Greenside Bunker Shots. Now let’s discuss those greenside bunker shots. There is a key component to understand here.not all greenside bunkers are the same. Some are bunkers deep with very high lips where your top priority is just getting the ball out. Some are from a relatively shallow bunker, but be 15, 20 or maybe 30 yards from the hole. Long Greenside Bunkers are dips or depressions in the ground that are filled with sand and are located close to or around the green. The difference between a 'long' greenside bunker and a 'typical' greenside bunker is that long greenside bunker shots are usually in the 30-70 yard range.
Whether you're in a fairway bunker or greenside — or facing a nasty 50-yarder — let's get you in a good setup so you can make an athletic motion
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Most golfers don't have a clear concept of how they're supposed to swing in the sand. And the shots they hit don't help—fat, then thin, then fat, and so on. How on earth would they know what kind of swing to make? The good news is, once you hit a few bunker shots correctly, the light goes on. One overall mistake I see is trying to guide the club too much, which takes the athleticism out of the shot. Whether you're in a fairway bunker or greenside— or facing a nasty 50-yarder—let's get you in a good setup so you can make an athletic motion. —with Peter Morrice
1.) FAIRWAY BUNKERS Set up like a tee shot
The big key from a fairway bunker is ball position. You want to make a sweeping swing, not a chop, so play the ball well forward in your stance.
Assuming your lie is good, set up like you do with a driver: wide stance and ball below your front shoulder (above). Digging in your feet will only make you hit behind the ball and chunk it. From that good setup, make a three-quarter swing, maintaining your posture all the way through impact.
A good swing thought is, Stay tall. Don't try to go down and get it at impact. A controlled swing from a tall posture will give you the sweep you want.
2.) GREENSIDE-BUNKER DRILL Learn to turn through
Here's an exercise for grooving the basic motion out of greenside sand. Without a club, take your setup in a bunker, extend your left arm toward the target and hold your right palm up (above). Swing your right arm back by folding the elbow, then go through and try to connect your right hand to your left hand. You'll see you have to turn your body through, otherwise your right hand won't reach far enough. So turn and extend that right arm—same as in a real shot.
3.) GREENSIDE SETUP KEY Aim the loft at the target
You know you need loft on greenside-bunker shots. You also need bounce, so the heavy back edge of the club can slide through the sand and prevent digging.
To put these forces to work, golfers are told to open the clubface at address. But when they do, they aim the loft on the face too far to the right (above left). That looks strange, so they try to swing left through impact to compensate.
A better way to add loft and bounce is to lower your hands at address, which flattens the shaft and keeps the face aimed at the target (above right). Try it.
4.) GREENSIDE SWING KEY Keep some flex in your legs
When golfers try to help the ball out, they hang back on the right foot and straighten the left leg. That causes them to hit too far behind the ball or skull it on the upswing.
Here's a great swing thought in greenside bunkers: Turn into a bent left leg. That will keep you in posture as you swing through and will position the low point of the swing in the forward half of your stance. Now just make sure the ball is in the right place: a couple inches inside your front heel. With the ball up, turn through and thump the sand with your right arm (above). You'll hit sweet shots.
5.) 50-YARD BUNKER SHOT The Stacy Lewis Special
I learned this technique secondhand from Stacy Lewis on the LPGA Tour. It makes the toughest shot in golf much easier. The gist of it is, you need to catch the ball cleanly to hit it 50 yards from the sand.
Again, it's all about the setup. Using your sand wedge, open the face and position the ball way up in your stance—opposite your front heel (below). Set your weight 50/50, and don't lean the shaft toward the target. Try to pick it clean off the sand. With this setup, you have enough loft and bounce that you can even hit behind it and produce a good shot. You won't dig. The ball comes out low and checks. Good one, Stacy!
Golf InstructionJune 18, 2012
The No. 1 theme for good bunker shots? Hitting the sand where you intend to hit it
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RELEASE / DO
Unhinge the club quickly, and then rehinge it so you 'miss the rope'
Players often ask how far behind the ball to hit in the sand, and my answer is always the same. If you learn to hit the sand exactly where you want (an inch or two behind the ball), you'll never need to ask that question again. To achieve that consistency, you might need some setup and swing changes. Getting the clubhead moving fast and skipping through the sand in the right place is like hammering a nail--using your wrist, not your arm. Release your wrist angle early and fast, and get the shaft in an upright position quickly after impact. If you stretched a rope three feet in front of you and two feet off the ground, the clubhead should miss it as you rehinge (above). I call this a 'narrow' swing.
RELEASE / DON'T
Pushing the handle toward the target creates width and dig, not speed or lift
If you struggle out of the sand, it's almost always because you're misapplying the force you need to hit this shot. When you surge the handle toward the target, it feels as if you're swinging fast, but you're really just slowing the clubhead down. You hit the sand too early and dig instead of skip. I call this a 'wide' swing--it would hit the rope (below). Again, think about how you use a hammer. Do you keep your arm rigid and hit the nail with a big arm movement, or do you use your wrist to add extra hit to the nail? Play a bunker shot by rehinging your wrists quickly, and the clubhead will move fast, skip through the sand and pop the ball out without any extra lifting effort.
SETUP / DO
Keep your weight forward, arms soft and club vertical to make consistent contact
The bunker setup basics we've all heard are pretty standard--ball forward, open stance, open clubface. I think there's more to it than that. It's far more important to keep your spine tilt slightly left, shoulders level and head over the ball at address (above, left)--and throughout the swing. You're establishing the No. 1 theme for hitting good shots: hitting the sand where you intend to hit it. You tend to make contact with the sand at a point in line with the base of your neck. This way, you can set up square to the target, with the face open just enough to expose some bounce, the shaft vertical and your arms soft. You might feel like you're going to make a reverse pivot, but that's OK.
SETUP / DON'T
A rigid left arm pushes the left shoulder higher and the head too far back
Many players understand that their weight needs to be forward at address, but they do it the wrong way--by stiffening the left arm and shifting the hips toward the target. This pushes your head behind the ball and sets the shoulders at a steep angle, the right well below the left (above, right). When your head is shifted back and your left shoulder is so much higher than your right, you're setting up to crash the clubhead into the ground far behind the ball. It's no wonder players get so frustrated in the bunker. They make a large swing and scoop at it. They are basically just hoping to hit the sand somewhere far behind the ball and just get it out. It's hit and hope.
BACKSWING / DO
Turn your hips and shoulders, and hinge the club quickly with your wrists
Here's where you make or break a bunker shot. You hit the sand in a consistent spot by maintaining the position of your head relative to the ball--directly above it. Keep that left spine tilt and at least 60 percent of your weight on your left side during the swing. Then make a hip and shoulder turn while hinging the clubhead up quickly with your wrists (above). Keep your wrists and elbows soft, and you'll create effortless speed. It should feel as if you're making a slight reverse pivot and swinging back from inside a phone booth. Notice how my spine angle is the same at the top of the backswing as it was at address. I haven't shifted my shoulders back or moved my head behind the ball.
BACKSWING / DON'T
More arm swing doesn't always translate into more clubhead speed
When many players feel they need to create more speed in the bunker, it usually translates into a big, wide swing of the arms (above). But all that does is pull your head back behind the ball, and it doesn't produce enough speed. As we talked about before, moving the handle instead of hinging the club actually slows the clubhead. In this case, with your head behind the ball, the tendency will be for your weight to shift to your back leg, and you'll return the club too far behind the ball. If you don't release the hands from here, you'll hit it fat and leave it in the bunker. Release them too early, and you'll blade it over the green. Consistency requires too much reliance on timing.
Stan Utley, a Golf Digest 50 Best Teacher, works with players on the major tours. He's based at Grayhawk Golf Club, in Scottsdale.