Obviously, the best advice about playing out of bunkers on the golf course is not to get into them in the first place.
Always try and give yourself some margin for error when playing a shot towards a bunker and this will help keep your ball out of the sand as often as possible. However, things do not always play out as we expect and sometimes your ball will land in a bunker.
The first thing you should do when arriving at the bunker is check the lie of your ball. How the ball is sitting in the sand will determine what type of shot you need to play. If the ball is lying deep in the sand and looks difficult to remove, you should be thinking about the easiest direction to hit the ball and get it back on grass, even if it is away from the hole.
If the ball is sitting up nicely on top of the sand, you can play a more aggressive shot. However, your first thought should always be to get the ball out.
By making a judgement on your lie, you will feel a lot more confident about playing your shot. Many beginner golfers get nervous when playing a bunker shot and you are sure to play a better shot if you are confident and clear in what you are trying to achieve.
To play a successful bunker shot, having a stable stance is very important. The easiest way to give yourself a solid stance is to work your feet into the sand a little by wiggling them. Do not be too aggressive when doing this, you do not want to disturb the ball or go too low in the sand. If you find you need to go further down in the sand than usual to get a stable stance, choke down a little on the handle of the club to compensate.
If you find yourself in a fairway bunker, the temptation is to swing hard because you have a long distance to travel to the green. However, if you do this you can lose balance and mis-hit the shot, leaving you in further trouble for your next shot.
Instead, you should be thinking about playing a controlled shot from a fairway bunker. Concentrate on making a technically good, easy flowing swing and a good contact. If you take a club which you know will be enough to carry the distance you need to hit the ball plus carry the front lip of the bunker, there is no need to swing hard.
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