Bunker Play
Sunday, October 19th, 2008 at 9:52 amNo matter how much we’d all like to avoid them, bunkers are part of the game of golf at most courses. Many would argue that the bunker shot is one of the most challenging shots in the game, and for that reason it seems that many golfers simply bury their heads in the sand (pun intended) and do whatever it takes to get out of the sand. However, armed with the right technique, you can recover after landing in the bunker.
A bunker shot is not a conventional pitch shot!
Take a look at your sand wedge and you will immediately recognize that something is different. It has a bump on the bottom that you won’t find on other clubs. The bump on the bottom of your sand wedge is called a “bounce” and has been designed so that when you swing your club, the “bounce” will be the first part of the club to touch the ground, allowing the rest of your club to slide under the ball and propel it out of the bunker!
All bunker shots are NOT created equal!
Every bunker will be different, and in fact the same bunkers can be different each time you play, depending on the weather conditions and the conditions of the soil/sand, so be sure to keep this in mind when assessing your shot.
A bunker shot also requires you to adjust your shot for the specific conditions that you face: is your ball buried or sitting atop the sand; are you hitting towards the green from a relatively close distance or are you hitting from a fairway bunker where you need to maximize distance; will you be hitting uphill or downhill?
Each condition will require you to adjust your shot accordingly, but the basics remain the same:
Establish a solid footing in the sand. Twist or shuffle your feet in the sand to provide secure footing, which helps you maintain your balance, prevents you from sinking deeper into the sand, and allows you to stay firm while hitting the shot. By sinking your feet deep into the sand it also lowers your swing path, which helps you hit the sand before you hit the ball.
Open the club face. By opening the club face you help increase the height of the trajectory of your shot and decrease the chance of digging into the sand.
Smoothly accelerate your swing through the sand. Remember that your back swing and follow through should be of roughly equal length. Accelerate smoothly through your downswing, through the sand and under the ball. Follow through is essential to lift your ball out of the sand.
Create a sand “splash”. By sliding your club under the ball you will create a “splash” effect in the sand. The path of the sand should be directed towards the target, and usually your ball follows this splash path! You do not need to slam your club into the sand (which usually results in the ball staying where it started), but rather you should focus on an easy swing with a follow through.
Practice in the sand!
Okay, and whether you want to hear it or not — practice makes perfect! The more you practice, the more comfortable you’ll feel with your bunker shots. Head to the chipping green and practice hitting out of the bunker. Hit uphill out of the bunker; hit downhill out of the bunker; hit towards the flag from a short distance; and hit for greater distance. Try hitting from the bunker when the conditions are dry and when conditions are wet. You’ll see that each condition requires a slight modification to your shot. But the more you practice, the more confident you will feel. And while we’d all like to avoid the bunkers every time we play, we know the reality is that we’re going to have to deal with them at some point or another, so let’s make the most of it!
Yours in golf,
Kevin Purcell
CPGA Professional
Entries (RSS)