Master Bunker Shots from Every Type of Sand Trap
The bunker tips and lessons in this section will help turn you into a solid, consistent sand trap player.
Bunker play seems to be a bane for most amateur golfers. Statistics show that high handicappers rarely make ‘sand saves’ (i.e. they rarely get up and down from a green-side bunker). But even lower handicap players struggle.
A study of over 100 amateur golfers found that players with an handicap of 9 managed to get up and down from the sand just 7% of the time (and were only slightly better than 18-36 handicappers).
What’s interesting is that players with a handicap of 5 were able to get up and down much more often (about 30% of the time) and rarely left a shot in the bunker.
Once you have the correct technique, bunker shots aren’t that difficult. They certainly shouldn’t hold the fear they do over most golfers. When quizzed, these 5-handicappers said they spent very little time practicing bunker shots. So what does that suggest?
Just a small amount of practice initially, to ingrain good technique, should reap quite big rewards on the golf course. Hopefully, going from hardly ever getting up and down to making a sand save for 1 in every 3 bunkers you land in.
Bunker Shot Tips
The Best Setup for Bunker Shots
Here’s the correct setup for most golfers when playing green-side bunker shots.
How to Take the Right Amount of Sand
Improve your golf bunker play by taking the right amount of sand. Hint: don’t make the mistake of taking different amounts of sand to control your bunker shot distances.
Easy But Effective Bunker Drill
The simple drill will really improve your bunker play and bunker shot distance control.
Bunker Shot Distance ControlHere’s the best technique for controlling the distance of green-side bunker shots so you can make more sand saves.
How to Hit Different Types of Bunker Shots
How to Play from a Wet & Compact Sand Bunker
Ever had to play from wet and compact sand only to thin the ball through the side of the green and into a worse postion than when you started? This lesson will help prevent that from ever happening again.
How to Play from a Plugged Lie Bunker
Generally considered one of the toughest sand shots to control, a plugged lie needn’t bother you again.
How to Play from a Sloping Lie Bunker
Don’t let an awkward slope in the bunker ruin your score. Here’s how to tackle an upslope or downslope bunker shot.
How to Play from Fairway Bunkers
Landing in a fairway bunker doesn’t have to cost you the hole. Here’s how to play this shot.
