Bunker Shot
The bunker shot is the shot from the sand in which you move the ball out of the bunker together with a portion of sand.
For many golfers the bunker shot is the most feared shot of all, yet it follows a clear technique. Unlike a normal shot from the fairway you do not strike the ball directly but hit the sand beneath and behind it. The clubface of the wedge glides through the sand, and the sand itself carries the ball up and out softly. What matters is an open clubface, a firm stance in the sand and the point of contact a few centimetres behind the ball. From a greenside bunker it is about height and stop, from a fairway bunker more about distance and clean contact.
In practice a simple picture helps. Example: your ball lies two metres from the bunker lip, the flag just behind it. You dig your feet in slightly, open the clubface, aim at a point three centimetres behind the ball and swing through decisively. The ball climbs high, lands softly and stays put. The explosion shot also counts as this same shot, the powerful version from difficult lies. If you manage the approach from the bunker followed by a putt, it counts as a sand save.
The most common mistakes are fear and too little swing. If you decelerate or try to hit the ball directly, you either leave the ball in the sand or send a thin shot over the green. Under the rules you must not ground the clubface in the sand before the shot or test the sand — that costs penalty strokes. After the shot you rake your footprints smooth, which is part of the etiquette towards those following you in the bunker.
FAQ
Why does my bunker shot not work even though I strike the ball cleanly?
That is exactly the flawed thinking: with a bunker shot from a greenside bunker you deliberately do not strike the ball directly. You hit the sand a few centimetres behind it, and the sand carries the ball up and out softly. Anyone who strikes the ball directly either produces a thin shot over the green or leaves the ball stuck in the sand.
May I test the sand with the club before a bunker shot?
No, that costs penalty strokes. You must neither ground the clubface in the sand before the shot nor take a practice swing in the sand. The only thing allowed is digging your feet in slightly when taking your stance — that does not count as testing the lie.
How do I get rid of my fear of the bunker shot?
Through practice and by swinging through. The most common source of error is a decelerated swing out of fear — the swing must be carried through decisively. If you practise the bunker shot regularly and also know the powerful version such as the explosion shot, you will attack the whole course with more confidence.