Part 1

The bunker shot is golf’s most misunderstood shot in golf. Approaching a ball in a bunker induces real fear in so many players. People say to themselves, “I know I’m gonna skull this” or “I hope I don’t leave it in here”. Thinking like this is crazy. Bunkers are actually the only place where you have a margin of error, where you can miss it and still be okay.

Think of a greenside bunker at a course you play. Picture your ball on the grass just behind the bunker so you have to flop it over the bunker to the green. That is, in fact, more difficult! A lot harder than you might think. You need perfect club-to-ball contact to execute a good shot.

Now imagine the same bunker, only your ball is in the middle of it. Aiming somewhere behind the ball – as you should on a regular greenside bunker shot– you can hit the sand a little more or a little less than an inch from the ball and still get it on the green. If you’re playing off grass, and if your club lands an inch behind or in front of the ball, you’re dead. In a bunker you don’t need to execute a perfect contact point!!

Take advantage of bunker shots. Look forward to them. Don’t cringe when your ball goes in a bunker. Smile. Even for amateurs, minimal effort will yield maximum results if you follow these basics.

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