Easy Fairway Bunker Technique From One Of The World’s Biggest Bunkers

Sometimes when we’re out on the course, we’re faced with some incredibly daunting shots.

In the video below, you will see that I’ve got about 110m of bunker to carry, with a big quarry face on the other side, and the green and the flags up on top of that. So it’s quite a tough shot. In this situation, course strategy-wise, you’re better off just playing out to the side with a sand wedge, or something like that, just so you can put your ball back into play. In this instance, however, I’m going to go for it.

I’m going to run through a few little set-up keys, that will help you pick that ball clean off this surface because that’s what we need to do, and to get it right up on top of that quarry face.

Here is the drill:

1. I would suggest using a club with a little less loft than a sand wedge. This is so you don’t have to hit the ball so hard to get a good position on the green.

2. Starting in the address position, place the ball a little bit further forward in your stance, relatively speaking under the sternum, or breast bone. This is going to get the golf club coming in a bit shallower with the ground. If you were to move it too far back it will get the golf club digging and you’re more likely to leave the ball in the bunker. This is going to help with the delivery of the club as it strikes the ball, ensuring a clean strike, not too far back and behind.

3. Put a little more weight on your lead foot. If you’re right-handed that means leaning a bit to the left.

4. Grip down slightly on the golf club. That’s going to raise the arc of the club up off the ground, making it more likely to hit the equator. The last thing you want with this shot is to have too much interaction with the sand or the surface on which the ball is lying.

5. Aim to purposely thin the ball. This is very important. It will ensure you strike the ball and not the ground.

 Summary: Using a club with a little less loft, move the ball further forward in the address position. Position some more weight on the lead foot and then grip slightly down the golf club. Finally, when you’re playing the shot, stay tall and have it in mind that you’re deliberately trying to thin the ball. Do not try and the club down into the ground because if you do that, there’s not much room for error, and you’re more likely to leave it in the sand.

Watch the full video here: