How to Play a Greenside Bunker Shot

By July 15, 2019Tips & Tutorials

The greenside bunker shot is, for many golfers, the hardest shot in golf. But are they really that difficult?

To be honest with you no they are not, but as with many aspects regarding the game of golf, golfers put additional pressure on themselves to perform and achieve shots that they see on the television. You must forget how the professionals, that spend hours practicing from the sand play the shot and look to improve your technique to achieve one very simple goal; Get the ball out, first time, every time.

When considering the technique that is considered to be the correct technique to get a golf ball out of a bunker, one of the recurring themes is how the clubface should be positioned. It is deemed imperative that the club face be open to help get the ball airborne, up and over the lip of the bunker and onto the green. I would like to offer a different approach that is easier to control, learn and apply.  The method, which I personally use for 90% of my own bunker shots, was derived through watching the mistakes many of my clients made when playing a greenside bunker shot. Good bunker play requires a consistent entry point in the sand and a consistent club face angle to control the direction in which the ball comes out of the bunker. This is why I teach my clients to abandon the more traditional approach for one that promotes consistency from greenside bunkers.

Method:

  • For mid-range greenside bunker shots (8 to 20 yards of green to work with), set the clubface square to your target line.
  • Your stance will be open 15º (toe-line pointing left of the intended target line for right-handed golfers). 
    Widen your stance an extra two clubhead widths to lower yourself a little and flex your knees an additional 10%.
  • From here it is important to learn the correct technique.
  • Draw a line in the sand a ball width behind the ball you are trying to remove from the bunker.
  • THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF THIS METHOD.
  • The line, which I know you cannot draw on the course, is the entry point. The single point that the club should enter the sand (in almost all cases, it also works with a plugged ball).
  • Hit this line and swing through to a full finish position, this will ensure that the ball pops up and out of even the deepest bunkers.

I would like to mention that the swing path should remain exactly as normal, along the of your feet, this will result in the clubface sliding through the sand underneath the ball. (A similar effect to opening the clubface.) Playing with a clubface that points towards the target will help you hit more shots on line, leaving more chances to save your score. If you are faced with a shorter bunker shot, open your stance an additional 10º and use the same technique. For longer bunker shots, stand square and make your normal swing, using the same technique and entering the sand a ball width behind the ball. The clubface should always be square, except in extreme circumstances that call for additional loft to be added to the club. For example, a ball that lies very close to the edge of a pot bunker. It is also worth mentioning that playing with an open clubface presents the “bounce” of the club to the ball, and if you are unable to consistently enter the sand in the correct place (and remove the correct amount of sand from beneath the ball) you will be setting yourself up for disaster.