Better Shots From the Bunker

A shot that scares many recreational golfers and is less than ideal for lower-handicappers, is the green-side bunker shot.

With a little practice and some confidence, we won’t have to be worried about blading one into the parking lot or the water hazard behind the hole!

The first thing to focus on is the correct setup. Open up your body and feet by facing yourself a little left of your target.

Now, we need to open up the club face like we’re hitting a subtle flop shot. It should look like the club is facing a little right of the target. This is nothing to worry about!

Dig your feet into the sand to improve your stability and choke up on the club to counter for the depth of your feet and the lie of the ball.

With a little bit more weight on the left side of your body and the ball a bit forward in your stance, we have the setup for a solid bunker shot.

A big part of the bunker shot is your attitude. You need to stay aggressive with your shot. A lot of people get passive with their lower body halfway through the shot, and dig themselves into the sand, or come up thin on the golf ball.

Grabbing a little sand and letting the bounce of your wedge do the work for you will lead to more successful shots from the bunker.

Remember: Set up left of the target with your body, right of the target with your club and stay aggressive with your swing!