Tips on Bunker Play

One golf shot that strikes fear into the hearts of many amateur golfers is the bunker shot.  Nevertheless, it has been said by no less a champion than five-time PGA winner Walter Hagen that, "the bunker shot is the easiest shot in golf - you don't even have to hit the ball."  But if the player lacks the knowledge and skill for execution of this shot, apprehension prevails.  Combine poor technique with a lack of confidence and failure is imminent.  However, those who understand the principles of bunker play can, with a modest amount of practice, become quite comfortable in playing the shot.

The following are some techniques to keep in mind for playing the most common bunker shot from a greenside bunker with the ball sitting up:

1. Use a sand wedge (56 or 60 degree) as these clubs are specifically designed to glide, skid or bounce rather than dig.  The wide flange and inverted sole of the sand wedge helps prevent the toe or heel from catching or digging into the sand.               
2. Establish a firm footing that will support the swing without slipping, yet will not dig the feet too deeply into the sand.
3. Take an open stance to restrict backswing length and to steepen the swing.
4. Ball placement should be forward in the stance (in line with the instep of the left foot for right-handed golfers).
5. Open the clubface to match the address position.
6. Start with the weight favouring the left side (for right-handed golfers) at address.
7. Swing the club like a full "cut pitch shot" matching the length of the backswing and the follow-through to the force needed for that shot.  The swing path should match the line of the body (open position) and will feel like you're cutting across the ball from outside to in.  
8. Strike the sand from two to four inches behind the ball.
9. Do not let the face close (toe past the heel) until after impact, if at all.  Imagine balancing a coin on the clubface from the start of the swing until the the clubhead exits the sand.
10. Continue to accelerate through the ball to a natural finish with your weight on the left side (for right-handed golfers).

The hardest thing to overcome is the fear of the bunker shot.  This fear is a result of past failures, a lack of confidence and a feeling of uncertainty.  The best way to avoid that frame of mind is to understand the principles behind executing the shot and practicing until you have enough confidence in a method, like the one above, that will get the ball out on a consistent basis.  Visualizing a successful result is one of the most important steps in playing the shot.  Fear of making a mistake produces muscular tension.  Tension produces shortening of muscle fibre or tightening up.  When one tightens up, he inhibits the swing and reduces the chance of making a successful shot.  Thinking negatively and seeing poor mental pictures can destroy one's ability to make a good swing in the bunker.  A player must stay loose and relaxed, and that comes only when he knows he can successfully execute the shot.

The following are some ways to control the distance of a bunker shot:

• Angle of Approach:  use a steep angle for short distances and a shallow angle for longer distances.
• Blade Position:  add loft by opening (or laying back) the face for short distances and reduce loft by closing (or hooding) the face for longer distances.
• Backswing Length and Pace:  a long backswing has the potential for creating more force than a short backswing and, therefore, will generally send the ball farther.  The pace, however, also affects that result.  A player could use a slow pace with a long backswing or a fast pace with a short backswing and hit the ball as far or farther with the short swing than the long one.  Thus, pace and length of backswing need to be blended.
• Amount of Sand:  shorter shots result from taking more sand by hitting farther behind the ball and longer shots result from taking less sand and hitting closer to the ball.  Keep in mind, however, that hitting close to the ball, though sending the ball farther in the air, will spin it more and make it stop quicker on the green.
• Length of Follow-Through:  a short follow-through is generally the result of reduced speed at impact whereas a long follow-through usually means more speed and greater distance.

Learning how to successfully play from a bunker can be a very rewarding experience, especially if it has been your nemesis.  You'll be able to notice dramatic improvement almost instantly when using the proper technique while developing a sense of confidence.  Remember, visualizing good results is one of the tools to create confidence.  I hope these tips help you with your bunker game and please feel free to share this post with your fellow golfers.  Don't hesitate to contact me with any questions you may have or any clarification about the techniques for successful bunker play.

Welcome To My Blog

Hello and welcome to my blog about golf.  I'm 38 years old, happily married for 5+ years with one child (whom my world revolves around) and I live in beautiful Vancouver, BC, Canada (also known as the best city in the world).  I own and operate a retail jewellery company called K.I.G. Fine Jewellery & Custom Design as well as a precious metals buying company called Pacific Gold Buyers. 

I've played sports all my life...baseball, basketball, hockey, soccer, tennis, golf...and the list goes on and on.  When I was 8 years old, my dad introduced me to the sport of golf.  I was immediately hooked.  I started out playing at the local pitch and putt courses and took a few beginner lessons at the McCleery Golf Course in Vancouver, BC as my dad wanted me to learn how to swing the club properly so I wasn't hacking around and tearing up the courses.  After a few years of playing par 3 courses and learning more about the challenges and ettiquette of the game, I was ready to take things up a notch and play on the "real" courses.  Thus, I became a junior member at the McCleery Golf Course where I attended weekly lessons with the assistant pro in order to develop skills and eventually take what we learned out onto the golf course.  Being a junior member was the best thing I could ever have done as it gave me the opportunity to learn from a great teacher (Alec Macdonald) as well as compete in several tournaments at the club itself in addition to tournaments around the Lower Mainland.  At the age of 16, I became the Junior Club Champion and had gained lots of experience playing in competitive events under pressure.  Of course, not all of the experiences were 'great', but each one was an opportunity to learn and grow as a person while developing my game.  One of the great things about golf is that it teaches you many other important life lessons and traits such as humility, patience, perseverance, success and failure.  I was lucky to have benefited from these experiences at a young age and I'm one who believes that golf is not just a sport, it's a path to learn about life and how to deal with challenges that come up along the way.

I stopped playing competitive golf after completing high school as my focus was on completing my business degree at the University of British Columbia and I just didn't have the time to put into golf.  Getting an education was priority as I'm a true believer that in life, you may lose everything, but no one can ever take away your education and your knowledge.  I always wanted to pursue a career in golf and see if I was good enough to get to the next level, but "life" took over and business opportunities came about so I stuck to playing golf recreationally with friends and have continually improved my game over the years.  I did, however, have the opportunity to take lessons from one of the top instructors in the United States a few years ago.  Joe Thiel is an amazing man and an even more amazing golf instructor.  He has taught many of the great players in Asia and travels around the world teaching both amateurs and pros and I was lucky enough to be one of his students.  I'll share my experiences with Joe in a later blog.

This brings me to where I am today and why I've decided to put together a blog.  As I mentioned above, I've always wanted to pursue a career in golf and I'm finally taking the steps to get there.  Golf is my passion and one of the things I love to do is help people improve their game.  Whenever I play golf with friends or in corporate tournaments, people always seem to look to me for advice on the course or on the practice range.  I have a sound understanding of the golf swing and the science behind it and I'm always more than happy to share my knowledge and help people to enjoy the game more.  At the moment, I'm in the process of completing my golf teaching certification through the Professional Golf Teachers Association of America.  My goal is to become a Master Golf Teaching Professional and be able to make a career out of teaching and becoming the best instructor I can possibly be.  I've learned so much through the game of golf and it's time for me to give back and help others learn the game, improve their skills and, ultimately, grow the sport in order for people to benefit from not only the game, but from the life lessons that are learned and experienced through golf. 

Stay tuned as I'll be posting tips and tidbits about golf in order to help readers improve their game and enjoy the sport more.  I'll also keep readers posted about my progress through the certification program which I'm planning to complete by the spring of 2013.  Feel free to email me with any questions you may have about the sport or any tips and I'll be sure to get back to you as soon as possible...also, don't forget to subscribe to the blog by clicking on the link below.