Best Tips for Bunker Shots
Weight On Left Side
Your weight needs to be at least 70% on your left side for a right handed golfer. You should have good knee flex ensuring that the weight is heavy in your feet. Having your weight on your left side for a right handed golfer help you make sure you’re sliding the club through the sand with ease and that we don’t have any reverse spine angle in our bunker shot.
Wide Steady Base
Get your lower half nice and wide. The wider your stance the more sturdy your lower half is going to be. When we have a sturdy lower half it restricts the legs from swaying side to side or even moving at all. This gives us the best chance to slide the club face through the sand and under the ball each and every time.
Dig The Feet
Open Your Club Face
By opening the club face you increase the bounce on your sand wedge or whatever wedge you like to use out of the bunker. By increasing the bounce on your wedge, the club slides through the sand much easier.
Feet Slightly Open To Target
You stance can be open to the target or aiming left. This will help your hand path travel left through impact. With a slightly open club face your open stance will help you slide the club through the sand easier and not dig as much.
Commit To The Shot
Many times when I’m working with one of my students I notice that they make a similar swing as if they were chipping the ball. Which means that they aren’t accelerating the club head through the sand. Bunker shots can very difficult sometimes but with the correct set up and a confident approach you’ll find the results getting better and better over time on the course.
Pick a spot in the sand 1 inch to a half inch behind the ball to hit. You would to hit the same spot in the sand behind the ball every time you’re in a bunker.
Get The Club Going Vertical
Get the club going vertical and not around the body. The more vertical you get the club head going earlier in your take away the easier it’ll be to pop the ball out of the bunker.
Dig The Feet
Use your feet to determine what type of sand you are playing out of. Softer more grainier sand will grab the club more so you will need to make a more aggressive swing at the spot in the sand behind the ball your are looking it hit.