Trying to escape a bunker is tough enough. But add a high lip to the bunker and a golfer can really feel “trapped.” One of the toughest shots in golf—especially if you have a high golf handicap—this shot requires you to get the ball up high quickly to have any chance of clearing the lip and escaping in one. A tall order for any golfer, here’s how it’s done:
Below are six keys to this shot:
- Use your most lofted wedge
- Open the face up 45 degrees
- Dig your feet in
- Take a three-quarter backswing
- Adjust the speed of your downswing
- Throttle back with short-sided greens
You need to shoot the ball almost straight up with this shot. That’s easier than you might think, but only if you make the right adjustments.
Use your most lofted wedge for this shot. Take the wedge in your right hand and rotate it 45 degrees away from the target. Now take your regular grip. Make sure you keep the face open.
Next, take your stance and dig your feet in slightly. You want your toes and heels at the same depth as the divot you’re going to take. Remember, the object here is to hit the ground first. That projects the ball out on a pillow of sand. Take only a three-quarter backswing for this shot
To clear the lip and get it to the green, you’ll need to increase the speed of your downswing. Adjust the speed of your downswing to the height of the lip. The higher the lip, the faster the downswing.
If the flag is cut close to the edge, however, slow down your swing speed. But make sure you don’t baby the shot. Think “full wedge” swing instead.
You can make this shot if you make the right adjustments. Once you’ve done it a couple of times, you’ll build confidence. And you won’t feel trapped you anymore.
