Winter Bunker Lesson

21st November, 2010

Unfortunately in the great British winter, no matter how well our bunkers are designed, we very often have to play out of hard, compact wet sand.

A very common question my pupils ask me is how must they play this bunker shot differently than a standard ‘fluffy’ bunker lie.

The first thing I recommend is that you use your most lofted wedge. Sometimes your standard 56 degree ‘sand wedge’ isn’t quite enough to slide under the ball and often bounces off of the firm sand. A 58 or 60 degree wedge is more suitable for the wet sand especially with a low bounce (6 or 8 degrees) The average sand wedge has 10 to 15 degrees of bounce.

When playing the bunker shot itself there are a few minor changes to the set up to consider.

 - As the sand is firm we can’t set our feet in the sand as in a normal shot so a wider stance and more flex in the knees will allow you to stay down and help get under the ball.

 - I recommend to set the hands ahead of the ball so that the butt end of the shaft points out past your left trouser pocket.

During the swing you must try and accelerate through the shot holding the clubface open for as long as you can.

The most important thing is to readjust the swing length to account for the ball going further due to less sand being taken… and don’t fear it.. If you panic and decelerate you are in trouble!!

Good luck

Freddy Valenti, Head Professional, Pryors Hayes Golf Club, Mob – 07971928939

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