What’s the big fear of a fairway bunker & how will this affect our technique? This is a classic example of how our fears & doubts will cause our technique to crumble. We are all afraid of the ball hitting the lip of the bunker, therefore we will tend to lean back and try to ‘help’ the ball get up quickly. This only causes us to hit behind the ball with a chunk or we skim the sand and skull the ball on the way up! We must acknowledge this long before we attempt to hit the shot.
The first step to battle this fear is to make sure you choose a club or loft that will easily clear the lip of the bunker. Any club which causes even the slightest doubt of trajectory to creep in shall be deemed the wrong club. You may need to commit to a loft that doesn’t allow the ball to reach the green, as long as it easily clears the lip. You may need to have an internal conversation with yourself to confirm; “This club has plenty of loft and I don’t need to worry about clearing the lip.”
Our second biggest fear is making poor contact….which we kind of addressed above but let’s go a little further. If you are able to hit the ball first off the grass then why can’t you do the same off the bunker! This is another internal conversation you should have as you prepare to hit the shot. “I have a loft that will easily clear the lip and my swing hits the ball first.” This will decrease tension and all you to commit to hitting the shot!
The first step to battle this fear is to make sure you choose a club or loft that will easily clear the lip of the bunker. Any club which causes even the slightest doubt of trajectory to creep in shall be deemed the wrong club. You may need to commit to a loft that doesn’t allow the ball to reach the green, as long as it easily clears the lip. You may need to have an internal conversation with yourself to confirm; “This club has plenty of loft and I don’t need to worry about clearing the lip.”
Our second biggest fear is making poor contact….which we kind of addressed above but let’s go a little further. If you are able to hit the ball first off the grass then why can’t you do the same off the bunker! This is another internal conversation you should have as you prepare to hit the shot. “I have a loft that will easily clear the lip and my swing hits the ball first.” This will decrease tension and all you to commit to hitting the shot!