SHORT GAME
4
40-yard bunker shot Most of the time, you’ll be better off using a pitching wedge or gap wedge, because you get more forward momentum than you would with a sand wedge. The ball position should be maybe a couple of inches forward of your central point, so the club bottoms out just behind the ball, and you want your weight into the lead side – around 60 to 70 per cent.
5 Greenside bunker shot
Greenside, you want more loft to get the ball up quickly. It’s crucial to keep the speed going through impact. Most of the golfers who struggle from bunkers do so because they hit too far behind the ball, or they thin the ball into the face. Knowing they need to hit behind the ball, they end up entering the sand a good 10 to 12 inches behind it, which simply isn’t going to work.
Pyramid drill
This is a super drill as it gives you a clear visual of how much sand you need to take. For a greenside bunker shot, you should be looking to remove this pyramid. Just by looking at it, it should reduce any fear you have of bunker shots. Then work on ‘removing’ the sand, as pictured.
Underarm throwing drill
This drill helps you to develop the correct feelings from the sand, both greenside and for those 40- to 60-yard bunker shots. It’s all about improving your awareness of the trail hand and getting it to feel like it’s ‘throwing’ the club through the sand. Developing this feeling of releasing the clubhead will improve your bunker play no end. ...and then work on ‘removing’ it