Poor greenside bunker shots add more strokes to golf handicaps than probably any other shot. That’s because they intimidate many golfers—even those who’ve taken golf lessons on how to hit them. In fact, most golfers would rather hit from deep rough or a side hill lie than a greenside bunker. As soon as their ball lands in a greenside bunker, they mentally add two or three strokes to their scores. That’s no way to approach this shot.
Actually, bunker shots are easier to hit than most golfers think. They have a wider margin for error than many other shots if you use the right mechanics, according to one well-known golf guru. Dave Pelz, author of Dave Pelz’s Short Game Bible, analyzed dozens of bunker shots in a recent study. The study shows that using the proper technique makes “sand play easier because it is more forgiving and minimizes the consequences of making normal human errors.” Nevertheless, golfers still fear greenside bunker shots.
Poor Mechanics A Key Reason
Poor mechanics are one reason most golfers hit bad bunkers shots. Even after taking golf lessons and/or reading golf tips on the subject, they still can’t hit a good bunker shot. The main problem, says Pelz, is that these golfers don’t understand how the club interacts with the sand on bunker shots. As a result, they hit poor bunker shots. Pelz is right. Watching dozens of students hitting hundreds of bad bunker shots during my golf instruction sessions has made me a believer.
Your setup, as you probably know, is one key to hitting good bunker shots. You can’t hit good bunker shots if you’re setup is poor. What’s a good setup? Your feet should be about shoulder width apart, with your knees slightly flexed, your upper body bent forward slightly from the hips, and your weight centered on the balls of your feet. The ball should be on-line with the inside edge of your front foot and the clubface wide open. Your stance should be pointing slightly left of target, if you’re right handed.
But understanding how the clubface interacts with the sand is just as important as your setup, if not more important. Many bunker players use what Pelz calls the “dig and push” method of hitting bunker shots. With this method the golfer aims the clubface square at the target, so the wedge enters the sand about an inch behind the ball. At impact, the clubface’s leading edge digs down two or three inches and, hopefully, pushes the ball out ahead of it. Unfortunately, this method has little margin for error. Plus, it requires a great deal of energy to execute. Under pressure, the method often breaks down.
The Scoot And Spin Approach
A better approach, Pelz says, is the “scoot and spin” method. (Actually, it’s probably better referred to as the “skim and spin” method.) This method uses the same setup as the dig and push method, except the clubface is wide open at address. Helped by the wedge’s bounce, the clubface skims under the sand and past the ball, blasting it out high, soft, and with spin. If hit correctly, the ball bounces once or twice, checks, rolls slightly to the right, and stops near the hole.
The scoot and spin method offers numerous advantages over the dig and push method. To start with, it’s easier and simpler to execute. All you need do is aim left of target, open the clubface, and play the ball forward on the inside edge of your left heel. Then take your normal wedge swing. Also, the method requires less energy to get the ball out of the sand and it provides a wider margin for error. More importantly, it doesn’t break down under pressure, so you’re less likely to flub the shot.
Don’t let greenside bunker shots intimidate you. Although they probably account for more strokes being added to golf handicaps than any other shot, they’re not as hard as they seem, if you understand how the clubface interacts with the sand. Switching from the dig and push method of hitting a greenside bunker shot to the scoot and spin method, along with taking golf lessons and reading golf tips on the subject, improves bunker play. Eventually, bunker shots won’t intimidate you.
