YOUR GUIDE TO BETTER BUNKER PLAY

Learn how to master a variety of greenside shots from the sand

- Michael Weston

When you play a perfect bunker shot, it feels (and looks) fantastic. You take just the right wedge of sand and the ball splashes out safely over the lip and settles close to the pin. There are few more satisfying shots in this game.

There’s no reason why you can’t do this every time, or at least a lot more often. As PGA Master Professional Anders Mankert demonstrates over the following pages, if you practise the fundamentals, the standard greenside bunker shot will actually become quite simple—and you may even start to hole a few.

Of course, you won't face straightforward shots all of the time - after all, a bunker is supposed to be a hazard. Mankert, though, relishes these more testing shots. So, if you're struggling from the bunkers, or you're keen to add a few different types of shot to your game, we'd encourage you to read on...

The perfect set-up

For a standard greenside bunker shot, you want the ball position to be forward with your weight leaning into the lead side. Just shuffle your feet into the sand a little, which helps to lower the plane of the swing arc coming into the sand - plus it also gives you a more stable base to work from. You can see from the white zip on my top that my sternum is just behind the golf ball, which is perfect.

With the greenside bunker shot, you should also lower your hands at set-up.

The lower the hands are set, the more early wrist break you can generate. When you start to lower the hands, however, the clubface will begin to aim left.