Bunker play: the technique that actually works

The bunker shot is the only shot in golf where the ball is not meant to be struck. That is exactly where most amateurs come undone — and on three details that half an hour of practice will fix.

Open the face before you take the grip

The order matters: open the face first, then grip. Grip normally and rotate afterwards and the face closes again through the swing. The open face lets the sole of the wedge skid instead of digging.

Two inches behind, and keep going

The club enters the sand about two inches behind the ball and pushes a layer of sand that carries the ball out. What matters is finishing the swing: decelerate and the ball stays in. Accelerate to a full finish, every time.

The set-up

Feet worked slightly into the sand for stability, weight forward, ball slightly ahead of centre. And crucially: the body follows the feet, the face points at the target. Forgetting one of the two is the commonest error.

The drill that teaches it

Draw a line in the sand, no ball. Ten swings so the sand flies from the line onwards. Only when ten in a row work does a ball go two inches in front. This drill beats any video analysis.

Wet, heavy spring sand

In May the sand in most Canadian bunkers is compacted and often still damp underneath. Firm sand needs less loft and a slightly steeper entry, or the sole bounces off the base and the club thins the ball across the green. The same bunker in August, dry and fluffy, needs the opposite. Test it with a practice swing outside the bunker and look at how deep the divot goes.

Fairway bunkers: the opposite

Here the ball is struck first. One club more, ball slightly back, feet barely dug in, quiet legs, clean contact. Attacking the green from a fairway bunker instead of regaining the fairway costs a great many shots over a season.

Plugged lies

With the ball half buried, close the face rather than open it, drive the club down steeply and abandon the finish. The ball comes out low and runs a long way: that is normal and must be planned for.

Where to practise

Public and municipal courses usually have a short-game area with a bunker, and most will sell a range-and-short-game pass without a round. Indoor facilities cannot help here, which is why the first two weeks of the season are the time to spend an hour in the sand rather than on the range.