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Reading the Sand - Paul Selvaggio, Westchester Country Club

No golfer plans on hitting a shot into a bunker. But realistically, we’re all going to find ourselves in the sand even if that wasn’t our intention. Not all bunker shots are the same, and the first key to hitting a solid shot to get out of trouble is to analyze your situation. 

As you enter the bunker, you can learn a lot from your eyes and feet by seeing the high point and the low point in the bunker (just as you should when you’re approaching a green), then feeling how your feet react to the sand’s conditions. If it’s wet, you may see detailed imprints from the sole of your shoe in the sand, but the footprints don’t go very deep. If the sand is dry, it will feel like your shoes easily break the surface and don’t leave a distinguishable mark. These observations will help you decide which wedge to use and how open you want the face of the club. 

Related: Instruction Blowout Page

Based on those observations, if you’re in dry sand, open the face to expose the bounce on the club; this will help it glide better and keep the leading edge from digging in too much. If the sand is firm or wet, or it feels like there isn’t much sand in the bunker, think in terms of a “chunk and run” shot because the ball is going to come out faster than in dry sand. In this situation, the club might bounce off the surface rather than entering the sand, leading to a thin strike. To combat that, open the face less than you would with a dry lie. 

In setting up, position the ball a bit forward in your stance and establish a wide, firm base with your lower body by digging your feet into the sand. This not only helps establish the stance, but lowers the bottom arc of the swing since you want to swing under the ball. Place the majority of your weight on your lead leg, and feel as if your lead shoulder stacks over your lead foot. This setup is the important key to a bunker shot, regardless of whether the sand is wet, firm, or dry; it will allow you to consistently strike down under the ball. A good way to picture this is to imagine a snowboarder going down the mountain – they’ll have more pressure on the front side of the board – that’s the feeling you want to have with your weight on your leading side. Grip down a little bit, for increased control. Your clubface should be open, but if the ball is more submerged in the sand, don’t open it as much – you want the face more square so the leading edge can dig under more easily. 

During the backswing it’s crucial to stay on your lead side; keep your lead shoulder in front of the ball and don’t shift your weight to the trail side. Allowing the hands and wrists to do a lot of the work, elevate the club by hinging your wrists and softly fold your trail arm. This will help you maintain your setup position and keep your lower body solid without any load into the trail side – a common error leading to inconsistency. 

On to the downswing: Because your weight is already on your lead side, during the downswing you want the feeling of all momentum coming from the club head, and speeding up as your club goes under the ball. From my observations of competing at a high level and working alongside some of the best players and instructors, the better bunker players hit the sand two inches behind the ball. More highly-skilled players aren’t afraid to hit a bit closer, but you always want to hit under the ball with speed. 

As you transition to your follow through, the club will fold up quickly through the strike, matching the angle of your backswing. I use the term “toss release” – think of the clubhead passing the hands with no face rotation. As you practice, the clubface should not roll over, especially when you’re looking for height and a soft landing. 

Uphill lie: When you’re on an upslope, keep a center ball position but grip down a bit extra on the club. You still want to keep your weight planted on the lead foot, and swing with speed into the slope – let the speed help the ball get out. The more severe the slope, the less of a follow through you’ll have. Also, since the slope will launch the ball higher than usual, you can use a less-lofted wedge,. 

Downhill lie: On a downhill lie, the ball is going to come our lower and release a little more than on a flat lie. Keep the ball in the middle of your stance, and in severe downhill cases keep a square clubface to help the leading edge dig into the sand easier. You absolutely still want your weight to be more on the lead side, perhaps even feeling like its overdone. It’s important with this type of shot to keep yourself in the correct position. Your backswing won’t be as wide as normal: Focus more on an aggressive V-shaped swing. 

If you’re facing a high lip on the bunker, remember the fundamental of always keeping your weight on the lead side. You’ll need a strong backswing and speed for this shot – swing big and release hard. There will never be a situation of “helping it out” by hanging back in your stance.