Greenside bunker play
Get it right at set-up and strike the line every time for more consistency from the sand around the greens
1Many bunker woes stem from inconsistencies in where the club hits the sand. A simple drill to help get your club striking the sand in the same place every time is to draw a line back towards just inside your left heel, where the ideal ball position is. Take two or three practice swings and try to catch the sand on the line (below) before moving in and playing a shot. Strike the sand in the same place every time and your bunker play will improve.
Set the majority of your weight on the left side
2
A common set-up error is to have the ball too far back in the stance. The ideal ball position is just inside the left heel. Then, when you’re in the address position, make sure that much more of your weight is on your left side – about 70-80 per cent – than in a normal full swing. There is then very little weight transfer – you need to keep the majority of your weight on your left side throughout the swing. 56˚ is plenty of loft
3
Many golfers make the mistake of feeling they have to help get the ball up to clear the face or lip and therefore lean back through impact, most likely striking the sand too early. You have to trust the fact you’ve got plenty of loft in your hands in the first place. With 56˚ of loft or more on a sand wedge, there’s no need to try and add more – there’s already more than enough loft to get the ball up and out.