The long bunker shot can be one of the most intimidating shots in golf, especially with danger lurking beyond the flag. Having a great plan can be the best way to attack this shot, not only from an execution standpoint, but also to ease some of the tension that builds up when confronting it!
Most of the time people will take their usual sand club, be it a 56 degree sand wedge or even a 60 degree lob wedge, and try to swing harder to make the ball fly all the way back to the flag. Any time you swing hard, fast or quick at a sand shot, the club will have a tendency to dig deep into the sand. This will make distance control very difficult as it will depend solely on how close to the ball the club enters the sand…too far behind and the ball will go nowhere and too close and you will find the trouble beyond the flag. Regardless of the length of the shot, we must use a swing that is tension free, loose and free. This will allow the club head to release, activating the bounce on the trailing edge of the sole and thereby keeping the club from digging.
If you need the ball to fly further…take less loft and use the exact same swing as you would with the Sand Wedge on a shorter shot!
Most of the time people will take their usual sand club, be it a 56 degree sand wedge or even a 60 degree lob wedge, and try to swing harder to make the ball fly all the way back to the flag. Any time you swing hard, fast or quick at a sand shot, the club will have a tendency to dig deep into the sand. This will make distance control very difficult as it will depend solely on how close to the ball the club enters the sand…too far behind and the ball will go nowhere and too close and you will find the trouble beyond the flag. Regardless of the length of the shot, we must use a swing that is tension free, loose and free. This will allow the club head to release, activating the bounce on the trailing edge of the sole and thereby keeping the club from digging.
If you need the ball to fly further…take less loft and use the exact same swing as you would with the Sand Wedge on a shorter shot!