Bunker distance control has always been difficult for me.
I think part of the problem is mindset. When you get into a bunker, the first goal is usually, “Just take it out.” Then it becomes: “Take it out and somewhere close.” By the time you start thinking about actual distance control, you’re already dealing with a shot that’s probably no longer comfortable for you.
At least, that’s how it’s always felt to me.
I watched a Titleist video that explained something I think I’ve done for a while, but hearing it said this way was a good reminder.
If you need the bunker shot to go farther, don’t swing harder: take off the loft.
The lobe wedge has a limit
I hit a lot of my shots into the green wedge bunker. It’s easy to get the ball out, I’m confident with the height I can get and it’s usually pretty accurate.
For a short-side bunker shot, the flat wedge makes sense. Open your face, play the ball forward, keep your weight forward and use enough speed to get the ball up quickly.
But it’s important to remember that the more lofts you add, the more speed you need.
This is where many bunker shots go wrong. Golfers open the face, add a bunch of loft, and then take a slow, careful swing. The ball doesn’t have enough speed to come out the way they imagined.
For a longer bunker shot, holding the wedge in your hand and just swinging harder isn’t always a smart play.
If you’re trying to lay a 60-degree wedge into a 30- or 40-yard bunker shot, you have to hit it really hard.
Switch clubs instead
If you need the bunker shot to go farther, grab less loft.
Try a 54- or 56-degree sand wedge, a gap wedge or even a raised wedge depending on the shot. A club with a lower height creates more ball speed, so it doesn’t have to swing as hard to make the ball travel farther.
You can still open the face. You can still use your normal bunker move. You just don’t have to add that much loft.
This means the ball will launch a little lower, fly farther and stretch more.
Keep the loft for the kick you need
For a high and smooth bunker shot, add loft and add speed. Open the face, keep it open and commit to the shot.
For the longest bunker shot, remove the loft. Use less face opening during setup, less open face feel on the backswing, and less of that “held-open” finish.
You are not changing everything. You’re just matching the loft with the shot.
Practice it with the same swing length
The easiest way to see this is to take the same bunker swing with different clubs.
Get your 60 degree wedge, 56 degree wedge, gap wedge and opening wedge. Take similar length swings at similar rates and see what happens.
60 should start higher and stop faster.
The 56 should fly a little farther and launch more.
The gap wedge or lift wedge should come out lower, lead farther and roll more.
Once you see those windows, bunker distance control becomes much easier and more predictable.
Final thought
The mistake is not using the lobe wedge. The mistake is to look for a wide open wedge to produce distance without adding enough speed.
Before changing clubs, check the edge of the bunker. If you need height immediately, get loft and commit to speed. If the edge isn’t the main issue and you need the ball to travel farther, remove the loft.
Same basic bunker move and you’ll have better distance control.
