Whether we like it or not, we all end up hitting our golf ball in to the bunker. It may not be a very common occurrence for some but for others, it can happen on every round. Your ball just seems to be attracted to that sand, right?! Any player, at any level of golf, can hit their ball in to the bunker but once it’s there, there is no point complaining about it, you have to play it out. So many shots are lost during a round of golf, by failing to play out of a bunker correctly. Today, we have some great tips, so you will always be in control when playing a bunker shot near the green.
Firstly, you need to select the correct club. If you find yourself next to the green, with little room for manoeuvre once the ball is out of the bunker, take a high lofted wedge, such as a 60-degree lob wedge. If you have plenty of green to work with, then take a lower lofted wedge, such as a sand wedge. By making the correct club selection, you are already well on your way to making a great bunker shot.
In terms of the stance, make sure the ball is forward of centre, the further back it is, the lower the trajectory will be and this could result in the ball hitting the lip of the bunker and returning to the sand. Ensure you have a solid stance and you are not going to slide in the sand, by twisting your feet in to the sand. Don’t worry about how pristine the bunker looked when you approached it, the rake is there for a reason.
When you are happy with your initial stance, it’s time to open it up slightly. You will need to open both your stance and the face of the club you are using but not too much. In terms of the club face, aim for around 2 to 3 degrees and aim slightly left of the target. This is a good rule of thumb when first working on your bunker shots. As you play more and become accustomed to it, you will find out what works best for you but as a starting point, it’s a good one.
When playing the shot, especially in a green side bunker, do not aim to make contact with the ball. At this stage, we are simply looking to get the basics right and get the ball out and on to the green, without wasting any shots. Therefore, you need to make contact with the sand first, with a steep swing and a high follow through, sliding the club underneath the ball. In essence, you are splashing both the ball and the sand on to the green and this is worth remembering, when taking a green side bunker shot.
The key to playing consistently well out of green side bunkers, is to first ensure you have a basic bunker shot in place. Once you have mastered the above and become confident of hitting your ball out of the bunker and on to the green, you can then begin to work on shorter and longer bunker shots. These will come in handy, depending on how close or far away you are from the hole.
