed club face – moving the hands more to the right – and explode the ball out of the lie.
Ball lands in a footprint
This is a common lie when bunkers are raked incorrectly or not at all. This makes the ball partially buried. Swing the leading edge of the club just underneath the ball. For buried shots, close the blade more by adjusting your grip. Or if the ball is below the level of the sand, open the clubface and pick the clubhead up more.
Buried Lies
For a buried lie you should play the shot with a square or closed clubface. This helps you get the bottom of the clubhead underneath the ball. This gets the sand to lift the ball up and out of the buried lie. The clubhead must be sharply descending into the sand rather than taking a shallow divot. Sometimes you will have to have no choice but to leave the clubhead in the sand. When the ball comes out it will roll as there will be little or no backspin.
Sometimes a pitching wedge or 9 iron is a better club selection as the sharper leading edge will help the shot come out. Hit behind the ball with a square or closed face.
Wet or compacted sand
Put the ball more in the middle of your stance, square up the blade and hit closer to the ball with a more descending blow and a more up and down swing.
If the ball is sitting up and there isn’t a steep face you could try to chip the ball out with a short, firm swing to catch the ball cleanly.
Ball Above the Feet
Practise different bunker lies regularly to build confidence. In most cases, a bunker lie is more manageable than playing from thick rough.
When the ball is above the feet you should stand up tall, grip lower on the club and aim to the right. This is because the ball tends to fly left to right from this lie. Open the clubface slightly and be sure to follow through.
Ball Below the Feet
For this shot you will bend over more at the waist and stay down throughout the swing. Make an upright arm swing and keep an open clubface. Stay down on the downswing and aim left because the ball flight will be from right to left.
Uphill Lie
Align your body with the slope of the bunker. Keep your weight forward onto your right foot. Your left shoulder will be higher than your right if you play right handed. Swing the club up the slope taking a shallow divot of sand and follow through. Let your hands turn over like a normal golf swing in this shot, rather than using them to keep the clubface open. If you do this the ball will fly forward out of the bunker. Lean back with the slope and release the clubhead.
Downhill Lie
Swing the clubhead under the ball without hitting the ball first or bouncing the club off the sand into the ball. Align your stance with the slope of the bunker. Weight is on the left side and left shoulder is lower than your right. The ball is further back in your stance and the clubface is open. Make sure to hit behind the ball and follow through down the slope of the sand with the clubface open. The ball will come out lower.
