Bunker play has been a thorn in the side of amateur players (and even some experienced players) for quite some time. For professionals on the other hand, these photos look relatively easy. When you watch pro golf, the announcers will also talk about how “easy” bunker shots are and how players would rather be in the bunker than in the rough if they miss the green.
What do you do? bunker shots so easy for the pros and so crazy for the rest of us? Many times, it’s a matter of misinterpreting how to execute the kick with proper technique. In my experience, amateur players are very good at executing simple directives, but if those directives aren’t completely true, they don’t stand a chance.
For years, the standard tips for bunker shots was to see a spot 1 to 2 inches behind the ball and hit the sand there. Unfortunately, this look often creates a very shallow arc, resulting in a low clubhead point that is too far behind the ball. This incredibly shallow movement leads to two strokes appearing at the worst possible times: thin strokes (blades) and fat strokes (chunks).
If you break down the bunker game of the best sand players, you’ll see that they hit hard down and close to the ball at impact – but the low point of the swing is actually a few inches ahead of the ball.
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Most recreational golfers think otherwise when chipping or chipping a bunker shot. They assume they are hitting the ball a lot. In reality, when you hit one of these disaster shots, you are hitting the ball on the upswing (not the downswing) and the low point is far away from the ball.
The key to executing this shot correctly is to make a swing that is tight and not wide. A helpful visualization is to imagine forming the letter V with the club during the swing. Let both elbows bend in the back bend with a slight twist. This creates a tighter swing more effectively than just using the wrists to guide the swing.
A tight swing gives you the opportunity to hit the ball with the club entering the sand close to it, making it easier to get out of the bunker with one effort, while also generating impressive spin. You are essentially squeezing the ball to create spin and gain better control around the green.
The drive energy should feel like it’s going down and under the ball rather than forward. Additionally, focus directly on the ball at address, rather than a spot behind it. On your best shots, it will seem like you catch a small portion of the ball and a larger amount of sand.
A simple drill to reinforce this is to draw a line directly behind the ball in the bunker. Your goal is to hit the sand in front of that line. Most bunker instructions over the years have emphasized hitting the sand behind the line, but this often encourages an overly shallow landing and a low point that stays behind the ball. As a result, you get blades and pieces.
