You will find many golf tips which show you how to play different shots out of a bunker. Not all bunkers are the same, some will be shallow, some deep and there will be some which have a big lip and others which do not.
While these various scenarios may require adjustments in the type of shot you play, there are some things which you must avoid when playing any type of bunker shot.
If you find yourself feeling uneasy about playing a bunker shot, we have several things you can think about before playing a successful shot.
Firstly, you must commit to playing the shot. If you are feeling fearful about playing your ball out of a bunker, this usually leads to a heavy strike of the ball as you slow down through impact.
To avoid this, try holding the club higher on the handle as the extra length on the club will add club head speed through the ball and increase the acceleration at impact.
Another reason why your club head speed slows down when playing a bunker shot is because you take too much sand with the shot. When playing a bunker shot, you need to slide the club under the ball but not take a huge amount of sand.
If you take too much sand, the club must work through the sand and this is what slows it down and results in a poor shot.
The reverse of this is when you take too little sand and this can also cause a problem when playing bunker shots.
If you take too little sand, you could make a direct contact with the ball which could see it travel a lot further than desired. Playing a bunker shot with too little sand can also result in thinning the shot and leaves you with a lack of control over the ball.
If you find you are making this mistake when playing a bunker shot, try aiming to take an inch of sand before the ball.
To make sure the ball travels out of the bunker, many golfers end up playing a flick shot. When flicking the shot, the leading wrist (left wrist for right handed players) is usually the problem and results in the club not entering the sand at all and possibly missing the ball altogether or at best topping the ball.
To avoid this happening, try and ensure the leading wrist stays firm when playing the shot. In most cases you will be using a sand wedge and the loft of the club itself is enough to generate the required lift on the ball, you are not required to try and add it yourself.
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