Professional Golf Tips 101: Greenside Bunker

Objective
• Develop a solid set up to get the ball out of the bunker every time.
• Understand that the sand gets the ball out of the bunker.

Set-up
• Feet a little closer together (for more control)
• Body closer to the ball (for more control)
• Grip is the same as a full swing
• Make sure you have very good footing in the bunker. Dig your feet into the sand for more control. Put your weight on the front foot (This is very important for hitting the sand first)
• Relax your hands on the grip, so it is not too tight on the club.
• Put your hands slightly forward a bit to utilize the bounce of the sand wedge.

Equipment and Swing
You can use a couple of different clubs to get the ball out of the bunker, but here is a little information about three of the clubs that you may have in your golf bag.

PW — Little air and lots of roll
SW — More air, less roll (best). Use this club most of the time for better control of the sand. This club is made to hit shots out of the bunker.
LW — Lots of air and not much roll at all

The backswing length will depend on how far your golf ball has to travel toward the intended target. (Your intended target may not be the hole.) The forward swing must have acceleration through the sand. Use your backswing length to determine the forward swing length.