BUNKER SHOTS

Golf Tip by Poh Eng Wah
Golf Professional
Member of Singapore PGA

Address the ball in the middle of your stance and set up your club face square to the ball.  It is not necessary to “open” your club face.	Keep your back swing simple, like that of an iron swing.

On impact, it is important to take your shot about 1 to 2 inches behind the ball.  Keep your wrist firm and add pressure into the sand to blast the ball out. Keep your weight on your left foot when making impact. For this type of shot, the ball will not spin and stop quickly.  Therefore you must make allowance for the ball to roll quite a fair bit.

Golf Tip by Serene Poh
Golf Instructor

In a shallow greenside bunker, there are several ways to get to the pin besides the usual shot with the sand wedge.  If there is plenty of green between the bunker and the pin, you can use your pitching wedge or a short iron for a chip-and-run shot. In a situation like this, do not take too much sand as the ball will not run.  The key is to make sure that the clubhead skims only the surface of the sand. For a good contact, set up with the ball in the middle of your stance with the shaft in a neutral position. With a bunker lip to clear, do not lean the shaft forward (though this is good for running the ball long). Set your mind on where to land the ball and accelerate through impact.

Golf Tip by Emma Poh
Golf Instructor

When playing a downhill bunker shot, align your body with the slope of the sand.  Keep your knee pointed inwards & feel your weight on the inside of your left foot. Position the ball in the center of your stance and keep your club face sightly open.	On the back swing, hinge your wrist onto a more upright position.

Swing down on a steeper angle and impact the sand about an inch behind the ball, following through down the slope keeping the club face open. For this shot, expect the ball to come out lower with more roll than usual.