The Long Bunker Shot

The Long Bunker Shot
Rule number one from any fairway bunker is to take a club with sufficient loft to clear the front lip. If it so happens that the club also has the distance to reach the green, consider that a bonus. Clean contact is everything with this shot, because sand soaks up the energy in the swing and therefore even slightly heavy contact results in catastrophic loss of distance.
• Choke down on the grip about an inch. This will hold the clubhead up off the sand and help to promote clean contact with the ball.
• Shuffle your feet into the sand to give yourself a secure footing. This will lower the base of your swing, so choking down on the club is key.
• Make a smooth, well-balanced swing and make sure you hit down into the back of the ball, rather than trying to help it into the air. You should strike the back of the ball, rather than the sand. If you catch the sand before the ball, it will feel ‘heavy.”
MAKE A SMOOTH SWING
A secure footing will enable ‘you to-make a balanced swing
SHORTEN THE CLUB —various teachers