To understand a bunker shot we first need to know what a bunker is. In the Rules of Golf, a bunker is defined as ‘a specially prepared area of sand, which is often a hollow from which turf or soil was removed’. In other words, a bunker is typically a hole in the ground, filled with sand. These areas are designed to test a player’s ability to play a ball from the sand, which we refer to as a bunker shot. There are two common types of bunker shots: when we are far from the green — a fairway bunker shot — and when we are very close to the green, what this article will focus on — a green-side bunker shot.

Sand isn’t grass

Although it might seem obvious, when a club hits sand it behaves very differently compared to hitting from grass. For this reason, the way we play the bunker shot must be different and the clubs we use have some special characteristics to make this shot easier. 

We have previously looked at how the Bounce Angle is key to limiting the club digging into the ground or, in the case of the bunker shot, the sand. The club designed for this shot is aptly named the sand wedge (above), it typically has 56 degrees of loft and anywhere from 8-14 degrees of bounce angle. The higher the loft the easier to get over the sometimes-towering edges, also known as ‘lips’, of the bunker and the greater the bounce angle the less likely the club is to dig into the sand.

Setting up for success

Playing this shot successfully starts with the set-up, helping us to impact the sand in the right place and utilise the bounce and loft of the wedge. For clarity, all the below is aimed at the right-handed golfer:
• Place the left hand towards the top of the grip and the right hand below. Experiment with the hand location, placing the hands at the top of the grip can help to maximise our speed (below). Placing the hands lower on the grip can give us more control, stopping the club from going too deep into the sand.

• Stand with feet together, ball in the centre. Take a small step with the left foot and a larger step with the right (main image above). Experiment a little with the size of the steps, but as a general rule the ball should be in line with the left chest.
• ‘Shuffle’ the feet into the sand, this allows us to feel if the sand is soft or firm (more on this later) and helps to lower our centre of gravity.
• Shift our pressure 60-80 per cent on the left leg, and keep the pressure on the left leg as much as possible throughout the swing.

Don’t hit the ball

As strange as it might sound, the bunker shot is unique in golf because in most cases we do not actually make contact with the ball. Instead, the club enters the sand behind the ball and is pushed out on a cushion of sand. Because of this, the shot requires a much bigger swing relative to the distance that we are trying to hit the ball than almost any other type of shot. 

• To get a feel for the movement, swing the club back so the hands are at least chest high and the shaft of the club is pointing towards the sky.• Same as in pitching, you will notice the wrists being used to create this movement.
• As we bring the club down, the intent of the swing is to hit the sand roughly one-two golf ball widths behind the ball.
• Finish with all of your weight on the left leg, hips and chest facing the target.

Adapting to the conditions

As much as we would like them to be, bunkers are not consistent. Some will have very high edges, and some low, some will have deep, soft sand while others may be very wet, firm or dense. When we come across these different conditions there are some adaptations we can implement to help us deal with them.

High edges and/or soft sand
• Before placing the hands on the club, ‘twist’ the face open (to the right for the right-handed golfer), this not only increases the loft of the club but also the bounce angle. Adding loft can allow us to hit the ball higher, while increasing the bounce angle reduces the digging effect into the soft sand. Experiment with how much we twist the club and see how it affects the club through the sand, as well as the height and potentially direction. If we notice the ball going more to the side, we can adjust our alignment or experiment bringing the hands lower to the ground at address.

Firm/wet sand
• Instead of having the ball in line with the left chest, experiment putting the ball more towards the middle of the stance. The intent of the swing is still to hit the sand before the ball, keep the face pointing straight and experiment bringing the handle of the club more towards the left thigh. This slightly delofts the club and removes some of the bounce angles, allowing the club to dig deeper into firm sand.

Practice Drills

These drills focus on the most important aspect of the bunker shot, where the club is striking the sand.

Line in the sand
• Draw 2 lines in the sand roughly two feet long and two-three golf ball widths apart.
• The line on the left represents the ball, and the line on the right where we want the club to hit the sand.
• Start on the near side, set up the club behind the left line and swing trying to hit the right line.
• Finish the drill by placing a golf ball at the end of the left line, and try to hit in line with the right.

Banknotes
• Draw a box in the sand roughly the size of a banknote, one club head wide and two club heads long.
• Make a small indent in the middle to represent the ball, try to swing the club through the centre of the box, entering on the far right side and exiting the sand on the far left.
• Try the drill again, but instead of an indent place a ball in the box. Observe where the club has hit the box, if we are hitting out of the middle, toe or heel and if we are taking too much or too little sand.

Scott Edwards is a member of the PGA Professionals team at Golf Saudi-managed Riyadh Golf Club

The post WATCH: How to get safely on the green from the sand appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Set-up 

Hold: Just like in our introduction to the full swing, for the right-handed golfer, place the left hand at the top of the club, with the right hand below. Experiment with holding lower down on the grip, towards the shaft of the club (above right). The swing when we are chipping is small, so making the club smaller too can make it easier to control. 

Posture & stance: Starting from the ground up. Keep the feet close together, around the width of a clubhead, with the ball in the centre of the stance. Hold the club level with the ground, elbows close to the body and tilt forward from the waist with a small knee flex until head of the golf club is resting on the ground. For the right-handed golfer our weight wants to favour the left side as we address the ball.

Swing

Distance control: Just as in putting, the distance of the shot is primarily controlled by the speed of the club which can be altered by rhythm and length of the swing. Making a longer swing the club will move faster, hitting the ball further, the shorter the swing the slower the club and the shot will go shorter. Depending on the loft of the club we are using, we can not only change the height of the shot but the distance too. 

Strike: If this is your first time hitting shots from the grass, don’t be afraid of hitting the ground. The club should make contact but not dig, if it does then chances are the face is too far left (below). Try keeping the grip of the club pointing straight up at address and try to return it to this point as we swing down.

Practice

Impact: Controlling the clubs lowest point and how it interacts with the ground is one of the most important aspects of all iron shots in golf, and with chipping it is no exception. Give this simple practice drill a try to improve your control over where the club hits the ground, making it easier to get good contact on the ball.

Start by setting a tee in the ground, or use a bottle cap if hitting from a mat. Make a swing and try to hit the tee, the lower we make the tee the harder this drill is, so begin with the tee 1-2cm above the ground. With each successful hit, lower it slightly, until we no longer need the tee and are brushing the club on the ground. As we make contact with the ground some grass should be dislodged, but remember that we should not be ‘digging’.

Target practice: Start with hitting a chip with a low-lofted club such as a 7 iron, and take note of where it finishes. Change to a more lofted club, such as an 8 iron or 9 iron, and try to hit the ball the same distance. Once we can get the ball to finish close to the first, change to a more lofted club again such as the sand wedge. If we are able to hit the ball the same distance with a variety of clubs, it massively helps us to learn how the loft impacts the flight and roll of the ball.

There is no correct club or shot to play in any given situation, just whatever will get us closest to the hole most often. Sometimes the best chip is actually a putt, don’t be afraid to experiment and be creative around the green.

Scott Edwards is a member of the PGA Professionals team at Golf Saudi-managed Riyadh Golf Club

The post WATCH: Brush up on the lowdown of chipping around the green  appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Almost all of the skills and movements required to make a golf swing can be related to things we do in our everyday life. Developing your golf swing is a journey of discovery, the same process that we used to learn how to crawl, jump, throw and kick. Figuring out what is comfortable and what works for you as an individual is key for enjoying the game, there is no right and wrong. For example, many golfers that play right-handed are left-handed in all other aspects of life, and vice-versa. So how do we start? 

To begin with, we want to be comfortable holding the club, making sure it feels secure in our hands. We will start with a right-handed club. Hold the club in your right hand (below left), in a way that feels secure and allows you to move the club both up and down and left and right. This can be done with the club head resting on the floor, or with the club out in front of us. 

Stand to the side of a short tee (above right), with your left shoulder on the side of the target. Rest the club head on the ground behind the tee and try a few small one-handed swings, like throwing a ball under arm, moving the club from right to left (main image). 

Now try with the left hand, again swinging the club from right to left. Changing to a left-handed club, face the opposite direction so our right shoulder is now on the side of the target, holding the club in the left hand (above left) and now swinging from left to right (above right). 

Change to the right hand and repeat, swinging again from left to right. Which way of swinging feels the most natural and comfortable? 

Try again with both hands on the club (above), initially place the hand closest to the target (left hand for right-to-left swings, right hand for left-to-right swings) towards the end of the grip. Place your other hand below, with the palm completely covering the thumb and leaving no gap between the fingers. 

The above is just a suggestion, golfers hold the club in a variety of ways with some interlocking or overlapping their fingers, some holding the club very tightly or very loosely. There is not a ‘perfect’ way to hold the club. To begin with, try out a few different ways and see what feels secure and comfortable. Swing in each direction, think again, which way feels the most natural? 

Once we have decided if swinging from left to right or right to left is easier, try making a small swing hitting the short tee. After successfully hitting the tee, place a ball on the tee and try to make the same swing (below). Keep your focus on hitting the tee and the angle on the face of the club will launch the ball into the air. 

Our goal is to hit the ball as close as possible to the sweet spot, the centre of the club. Experiment with bigger and smaller swings, faster and slower tempos. How short can we hit the ball? Can we swing the club over our head on the swing back and the swing forward? The larger and faster we swing, the further the ball can travel but it is harder to make good contact. 

If you’ve never hit a golf ball, go to your nearest driving range or practise facility and give the above thoughts a try. It always helps to get professional lessons — especially when starting out – and academies like ours at Golf Saudi are happy to help.

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Scott Edwards is a member of the PGA Professionals team at Golf Saudi-managed Riyadh Golf Club

The post It is never too late to pick up a club for the first time —  some tips to get started appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.