How to control distance from bunkers.
Many amateurs are happy just to get out of a greenside bunker in one shot. But if you want to take your sand play to the next level and get up and down more often, you have to learn how to control the distance the ball flies. Here’s a simple technique I know will help you.
Take your normal bunker setup (ball forward, weight on your front foot, shaft neutral) and make a three-quarter-length backswing. Whether the pin is tucked close to you, in the middle of the green or on the far side, keep the length of your backswing the same, but vary the length of your follow-through. Pay attention to the orientation of the butt end of the club and your body at the finish. That’s how you regulate how far the ball travels. The shorter the shot, the closer the grip finishes to your lead hip; the longer the shot, the further away.
A good rule is that for greenside bunker shots of 10 yards or shorter, the butt end of the club should finish near your hip pocket [above, deatured]. For a medium shot of 15 to 20 yards, finish it at your rib cage [above, left]. For the longest of bunker shots, finish it about shoulder height [above, right]. Take a few swings outside the bunker, visualising where the butt end of the grip is going to finish for the length of shot you’re trying to hit. Hold that finish for a few seconds, then repeat once more before stepping in to execute the shot. If you can replicate that same finish on your real swing, the ball should have the right amount of energy to finish near the hole.
Jordan Dempsey, one of Golf Digest’s Best Teachers in Florida, teaches at the PGA Tour Performance Center at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte Vedra Beach.
Photographs by J.D. Cuban
