Best Way to Play Greenside Bunker Shot

Learn how to play this shot so that the ball finishes close to the flag and you will save many strokes.

Grip

Except for one very important difference, hold the club with the normal grip about 2 – 3 in (50 – 75 mm) down the shaft. The essential difference is that the club face is not square to the target, but open (i.e., turned to the right), and this is done before you place the hands on the club. Do this before you get into the sand bunker because you need to ground the club in the open position before you can place the hands on the shaft properly.

Opening the club face lowers the trailing edge even more, causing the club to bounce through the sand instead of digging in. The ball will be propelled then by the displacement of the sand behind it, softly, slowly, and with a considerable amount of height, ensuring that the ball stops shortly after landing.

Stance

Plant the feet securely in the sand with your whole body aligned to the left of the target – that is, with an open stance. This stance, when combined with the open club face, will create the height that the ball flies. The more the feet are aligned to the left and the more the club face is open (aligned to the right), the higher and shorter the ball will travel.

When you have learned to face your whole body the same angle to the left as the club face is pointing to the right, control of distance becomes easier.

Keep your weight centred, with the ball in line with the left heel and addressed towards the toe of the sand iron. When playing, do not ground the club in the bunker. When first practicing this shot, lay your club head softly on the sand, as this will increase your confidence. (If you hold the club in the air from the beginning, it is difficult to know where to strike the sand.)

Posture

Keep the knees flexed and the body relaxed. The hands should be hanging freely from the shoulders, very slightly in front of the ball, and the club should not, of course, touch the sand.

Swing movement

The grip, stance and posture promote a swing that will take a long, shallow ‘divot’ of sand and compress it behind the ball, propelling it out of the bunker. The swing itself is very upright, rather long, and very much slower than you would expect neces­sary. Watch professionals playing this shot and you will think that they are trying to play in slow motion. The line of the swing follows the stance – that is, to the left of the target. The arms lead the downswing all the way. The ball will come out of the bunker about halfway between where you have swung the club and where the blade was pointing when the club hit the sand.

Until you are proficient at this, it is a good idea to follow through to a high finish by concentrating on continuing the movement of the left side, with a distinct feeling of pulling the left arm to the left. This will stop the right hand from taking over and closing the club face, which should be pointing to the sky until near the end of the swing.

Even when playing very short shots, with the flag close to the edge of the bunker, it is better in the beginning to play the high follow through with a slower swing to be certain of getting out of the bunker and on to the green. Eventually, when you have gained enough confidence, you can stop the club earlier and lower to the ground, reducing the distance the ball travels.