Do bunker shots scare you? If you’re like many golfers, they do. But not as much as sloping lies do. Add some slope to bunker lies and you really get nervous. Your confidence goes right out the window. Don’t sweat it! Beating sloped lies in a bunker is easier than you think. You just have to make a few simple adjustments.
Below are golf tips on beating the following bunker lies:
• Uphill bunker lies
• Downhill bunker lies
• Ball below your feet
You can get up and down from each of these lies by making a few key setup adjustments before swinging.
• The key to beating an uphill lie is to angle your shoulders so they match the shot’s slope. Also, setup in an open stance with your feet shoulder width apart and the ball centered between your heels.
Opening your stance encourages more rotation through the shot. While angling your shoulders to match the slope prevents the clubhead from digging too far into the sand. Make a normal shot. The ball will come out soft and high.
• The key to beating downhill lies is to widen your stance. It improves your balance. Setting up with the right foot dropped back a few inches, the ball opposite the front foot’s arch, and the shoulders angled to match the slope also help.
Make sure your hands point to a spot just behind the ball where you want the clubhead to enter the sand. Swing along the ground’s slope. Don’t try to scope the ball. It never works.
• The key to beating a shot where the ball is below your feet is to increase the flex in your knees by turning them inward. This adjustment improves balance, prevents swaying, and steepens the angle of approach. That way you catch the sand before hit-ting the ball.
Standing a little closer to the ball and lowering yourself a bit also helps increase the flex in your knees. Positioning the ball forward in your stance makes up for the clubhead’s tendency to bottom out later than usual.
Makes these adjustments next time you have a sloped bunker lie. You’ll get up and down with more regularity and save yourself more than a few strokes.
