Bunker Shots (Sand play)

First of all do not be afraid of the bunker shot, think of it as sand play and remember sand can be fun.

Basic Sand Play

Take hold of your sand iron using your normal grip, take up a square stance to the target line, your club face should also be bunker shot square to target line, as the club was designed.

We all watch the players on the TV using an open stance and very open club face this does enable the ball to come out of the sand on a steeper angle. But this can be quite difficult to judge resulting more often than not with the ball remaining in the sand . Remember these guys are the top players in the world and are playing and practicing every day.

So back to our sand shot , once you have your grip and stance right the ball should be positioned center of feet. Start the back swing with your shoulders turning with your wrists cocking slightly at the same time.

Your left knee turns towards your right with a little weight transfer to the right as well.

On the down swing that small amount of weight transfers back to the front foot with the club sliding through the sand about 30 to 60 cm behind the ball depending on the length of the shot. (The nearer to the ball the further the shot).

On the follow through the right knee turns into the left , your wrists un-cocking through impact finishing with a full swing and high hands. Do not decelerate throughout the swing.

Buried Lie Sand Play

There are few changes to make for this shot; the first is in the set up.

Open your feet and hip alignment; your shoulders though should stay square to target line;

Weight on left side;

Dig your feet into the sand;

Have the ball positioned just right of center; with a square de-lofted club face.

In the swing itself keep your left wrist firm with your arms, hands bunker shot and club moving back as a unit with a slightly steeper angle take a way, giving you a steeper angle of attack digging down into the sand 40 to 50mm behind the ball.

Shorten the follow as this reduces the amount of roll on the ball because from a buried lie the ball will come out with top spin causing it to roll further.

Fairway Sand Play

The changes in this shot are all about keeping our balance and stability through out the shot.

To do this we need to keep our legs as still as possible with no weight shift, taking the club back with arms and shoulders will make the strike more consistent. The reason for this is we need to strike the ball first.

With no leg movement or weight shift the club will bottom out in the middle of the stance, So the ball should be positioned just slightly right of center to ensure the ball is struck before the sand.