Perfect Bunker Shots As Taught By the Pros

The bunker shot is probably the most dreaded shot in a game of golf, most golfers will be overjoyed to keep their ball out of the sand throughout their game but as many players will know: sometimes our ball will roll or bounce in to the bunker and it is up to us to get the ball out (using the least amount of strokes as possible).

There are five key points to bear in mind; these tips are what all professional golfers have running through their head when the ball lands in the sand. As long as you follow these tips then you too will be able to easily pop the ball back on the green setting you up for a nice short putt.

Open your club face a little.
When you normally hit the golf ball you will hold the club straight and line up the head with the ball, this has an angle that gives the ball loft when you hit it. In a sand shot we want to increase this angle so the ball goes higher in to the air to avoid the back wall of the bunker. To open the club face up simply rotate your wrists away from the ball slightly so the top edge of your club head moves away from the ball.

Position the ball in the front of your stance.
The position of the ball in relation to your stance can also heavily affect the trajectory of your ball once it is struck. This is because of your swinging motion the club could be on its way down, on its way up or perfectly at the bottom of your downswing. In a bunker shot you want to hit the ball later as the club is rising to hit the ball with the maximum loft. To achieve this you swing exactly the same but the ball should be in line with your leading foot (left if you are a right handed golfer).

Open Your Stance to the target.
When you take your shot a lot of sand will be flicked around and could influence your shot's aim. To counteract this pro golfers recommend opening your stance by turning your body towards the target slightly (to the left if you're right handed), this paired with the open club face should enable you to land the ball where you want it to, practice different degrees of your stance to gauge how open you need to be.

Hit the Ball Fat.
This may sound odd to less experienced golfers but hitting the ball fat or thin is determined by whereabouts on the ball you make contact with when you are hitting your shots. If you've ever hit the ball with the bottom of your club and in the middle of the ball then you have hit the ball ‘thin', to hit the ball fat you need to be getting under the ball. Lowering your stance by either stooping can cause inconsistencies, widen your stance slightly to get more consistent shots.

Completely follow through your shots.
This again helps to increase the loft of your shot as the club face will in effect lift the ball higher before it leaves contact with the club face. This allows even the slowest of swings to get a decent amount of loft so your ball clears any obstruction or the back wall of the bunker.

There are plenty of free golf lessons available online that can help you lower your golf handicap and win more games.