Hitting a tee shot only to see your ball land in the sand can be very demoralising for a golfer, especially a beginner. While it does not appear as costly as hitting the ball into water, a mistake from the sand could easily lead you to taking more shots then desired on a hole.
When hitting the ball into the sand off the tee on a par-4 or par-5 hole, you will be left with a long bunker shot. This can seem daunting but today we have some tips on how to play a long bunker shot.
Hitting a long bunker shot is much harder to judge than a short bunker shot. With a short bunker shot, even if you get the shot slightly wrong, there is a chance you will be left with a reasonable outcome. There is very little margin for error when playing a long bunker shot and you must be precise to avoid coming up short or going too long.
To help with the shot, pick the exact spot you would like the ball to land. Give yourself a target but allow some leeway with your chosen spot so if you are little off you will still be left in a decent position.
The first thing to decide when playing a long bunker shot is what club you are going to use. You will need to club down when playing a long bunker shot so think about the club you would usually use for the distance you want to hit the ball and drop down one. So, if you think you can reach your target using sand wedge, opt for a pitching wedge.
You are not required to change the position of the ball in your stance when playing a long bunker shot. It should be in line with your left heel and the weight on your leading side at address.
Do not open the face of the club when playing this shot as you want to achieve more distance from the club than loft. Keep the face pointed directly at the target.
When playing the shot, you are trying to contact the sand roughly an inch before the ball, as you would when playing a standard bunker shot. Focus on driving the sand and ball out of the bunker and sending the ball towards the green. Try and reduce the amount of wrist hinge on the shot as this will help improve the angle of attack.
When playing the shot, the result should be a lower ball flight and reduced spin, which sees the ball roll towards the flag.
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