Lesson Notes: Simple Bunker Distance Control
The Goal: To make greenside bunker play incredibly easy by keeping your setup and backswing identical, while adjusting your distance using only tempo and your finish position.
The Golden Rule of Sand Play
- Don’t Get Fancy: Avoid changing your stance, ball position, or backswing length for different bunker distances. Keeping these variables constant creates highly predictable blast shots.
- Speed is Mandatory: Remember that it is the sand moving out of the bunker that actually carries your ball onto the green. You must maintain speed through the hitting zone to move the sand effectively.
Adjusting for Distance
- For Shorter Bunker Shots: Keep everything else standard, but calm down your overall tempo. Move through the sand with a slower pace and catch yourself in a slightly abbreviated, lower finish.
- For Longer Bunker Shots: Increase your overall swing speed through the sand to get more carry distance. Let your momentum pull you into a much higher, longer follow-through—almost like you are trying to hit a high draw.
FAQ
Q: Why should I change my finish rather than the size of my backswing out of the sand?
A: Shortening your backswing in a bunker often causes an instinctive hesitation or deceleration right at impact, leading to a left-in-the-sand chunk. Keeping a full backswing gives you the confidence to accelerate through the sand, while controlling the finish naturally regulates the total energy transferred to the ball.
Q: What does it mean to feel like I am hitting a “high draw” on long bunker shots?
A: It is a visual and physical cue to help you commit to a full, high release. Thinking of a high draw encourages a smooth acceleration, a full body rotation toward the target, and a high finish over your lead shoulder, which provides the maximum club speed needed for long carry distances.
