Bunker plays!

You find yourself in the sand. All you want to do is just get the ball out, but you’ve thinned it into the lip and then duffed one right in front of you before picking up your ball and throwing it in the trees. How do the pros make it look so easy? Here’s some simple tips that can help you next time you’re at the beach:

Don’t hit the ball – might sound strange, but bunker shots are the one time you want to hit behind the ball. A good guide is to draw a line in the sand about an inch behind the ball and practice hitting that line. The club needs to slide underneath the ball to help it pop out and roll up next to the flag. 

Release your hands – again this is where bunker shots are the opposite of what you usually would be doing. Most amateurs drive their hands at the ball with too much shaft lean, this means the club head digs and the ball want go anywhere. As you are striking the ball you want your hands to feel like they are ‘flipping’ this will help to create spin and the club head to glide under the ball. 

Speed – don’t be scared of creating club head speed if you are doing those first two tips correctly. When you watch a pro you’ll notice how long their swing is and how hard they hit it. Because you are striking sand first you need to have speed all the way through the ball. 

Next time you are in the sand, give these a try and before you know it you won’t be taking 3 shots to get out.