Golf Bunker Shot Tips For Beginners: How To Get Out The First Time

For most beginner golfers, the fear of bunker shots stems from leaving the ball in the bunker the first, second and maybe even third time you try to hit it out. Bunker shots intimidate many golfers but with the right tips and basic practice, you can confidently get your ball onto the green in just one swing. Here's your beginner-friendly guide to successful bunker shots.

Choose the right golf club

Before you get into the mechanics of bunker shots and how to get the ball out, choose the right club. For greenside bunker shots, you want to choose high-lofted clubs.

A sand wedge (typically with 54 to 58 degrees of loft) is designed to smoothly glide through sand. A lob wedge, which is closer to 60 degrees, can also be a good fit. Using the right club helps you achieve the necessary loft and spin to clear bunker lips and stop quickly on the green.

Forget the ball-focus on the sand

The key to great bunker play isn't hitting the golf ball; it's hitting the sand behind it. Focus your eyes on a spot a couple of inches behind the ball. The goal is to hit the sand at that point and have that sand carry the ball out of the bunker and onto the green.

Sometimes this simple focus adjustment is all you need to start getting the ball out. When you practice in a bunker, draw a line in the sand (no ball) and work on trying to hit the line. When you get good at that, put a ball down an inch or two in front of the line and keep aiming for the line.

Get the proper setup

Getting the proper setup in the sand helps with stability and consistency. Here are the steps to follow for a green side bunker.

• Stand wide: Place your feet a little wider than shoulder-width for balance.
• Dig in a bit: Twist your feet into the sand to feel more stable.
• Lean forward: Put most of your weight on your front foot and keep it there.
• Ball forward: Set the ball just in front of the middle of your stance.
• Lower your hands: Keep your hands a bit lower to help the club slide through the sand.
• Stay relaxed: Bend your knees and stay loose to swing smoothly.

Open your clubface for more loft

In soft or fluffy sand, rotate the clubface slightly open before gripping your club. If the bunker is wet or firm, see "What if the bunker is wet?" below. It's easier to open the face and then grip the club so you don't have issues with your alignment. Opening the clubface increases the loft and lets you effectively use the bounce to glide through the sand.

An open face also helps with landing the ball softly on the green.

Maintain the loft through impact

Keep the loft on your clubface consistent throughout your swing. Avoid flipping your wrists or rotating your hands excessively at impact which reduces loft and can lead to thin or heavy shots. Instead, maintain your wrist angles, ensuring the clubface remains open through impact.

Think of hitting the ball with the same open face you set up with.

Swing with confidence

Bunkers seem to have a way of knowing when you're nervous.

If you slow down at impact, the club won't move enough sand to lift the ball out. Instead, you should confidently hit the sand behind the ball - that's the goal. Always make sure you are accelerating through the shot.

Practicing without a ball and splashing sand out of the bunker is one of the best ways to build confidence and get comfortable with the feeling of hitting through the sand.

What if the bunker is wet?

Not every bunker is soft and fluffy. After rain, or on a course that doesn't maintain its sand, you'll find it wet, firm or packed down, and the usual advice to open the face can work against you. An open face exposes the bounce, and in firm sand the club can skip off the surface and thin the ball.

In those conditions, keep the face squarer so the leading edge can get under the ball, and make sure the club still enters the sand behind it. Keep accelerating through the shot, just like you would in soft sand.

Final thoughts

Mastering bunker shots means you will be able to hit approach shots with more confidence instead of trying to direct the ball away from the sand. With the right club, proper setup and mindset, you should be able to get the ball out of those dastardly sand traps the first time, every time.