Spin your bunker shots every time
Hitting a shot into the bunker is a very common occurrence in golf, which is why it’s not surprising that some of the most common questions I’m asked is how to get the ball out of the bunker and how to spin your bunker shots.
The truth is that both questions are very closely related because if you can get a good spin on the ball out of the bunker, you can control how high and far the ball travels, which should allow you to get the ball on the green on a regular basis.
I learned how to spin bunker shots following the methods in the Short Game Improvement Program.
It's simple and easy to follow and is perfect for low and high handicap golfers who don't have much time to practice.
The Pocket Bunker training tool enables you to practice your bunker shots from anywhere, including your own backyard.
Here are a few steps to help you put more spin on your bunker shots consistently.
>> If you like this, you'll also like: How to Play Bunker Shots & Get The Ball Close to The Flag
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The setup
You should stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, but they should be open slightly to the target line. You should shuffle your feet into the sand because this gives you balance and stability when you hit the shot, which helps you hit the ball with more accuracy. You should rotate your clubface to the point where it is slightly open to the target line, then you should take your grip.
This will help to increase the loft on the club through the impact and encourage the club’s sole to strike the sand before the leading edge of the ball.
This makes the club skid across the sand instead of digging in, allowing your shot to go even farther.
You should make sure that the ball position is level with your lead heel.
You should set the weight to about 60 percent on the lead foot and the centre of your chest should be level with the ball.
Swinging
You have to make sure that the club is swung along the line of the shoulders. Your wrists must hinge the club up during the backswing while your lead arm remains extended to maintain the width of the swing.
A lot of players make the mistake of throwing the clubhead to the ball, which causes either heavy or thin shots.
Instead of doing that, you should swing your arms so that your hands get to the golf ball at the same time as the clubhead.
Your follow-through should be high, with both arms and the clubhead.
WATCH THE VIDEO BELOW THAT DEMONSTRATES HOW TO SPIN YOUR BUNKER SHOTS:
Impact
This is where things get tricky because the clubhead hits the sand before it hits the ball, so you have to hit it right if you want to get your ball on the green. The key to a successful bunker shot is to take the sand from the side of the ball closest to the flag that you are trying to hit and swing through it very well so as you get that sand to the green.
This helps you make sure that you swing through the shot while finishing with a high follow-through.
The momentum that you gain from the swing is what helps you to get the ball on the green.
If you are interested in increasing the spin on your bunker shots, here are a few things that you can do.
Increase your speed
The speed that you hit the ball with is very important because the faster the ball is moving at the point of impact, the more spin you put on the ball.
A common amateur mistake is to decelerate at the golf ball which results in poor contact and no spin.
This is a critical mistake that no golfer can afford to make.
Increase loft
If you don’t have a sand wedge with a lot of loft on it, is a good idea to buy one, because clubs with a high loft allow you to put a lot of spin on your ball.
To increase the loft on your club you should rotate the shaft which should open up the clubface and increase the loft.
Reduce the sand
The more sand that you have between the clubface and the ball, the less the amount of spin that you have on your ball. To avoid having too much sand between the clubface and ball you should take a shallow divot, let the trailing edge of the club hit the sand first, that way it skids across the stand scooping up less sand.
You can practice this shot by drawing a line in the sand from your left heel to where the ball should be (see image above).
You should take a few practice swings taking divots and only hitting the sand and getting the sand on the green.
You should practice this until you become consistent at it and then start using a ball.
After doing this for a while, you should be able to get a lot of spin on your ball from the bunker and get the ball on the green on a consistent basis.
What you need to do now
Go through and practice these bunker shots tips at your local practice range until they become a habit.
Like all golf shots, they need to be practiced step by step until the shot becomes second nature.
You'll soon discover that learning how to spin your bunker shots is not as hard as it seems.
Don't forget to check out the Short Game Improvement Program as part of your overall bunker strategy.
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