How to Hit a Long Bunker Shot in Golf - Distance Control

From time to time you will find yourself in a greenside bunker that is quite far from the pin.

This can happen when the bunker is on one side of a large green and the pin is located on the other side. Incorporate the bunker tips below in order to master bunker shot distance control and hit that long bunker shot with confidence.

If you are faced with the opposite scenario, head over to our tips on how to hit short bunker shots.

Key Challenges:

A lot of distance to cover

Use the Same Amount of Sand

Some golf teachers recommend that you control the distance of your bunker shots by tweaking the amount of sand you take. So for longer shots such as these, the idea is that you would aim closer to the ball, take less sand, and see the ball travel further. And likewise for short bunker shots.

While this technique can also work another one is preferable instead.

Indeed, aim to hit the same amount of sand every time, however long you need your bunker shots to go. Doing so will keep you in familiar territory and you won’t risk hitting the shots thin or too fat. Being able to perfectly gauge how much sand to take, and to hit the shot perfectly leaves very little room for error, if any at all.

But Use a Longer Backswing Instead

Instead of tweaking the amount of sand you take focus on the length of your backswing.

Use a shorter backswing for shorter bunker shots and use a longer backswing for longer bunkers shots.

Practice different levels of swing amplitudes and take note of the distance each swing length produces.

Accelerate Through Impact

More than ever it is crucial that you accelerate into impact for long bunker shots.

Indeed, while the length of your shots will be determined by the length of the swing (as seen previously) it assumes that you hit down towards the ball with the same aggressive, accelerating strike.

For long bunker shots, there is a risk that you won’t accelerate through impact after taking the club up.