Where to Land Your Ball When You Hit Your Bunker Shot

By Bill Maitland

The first thing to do when your golf ball is in a bunker is to get out with your first attempt and to get the ball onto the green isn’t it?

The thinking goes a little further than this. O.K. you have to hit the golf ball quite a long way, middle distance or quite close. So you swing accordingly.

In each case, it helps to know how the ball will behave once it lands on the green.

So, you have a good look at the green before you hit your shot.

Remember how I recommended that you go into slow mode when you have to play a bunker shot? Well this is part of that. You remember that you have to hit the shot with a sort of slice that passes beneath the ball. Think that this cutting action or slice, is perfected by

• Hitting your golf shot from out to in and
• Keeping your club face open.

Keeping your club face open is the second big rule about getting out of a bunker. Remember, the first is hitting from out to in as just mentioned.

Now, such a shot if played correctly will cause your ball to fly a bit to your right, hence you line up to the left of the hole to allow for this.

The ball also will break to the right as well.

Therefore looking at the contours of the green where you intend to land your ball will allow you to hit a more accurate shot.

So the third rule of bunker play is to have a good look at the green slopes in the vicinity of the hole and read them accordingly.

Contours of the green that slope to the right will cause your ball to break and move to the right far more than if hit onto level ground.

Conversely, if the slope is to the left, away from the hole, the amount of ball movement to the right will be greatly reduced.

So, allow for these two elements when hitting your golf ball out of a bunker.

Bill Maitland is a thinking, inventive golf guru. He thought out and developed simple techniques and tips which enabled him to lower his handicap from 25 to 18, then from 18 to 15, and finally from 15 to 12. He is a passionate golfer, and delights in helping others with their game should they want his help. To receive a valuable weekly golf tip go to his web site and subscribe to his free Hole In One News Letter. You will be so glad that you did. Author of GOLF TIPS. An e-Book that takes you step by step to being the best golfer that you can possibly be. To learn about his tips and simple techniques And see his book, Online Golfer's Handbook.