Fundamentals Of A Bunker Shot
FUNDAMENTALS OF A GREEN-SIDE BUNKER SHOT
Definition: A shot hit out of the sand near the green. Typically, this shot is hit with a Sand or Lob Wedge.
Goal: The goal is to hit the sand about 2 inches behind the ball allowing the sand to carry the ball out of the bunker. The Sand Wedge is designed to strike the sand first with the trailing edge of the club in order to help the club bounce off the sand instead of digging into the sand.
Setup:
- Open the clubface of the club, then take your normal grip (if done correctly, the lines/grooves on the clubface will point to your toes of your left foot, give or take a bit)
- Place ball off the inside of your left heel
- Take a wide stance to stabilize your base
- Aim slightly left of your target to offset the open clubface
- Weight should favor target-side foot
- Keep hands behind the ball to allow the trailing edge to hit the sand first
Execution:
- Take a swing that is about the same as your normal swing (you do not need to cut across the ball)
- Strike the sand about 2 inches behind the ball
- Resist the urge to help the ball in the air (the sand wedge will do the work for you)
- Feel like you’re slapping the sand with the sand wedge instead of hitting or digging (you’re looking for the club to slide through the sand making a 4-6 inch divot)
- The longer and faster you swing the farther the ball will come out
- Accelerate all the way through to the finish
The three most common errors I see in the bunker are:
- Square clubface at address – Squaring the clubface at address makes the sand wedge dig into the sand.
- Deceleration/not swinging hard enough – Decelerating or not swinging hard enough makes it very difficult to get the ball out of the bunker and/or all the way to the pin. With the added loft from the open clubface and the resistance of the sand, it takes quite a bit of effort to get the ball out of the sand all the way to the pin. Go ahead and swing aggressively at it.
- Cutting across the ball too much – Cutting across the ball too much puts a lot of side-spin on the ball and it can cause the dreaded shank because the hosel of the club is leading the way too much. This is why I recommend swinging normal and aggressively out of the sand.
Drill: This drill will help you get out of the sand every time and up-and-down more often. Here’s what to do: draw a line in the sand about 10 feet long. Take your stance in the sand with the line placed at your left heel. Practice swinging at the line in the sand trying to hit the sand about 2 inches behind the line every time. This drill is pretty cut-and-dry. At first, you may miss the line by a lot, but be patient with it. Practice this drill as much as you can to get consistent with it. The more consistent you are with this drill, the better you will be in the sand.
Also, it is against the rules of golf to test the sand before you hit your shot. This means you’re not allowed to ground the club in the sand or take practice swings striking the sand.
About
KYLE VOSKA, PGA PROFESSIONAL
I grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and graduated from St. Michael’s, St. Xavier, and Miami University. After graduating from Miami with a Finance degree, I moved to Florida to pursue my professional golf dreams. After a few successful years and a couple of difficult years, I stopped playing full-time. After a year of caddying on the LPGA Tour for Young Jo, Kim Williams, and Angela Stanford, I moved back home to Cincinnati. Currently, I live near Sharonville with my lovely wife, Lindsay, our kids, Maclin and Ellie, and our dog, Nora.
Teaching golf for over a year in Florida and having taken and watched many lessons from PGA Certified Master Teaching Professional Carl Rabito, becoming a golf instructor was something I really wanted to do. Fortunately, I was able to find a home at Sharon Woods Golf Course in Cincinnati, my old home from the 90′s, to further this new career path. As I enter my 6th season as a golf professional, I’m excited how my role is taking shape. I assist in managing and supervising a staff of nearly 40 while teaching golf lessons to over a 100 students. Hopefully, someday I’ll have the opportunity to mentor some future golf professionals like myself.
Email: kvoska@hotmail.com
ACCOMPLISHMENTS:
- PGA Member – June, 2009
- 2008 PGA National Assistants Champion
- 43 Professional Tournament Victories
- 2010 Southern Ohio PGA Section Player-of-the-Year
- 2010 Southern Ohio PGA Southwest Chapter Player-of-the-Year
- 2009 Cincinnati Chapter Match Play Champion
- 2009 Southern Ohio PGA Assistant’s Champion
- 2001 and 2010 Southern Ohio PGA Open Champion
- 2000 PGA Buick Open Contestant
- 1998 Miami Athlete-of-the-Year
- 2-Time NCAA Division I All-American
- Mid-American Conference Sportsman and Player-of-the Year (1998)
- 2-Time Cincinnati Met Amateur Champion (1997, 1998)
- Cincinnati Met Amateur Medalist and Runner-Up (1996)
- NCAA low scoring average on Par 3′s (2.91) in 1998
- Low competitive round – 62 (3 times): Four Bridges CC (’01), Oasis CC (’09), and Juniper Hills GC (’02)
- Low non-competitive round – 61: Browns Run CC – White tees
- Won a 54-hole Developmental Players Tour event by 9 shots shooting 19 under par with no bogies (64,64,69)
- 4 career Holes-in-One and 3 career double eagles
MY PGA MENTORS:
Tom Bach – Head Professional at Sharon Woods Golf Course
George Long – Kenwood CC PGA Professional/Head Pro at The Mill Course (17 Years)
Carl Rabito – PGA Certified Master Teaching Professional (Top 100 Instructor)
Mike Bender – 2009 PGA National Teacher-of-the-Year (Top 100)
Craig Shankland – 2001 PGA National Teacher-of-the-Year (Top 100)
Jim Suttie, Ph.D - 2000 PGA National Teacher-of-the-Year (Top 100)
Bill Madonna – Bill Madonna Golf Academy (Top 100)
Andrew Park – The David Leadbetter Golf Academy
Chris Toulson – Jim McLean Golf School at Doral
As you can see, I’ve been very fortunate to have learned from some of the best PGA Professionals in the country. I feel privileged to pass on the wealth of knowledge I’ve gained from spending time with these great gentlemen.
