How to Hit a Bunker Shot in Golf

The dreaded greenside bunker shot sends a shiver down the spine of most amateur golfers, but it doesn't have to. The secret isn't some complex, athletic movement, it's about understanding a completely different kind of golf shot. This guide will walk you through the fundamental principles, from setup to swing, that will transform your sand play and give you the confidence to get up and down from any bunker.

The Essential Mindset Shift: Forget the Ball, Hit the Sand

This is the most important concept to grasp, and once you do, your entire approach to bunkers will change. For every other standard shot in golf, your goal is to make clean contact with the ball. In a greenside bunker, this is not the goal.

Instead, your objective is to hit the sand behind the ball. You are essentially creating a small explosion of sand that lifts the ball out of the bunker and carries it onto the green. The clubface never actually touches the golf ball. Think of it as "splashing" the ball out, not hitting it. You're creating a cushion of sand between your club and the ball, and that cushion does all the work.

Why is this so effective? It allows for a massive margin of error. If your goal is to hit the tiny golf ball, being off by half an inch means a terrible shot - either you skull it over the green or leave it in the sand. But if your goal is to enter the sand in a two-inch window behind the ball, you're much more likely to succeed. Always remember: You are hitting an area of sand, not the golf ball.

Get the Right Tool: Your Sand Wedge and the Power of Bounce

While you can technically use other wedges, the sand wedge (typically 54-56 degrees) is built for this shot. It's not just the loft, it's a feature called "bounce."

Bounce is the angle of the club's sole - the bottom part of the clubhead. A higher bounce angle means the leading edge of the club sits higher off the ground. In the sand, this design is your best friend. It helps the club glide through the sand rather than digging in too deep. Think of it like a boat's hull skimming across the water. A good sand wedge with enough bounce will resist digging, which is the primary cause of shots staying in the bunker.

So, step one is simple: pull out your sand wedge. Trust that the club is designed to help you, and then set yourself up to let it do its job.

Your Setup: The Blueprint for a Perfect Bunker Shot

A successful bunker shot is 90% setup. If you get this right, the swing almost takes care of itself. Follow these steps meticulously, and you'll be putting yourself in a perfect position to execute the shot.

1. Widen Your Stance

Take a wider stance than you would for a normal pitch shot, roughly shoulder-width or even a little wider. A wide stance provides a stable foundation. You are swinging with speed through thick sand, and a solid base is necessary to maintain your balance and prevent swaying.

2. Dig Your Feet In

Don't just stand on top of the sand, dig your feet in an inch or two until they feel secure. This does two important things:

• It provides even more stability on an unstable surface.
• It effectively lowers the bottom of your swing arc. Since you want to hit under the ball, standing slightly lower than it naturally helps you accomplish that goal without having to 'dig' with your hands during the swing.

3. Open the Clubface

Before you even take your grip, open the face of your sand wedge so it points to the right of your target (for a right-handed golfer). A moderately open face would be about a 2 o'clock position if a square face is 12 o'clock. Opening the clubface activates the bounce on the sole of the club, which, as we discussed, is what helps it slide through the sand instead of digging.

4. Take Your Grip After Opening the Face

This is a subtle but incredibly important detail. Open the face first, and then take your normal grip. Many golfers take their grip and then twist their hands to open the face. This feels awkward and causes the club to naturally return to a square position at impact. Set the face open, then grip it.

5. Aim Your Body Left

Since your clubface is now aimed well right of the target, you need to compensate. Adjust your body alignment - feet, hips, and shoulders - to aim left of the target. For a standard shot, the clubface is aimed at the flag and your body is aimed at the flag. For a bunker shot, think of the clubface aiming at the anget, but your body aligning parallel to where the clubface is pointing - which is now well left of your final target. A good rule of thumb is that if your clubface is open by 20 degrees, your body should be aimed 20 degrees to the left.

6. Position the Ball Forward

Play the ball forward in your stance, roughly in line with the heel of your front foot (your left foot for a right-hander). This helps you make contact with the sand behind the ball at the lowest point of your swing, which is naturally around the middle of your stance. A forward ball position ensures you blast the sand *before* you get to the ball.

7. Lean Your Weight Forward

Finally, favor your front foot with about 60-70% of your weight. Lean your body slightly toward the target so your chest feels like it's over your front foot. This encourages a steeper angle of attack, helping you hit down and through the sand instead of catching the shot thin.

It sounds like a lot, but this setup sequence quickly becomes second nature. Widen stance, dig in, open face, grip, aim left, ball forward, weight forward. That’s your pre-shot checklist.

The Swing: Committing to the Splash

With the setup dialed in, the swing is about commitment and acceleration. Any hesitation here will likely leave the ball right where it started.

The Overall Feel: A "U" Shape, Not a "V"

A common mistake is treating a bunker shot swing like a chip, which often has a sharper, "V-shaped" motion. A bunker swing is smoother and wider, like a "U" shape. The clubhead should feel heavy as it sweeps through a wide arc. Feel like you are keeping the club low to the ground through impact and well into the follow-through.

Hinge an d Go

In the backswing, allow your wrists to hinge early. This creates the necessary angle to chop down into the sand with some authority. An early wrist hinge helps generate clubhead speed without a very long, uncontrolled body turn. Swing the club up until your left arm is about parallel to the ground - it's not a full, driver-like swing.

Accelerate Through the Sand

This is where most bunker shots are won or lost. You must accelerate the clubhead through the sand. A lot of golfers are scared of hitting the ball too far, so they slow down right before impact. This is a fatal error. The sand provides immense friction and resistance, it will deaden the clubhead dramatically. You need to apply more speed than you think to get the club through the sand and the ball out.

Imagine your entry point is two inches behind the ball. Focus on swinging with enough speed to have your club exit the sand a few inches past where the ball was. Commit to your finish. Swing all the way to a full, balanced follow-through, with your belt buckle pointing at the target. Quitting on the shot is the number one cause of balls staying in the bunker.

Reading the Situation: Adapting to Different Lies

Not all bunker shots are the same. Here's a quick guide to adjusting for common situations:

Fluffy, Soft Sand

This is the ideal sand. Open your clubface even more to fully engage the bounce. Swing withconfidence that the club will glide through.

Wet, Firm Sand

Since the sand is compact, you don't need as much bounce. Use a squarer clubface (less open) and a slightly more "V-shaped" swing. The ball will come out lower and run more, so plan for that.

Plugged Lie ("Fried Egg")

This is an entirely different shot. Forget the open-faced "splash" shot. Instead, close your clubface severely (point it at your back foot). Grip down and swing down hard, almost like you're trying to bury the clubhead directly behind the ball. The idea is to dislodge the ball with brute force. It won't be pretty - the ball will pop out with a lot of topspin and very little control - but the primary goal is just getting it out of the bunker and onto the green.

Uphill and Downhill Lies

The rule is simple: match your shoulders to the slope of the sand.

• For an uphill lie, your front foot will be higher. Lean into the slope to get your shoulders parallel to the sand. The slope will add loft, so the ball will fly high and land soft. Use a little less swing.
• For a downhill lie, your back foot will be higher. Again, lean into the slope to match your shoulder angle. This is a tough shot. Open the face wide and swing along the slope. The ball will come out low and hot, so aim to land it at the very front of the green, or even short if you can.

Final Thoughts

Mastering bunker shots comes down to a few core ideas: hit the sand, not the ball, use a club with bounce, and built your success into your setup before you ever swing. With the right technique, the fear of the bunker will fade away, replaced by the confidence that you have the tools to handle whatever the course throws at you.

These fundamentals work for most situations, but every bunker lie has its own unique challenge. For those tough moments - a severe downhill lie, a ball stuck right under the lip - sometimes you need a bit of reassurance on the course. We built Caddie AI to provide that confidence. You can snap a photo of your troublesome lie, and our on-demand A.I. coach will analyze it and give you a clear, personalized plan for the shot, removing the guesswork so you can commit to your swing.