How do I get my ball OUT of the sand and ONTO the green?

The Bunker Shot

This article addresses the steps to take in regards to hitting your ball out of “greenside” bunkers.  (Those annoying bunkers next to the greens.)

The best way to make the play onto the green is to STAY OUT OF THE SAND!  That being said, once you are IN the sand, simply follow these simple steps and you’ll be ready for your putter.

(Instructions are for right-handed golfers; lefties do the opposite, as usual)

Your setup:

·        As with all shots, you should first stand behind the ball and envision a line from the ball’s position to the hole.

·        Take your usual stance, but dig your feet into the sand a little.  Be careful not to keep your legs stiff, as this may make your shot too strong.  Keep your weight a little to your left foot, with your feet a little farther apart than with a normal wedge shot.

·        The ball position should be off-center to your body, a little to the left.  Line up your feet so your shoulders are aimed slightly to the left of the pin.

Your grip:

·        You’ll need to change your grip a little, too.  Turn the club clockwise a little before you take your grip.  You’ll be using a firm, but not extremely firm grip.  You may also want to choke up about 1/2 inch.

Your swing:

·        Keep your backswing to about three quarters of a normal backswing, and also keep your follow-through to about three quarters of a normal follow-through.

·        Your swing should be a little stronger than normal.

·        Take a couple of practice swings, but remember, during play, you must never touch the sand with your club except when you are making the shot.  Even accidental contact with the sand will cost you a stroke.

The really important stuff:

·        Here’s the most important thing about your bunker shot.  DO NOT HIT THE BALL!  That’s right!  You do not want to hit the ball; you want to hit the SAND about 2 to 3 inches BEHIND the ball, and you want the club to come up out of the sand about 2 to 3 inches IN FRONT of where the ball was.

·        If the sand doesn’t come up onto the green during your follow-through, the ball will not come up onto the green!  The follow-through is as important as the backswing.

Your practice tip:

In a practice bunker, draw a long line in the sand, perpendicular to your sight-line to the hole.  Stand straddling this line with your feet as described above and position yourself so the line would represent the ball, a little to the left of center.

Take a swing so your club hits the sand right at the line.  Move a few inches along the line, and take another swing.  Continue setting up and taking swings, then moving forward along the line, scooping sand out of the bunker over and over until you are able to hit the line consistently.

When you feel you are consistent, rake the bunker, and draw another line like the first.  Now place your ball 2 to 3 inches to the left of the line, (Closer to the hole) and begin hitting the sand AND your ball out of the bunker.

Repeat this exercise about a million times, and you will be an expert.  As you watch the pros, you’ll find that in many instances they would prefer a bunker shot to some of their other options around the green.  That could be YOU!

Our commercial:

What is the best wedge to use to get out of a greenside bunker?  Well, we might be a bit biased, but we would recommend the PowerBilt Wedge – about 56 degrees with a perfectly matched Sole Width.

PowerBilt wedges are available from our eBay store in the following lofts:

     52 degrees
    54 degrees
    56 degrees
    58 degrees
    60 degrees

Learn more about these fine wedges on our website:

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