Summer Golf Tips: Hitting out of the Bunker Top 13 Tips
While all golf courses are unique, one thing that you will find in every golf course you visit is a sand trap. These traps tend to mess with players minds. Well, if you happen to encounter such a trap while playing, don’t worry. RunRex has 13 tips for you that will help you make those sand bunker shots quite easily.
1. Choose the right club
The wedges usually come to work when getting yourself out of trouble and this is one such scenario. Here you will need a wedge with a high loft, like the 60-degree lob wedge. A gap wedge or a sand wedge are possible choices too depending on the results you want to achieve. The high loft will give the ball enough flight out of the bunker.
2. Go with the right attitude
The biggest hindrance to great bunker shots is fear of sand bunkers. When you let fear drive you, you are likely to get the shot wrong. It is, therefore, advisable that you take bunker shots just like any other shots in as much as you will have to make some minor adjustments. If you forcefully try to drill the ball, a fat shot is what you will end up with instead. Just focus on clearing the sand trap and getting the ball on the green.
3. Assess the lie
The position of the ball in the bunker will determine the distance and the height to be achieved. If the ball is against the lip, you will need to raise it higher. Therefore, assess the lie and determine how best you should hit the ball.
4. Dig into the sand
Sand bunkers do not have still surfaces, and hence it is easy to slide. To prevent sliding and overactive legs, dig into the sand by twisting your feet and letting them sink a bit in the sand. This will give your legs a solid base and, also, give you a feel of how deep the sand is at that point.
5. Play off your lead foot
The general rule for hitting the ball in a sand bunker is playing it off your lead foot. As you move the ball further backward, your shot will attain a much lower trajectory hence driving the ball out of the bunker. However, you have to make some slight adjustments on how you hit the ball depending on the nature of the bunker, but the general rule to follow is playing off your lead foot.
6. Open stance and Clubface
Just like taking shots from any other point of the golf course, your stance is very important when taking bunker shots. Your stance should be open and so should the clubface. This combination allows you to attain a higher and gentler ball flight. The open clubface allows the club to hit the ball from the right angle hence a higher flight.
7. Proper weight distribution
Your feet have a great role to play when taking shots and part of their role includes managing your body weight. When hitting out of a bunker, much of your body weight should be rested on your front foot. The ratio should be roughly 80% on your front foot to 20% on your other foot. Proper weight distribution will help in creating the sand splash and give the ball a good backspin.
8. Use the Half backswing technique
Once your body is positioned correctly and you are ready to swing, take a half backswing instead of the full backswing. While taking your swing, you should make sure that your shoulders rotate. It is more like taking a pitch shot, only that you are taking it in a sand bunker.
9. Outside-in swing path
When swinging, look to attain an outside-in swing path. Your wrists should have a slight hinge at the top. The distance you want to attain will determine how far back you will move your club. The outside-in swing path will give the ball a soft drive while flying it higher. You, also, gain maximum control of the ball.
10. Sand before the ball
With bunker shots, you have to hit the sand before you hit the ball if you want to get the ball to go in the right direction. This will determine the distance the ball will go and allow you to hit the ball from the right angle. Don’t be afraid to hit the sand as some players do.
11. Acceleration is key
Even if you get the techniques right, hitting the ball with the wrong speed might not get the ball out of the bunker or to the right position.
12. The follow through
Do not forget the follow through even with bunker shots. You must, also, stay down longer. A follow through will allow you to splash the ball out of the bunker. Missing a follow through will only chunk it.
13. Practice
This universal tip applies to all kinds of shots on the golf course. Make bunker shots a habit during practice if you want to be good at it.