Having trouble extricating yourself from the sand? Follow these simple tips and you’ll knock your ball onto the green in one easy shot.
Many recreational golfers are terrified of greenside bunker shots. In actual fact, these are probably some of the easiest shots in golf – if you understand the fundamentals.
To hit a golf ball out of a sand bunker, you don’t even need to hit the ball. What you’re actually trying to do is to displace the sand where the ball is sitting on out of the bunker and onto the putting surface.
Some of the common errors I see players make are either hitting too steeply into the sand (Pic 1), or standing up on the downswing and either skulling the ball over the green or missing it completely (Pic 2).
Here’s an easy drill to help you displace the right amount of sand, and hence the ball, out of the bunker and onto your target.
Draw a line in the sand (Pic 3). Make a swing with your wedge so that the leading edge hits the line, bottoms out about six to ten centimetres in front of it (Pic 4), then throws out the sand towards your target on the follow through (Pic 5).
Now place a ball about the width of your shoe in front of the line (Pic 6), then do the same thing and try to hit the line, and displace the sand – together with the ball – towards your target. And don’t forget to follow through!
Practise this simple drill and you’ll not fear greenside bunker shots anymore.