Scottie Scheffler’s “very important part” of the bunker game? It contains your hands

Good things. The main topic of the video was the long bunker shot to the edge of the green, and there, Scheffler had five tips for what he labeled one of the hardest shots in golf. We will describe them in the order they are presented in the video.

– Scheffler said he tries to hit it like a regular bunker shot.

— He moves the ball up in his stance.

— He opens the club, then catches it.

— He hits it about an inch or so behind the ball — “but basically,” he said, “I’m just trying to feel that bounce go into the sand and then push that ball forward.”

— He uses a less elevated club; in his case in the video, he used a club with less loft than a lob wedge. “I’d love to hit the ball hard,” he said of using the ball wedge, “and there’s a high risk of either hitting it or coming up short. When you use lower loft for these longer shots, then it becomes much more consistent.”

In the video, he then hit about 8 feet.

But let’s go back to the third thought, the one that talks about capture. It was a universal thought of sand. In the video, Scheffler had this to say:

“I open the club, then I catch it,” he said. “That’s a very important part when you’re in the sand – don’t grab normally and then open because your hands will turn.”

Granted, the words “very important part” from the world number 1 should make you take notice.

For convenience, below is Scheffler’s full text from the video:

“There was probably 60 to 70 yards on that back peg. And I would say that’s probably one of the hardest shots in golf, the really long bunker shot. To hit this shot, I still try to hit it like a normal bunker shot. So I hit the ball a little higher in my stance, open the club up, and then catch it. This is a very important part when you are in the sand – don’t grab it normally and then open it because your hands will turn. Maybe I’m trying to hit an inch or so behind the ball, but basically I’m trying to feel the bounce go into the sand and then push that ball forward. And the shot becomes a lot simpler when you use less loft, versus if I had to get in here with a lob wedge—I’d like to barely hit the ball, and there’s a high risk of either shouldering it or it comes very short. When you use lower loft for these longer shots, then it becomes much more consistent.”

Editor’s Note: To help further the conversation, below is a story written in 2021 by Top 100 GOLF Teacher Kellie Stenzel titled “10 Tips to Help You Master Long Shots in greenside bunker”. You can also read it from by clicking here.

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The long bunker shot to the edge of the green has a reputation as one of the most difficult shots in golf. But I have good news for you: This is a false reputation. If you understand the necessary adjustments you need to make in your club selection, setup, and swing, you’ll get up and down these spots more than you ever imagined.

These are the steps you need to master the longest greenside bunker shots.

1. Balanced weight at address

One of the most fundamental aspects of setup is also one of the most important parts of the long bunker shot. If you don’t have your weight balanced during the stroke, there is little hope of being successful on any kind of consistent basis.

2. Move the ball position forward

There are a few basics that apply to all of your green sand shots. The most important of these: You need to get your clubhead to contact the sand in front of the ball so it slides under the ball and out.

To do this, you need to move the ball position forward of the center in your stance and aim for the club to hit the sand in the middle of your stance.

3. Dig your feet in the sand

Another common basic of all green sand shots is to dig your feet into the sand enough to disappear the soles of your shoes. When you do this, it lowers the arc of your swing, which will make the club go into the sand more easily.

Being able to hit and putt from the bunker must come from good setup. It’s not something you have to think about – it’s something that should happen naturally.

4. Make a long break

We’ve talked a lot about getting a lot of sand so far, but you’ll still have to fight the tendency to lift up. So here’s a favorable thought for you: Visualize doing long division. This will prevent you from falling back and trying to lift the ball in the air, which will only lead to you catching the golf ball.

5. Practice without the golf ball

It can be very helpful to practice bunker shots without a golf ball. Think about hitting nice long splits and knocking the sand away with your club.

In my playing days, I became a respectable player in the green bunker, and I did so because I spent a fair amount of time hitting tees out of the bunker with my club. This taught me proper movement. Adding a golf ball was the easy part.

6. Raise your club

For longer bunker shots, one of the easiest and most obvious things to do is to simply use a less steep wedge, like a gap wedge (usually around 52 degrees). The less loft on the wedge, the farther the ball will travel with less effort. If you’ve never used your sand pit wedge, you might be surprised at the new shot you have in your arsenal.

7. Turn around your body

If you need more distance and already stick with clubs, consider taking a bigger swing by making a bigger turn around your body. This will help produce a round of the shoulders and a shallower back curve. This greater curve and shallower approach will also help your golf ball travel farther while still letting the club slide under the ball.

8. Square-up the club face

Usually for greenside bunker shots, you need to open the clubface, which increases loft and sends the ball higher – but also shorter. If you’re facing a longer green shot from a bunker, simply straighten the face so the marks on the clubface face more of the golf ball. Use the club as designed and use the return to your advantage. (This goes against Scheffler, though he hits the ball farther than the standard amateur.)

9. Turn aggressively

If you have made a good big turn, it means that you have created a lot of energy. But all that energy you’ve created will only turn into speed and power if you use your pivot. If you come back, you have to pass.

If you don’t pass aggressively, you will slow down and catch the ball fat. When you move, allow your heel to come off the ground. This will not only help produce speed, but also make it much more likely to have a long split.

10. Swing at speed

Along those lines, a green sand shot is like a full swing. You don’t just have to make a full swing, you need real speed as a full swing. This may seem counterintuitive because you are so close to the target, but the sand acts as a buffer between the clubface and your ball. You need energy to generate enough power to push the ball and sand onto the green.

Nick Piastowski

Editor of Golf.com

Nick Piastowski is a senior editor at Golf.com and Golf Magazine. In his role, he is responsible for editing, writing and developing stories across the golf space. And when he’s not writing about ways to hit the golf ball farther and straighter, the Milwaukee native is probably playing the game, hitting the ball left, right and short, and drinking a cold beer to wash down his score. . You can reach him about any of these topics – his stories, his game or his beers – at nick.piastowski@golf.com.