Josh’s Tips & Tricks: Open Face Bunker Shots

Intro

Hello golfers. It’s Masters Week! That means the season is here and we have some decent weather to go with it. Because it hasn’t been thrashing it down with rain I managed to get out into our bunker and play some shots. A shot that most people are terrified of is a soft greenside bunker shot with loft. Here’s a tip to help splash it out in the air and stop it quickly on the green.

Open Face Bunker Shot

Take a look at the following video to see an open face bunker shot.

Firstly set up with a club that has at least 56* of loft and ideally at least 10* bounce. The loft and bounce will help to cut through the sand and pop the ball in the air. A lob wedge with closer to 60* can be beneficial when you need a really delicate greenside bunker shot.

When you have selected the club, set up with the clubface angle a few degrees open. You should be able to see lots of the clubface angle and it should look like it faces almost straight up to the sky.

When you make a swing try to make sure that the clubhead is going away from the body and not straight around the body. As the club goes out and up the clubface angle should stay facing towards the sky. This means the loft is being maintained. About half way through the backswing the clubface should look like it’s pointing straight back at you. As you hit through the shot try to keep the clubface at the sky for as long as possible.

Because there is plenty of loft on the club you can commit to hitting through the sand with some momentum. The ball should hopefully pop straight up in the air with a nice splash of sand.

Summary

Most people find bunker shots hard. When you know how to play them and get a chance to practice they’re not really that scary. The bunker at Windmill is currently still unavailable for the public but I can deliver lessons in it. If bunkers are something you struggle with don’t be shy and CLICK HERE TO BOOK A LESSON NOW.

If you struggle with bunkers your equipment may not be suitable for the job. If you struggle with bunker shots or chipping specifically some new wedges may help you out. IF you would like to try some out in a custom fit CLICK HERE.

I hope you enjoy the first major of the season!

Catch you soon.

Josh