Working On Your Short Game

Longer greenside bunker shot

Jake Gregoire

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I’ve been giving a lot of playing lessons lately and am finding a common aspect of the golf game to be very challenging for many of my students: The Longer Greenside Bunker Shot. A longer greenside bunker shot is played very differently than a shorter shot from the bunker. I think this is a great time to review the best way to approach a longer shot from a greenside bunker:

LONGER GREENSIDE BUNKER SHOTS

For a longer greenside bunker shot (25 – 40 yards), instead of using a sand wedge, try using your pitching wedge or 9 iron and try to pick the ball clean.

A sand wedge has bounce, which enables the club head to bounce through the sand, digging the ball out with the cushion of the sand. This is great for shorter greenside shots, but not when you need the ball to travel a little further.

Take a short, shallow swing making sure you accelerate through impact. Your goal is to pick the ball clean, without taking as much sand as you would a regular greenside bunker shot. Allow for the ball to roll, as there will be some topspin created with this shot.

As you follow through, your club should travel down your target line. Sand conditions such as hard pan (firm sand) or wet sand may also produce a need to use this shot.

Tina Mickelson