The Proper Way to Get Out of a Sand Trap

Bunker shots, probably more so than any other shot in golf, have the most varied response amongst golfers in regards to their feelings about them. Some players love them, some hate them, some are indifferent, and some have no idea how to feel about them.

Regardless of these feelings, anyone who is capable of making a normal golf swing can consistently find their way out of the sand. Before we get to the mechanics of swinging the club in a bunker, the most important aspect of solid sand shots occurs well before you ever step foot on the golf course.

Choose Your Wedges Wisely

Anyone who has played golf in more than one area can tell you that not all sand is made alike. Depending on your region of the country, time of year (humidity levels), and many other factors, the type of sand you must hit out of can vary greatly. This is why it’s important to have the proper kind of wedges, so that you may be prepared for any type of lies in the sand.

Bounce

Head into your favorite golf shop, and check out the section filled with wedges. Not only do these wedges have varying degrees of loft, they also have varying degrees of bounce. Bounce, which is the amount of degrees the leading edge sits above the sole at address, is what will allow the wedge to skip across the sand as opposed to digging in.

Why is this important? You need speed through the sand in order to elevate the ball out, and if the club digs, the momentum of the club is slowed drastically. If the club slows down, the ball isn’t likely to make it out.

Exactly how much bounce you need depends on the type of sand the courses in your area have. In order to be most prepared for any kind of sand texture, I recommend having at least two wedges: a higher lofted wedge with low bounce (about 8*) and a lower lofted wedge with more bounce (about 12*).

The higher bounce wedge will help cut through fine, fluffy sand while the lower bounce wedge will allow you to get under firm, wet, or compact sand. Could you have your wedges set up in the opposite fashion (high loft/high bounce and lower loft/low bounce)? You could, but we’ll get to that. Now that you have your wedges, it’s time to cover the next most important aspect of bunker play.

Assessing Your Lie

Gary Player once said, “There’s more to read in a bunker than any green.” Being able to ascertain as much information about how your ball is lying in a sand trap (without breaking any rules) is essential to achieve success from your bunker play. The assessment begins when you arrive to your golf ball. Is it in a flat spot in the bunker? On the upslope? On the side slope? Is it sitting high on the sand? Is it in a rake mark? A “fried-egg”?

The next part of the assessment takes place once you step up to the ball. Do your feet sink a little on every step? Does the bunker have more of a crunchy sound as you approach your shot? These are all factors that will determine your club selection, setup, and swing.

Wedges in hand, and with your lie assessed, what do you do next? We will start with a basic sand shot from a flat lie, the ball sitting up, with the perfect amount of sand, then adjust accordingly.

Most common bunker rules infractions:

• Grounding the club at any time inside the bunker or touching the sand on the backswing. (Rule 13-4)
• ​“Building a stance” (Rule 13-3)
• Removing loose impediments that are not covered within the exceptions or local rules. (Rule 13-4)

For more information regarding these rules, and how to avoid breaking them, check out the videos linked to them.

In the Sand, Setup is Everything

For someone who is just getting started with golf, or who is starting to work hard on their bunker play, finding a bunker that will allow you to create ideal lies will help you ingrain the fundamentals, which you can apply to any other bunker shot you may face. The most common misconception golfers deal with in regards to bunker play is that there is something “special” to the technique. Not true.

One thing to understand is that the main reason you went over to your favorite pro shop and bought those pretty wedges is because they are designed to do the work for you. The swing itself couldn’t be simpler: For the most part, it’s a basic three-quarter to three-quarter swing with your hips turning slightly, back and forth, to create speed (keep those feet quiet!). The essential fundamental to a sand shot is the setup. They all follow the same basic principles:

1. Take a firm stance, allowing your feet to sink, choking up on your wedge approximately the same amount your feet dig.
2. ​Opening the clubface so that the bounce has more exposure to the surface of the sand, which will allow it to cut through cleanly.
3. ​Aiming your body to the left (or right, for you lefties out there) to compensate for the open clubface.
4. The club should be set to enter the sand no less than an inch behind the ball.

Of all the key fundamentals, the fourth is always the hardest to trust, and that goes for every golfer. We spend a great deal of time trying to make clean contact to the golf ball, and now we have to adjust and hit behind it on purpose? It’s important to understand the why: in sand play, the sand itself is what propels the ball up and out of the bunker.

Yes, this can be an awkward adjustment. But, with a good amount of practice, you should have no trouble being able to adjust between normal shots and bunker shots.

It’s All About Rhythm

Once you have the basic fundamentals mastered, the focus shifts over to rhythm. Watch any good bunker player on any professional golf tour, and you’ll see some incredible, fluid rhythm to their sand shots. This is not something only the pros can achieve.

The best resource for developing a smooth rhythm for any golf shot is a metronome app. Usually available for free to download on your smartphone, this tool can be adjusted based on your individual preferences, giving you an audible cadence to hone in your rhythm. Unless you’re the only one out practicing, make sure to use this tool with headphones as one person’s rhythm may be another person’s annoyance.

Less Than Perfect Lies

The lies you practice from in the short game area and the lies you find on the course are almost never the same. The best way to prepare for this is to practice from as many different lies as you can, so that when you finally step out onto the golf course, you’ll be ready for whatever the course throws at you. For the sake of brevity, we will cover the three most common awkward lies: a ball that’s half-buried, a ball on the upslope, and the long bunker shot.

Half-buried Lies

For a ball that’s settled into its own pitch mark, the key is to slightly adjust your setup so that you ensure the ball gets out and onto the green. To do so, you’ll want to lean your weight forward, square the face up, and make sure your wrists set early so that you can enter the sand steeply.

This is why having a low-bounce wedge with higher loft comes in handy; with the face square, there is still plenty of effective loft to ensure the ball can lift above any lip of a bunker. The club may dig; it may not. The important part is making sure the ball gets out.

Upslope

A ball coming to rest on the upslope creates a few obstacles. For one, gravity is pulling you back, making it difficult to maintain your balance, let alone try to keep your weight forward. It’s also the most opportune time to build a stance (see above), and nobody wants to add two shots to their score over something like that.

The key to making consistent contact from an uphill lie in a bunker are your angles. Setting your shoulders to the slope will help you maintain a sense of balance. This is also where your lower-lofted, high-bounce wedge will come in handy.

The upslope will cause the shot to fly higher than normal, as well as create a tendency for the club to dig into the slope. Once you have your setup, all you have to do is feel like you’re swinging with the slope, and the ball should come out fine every time.

Long Bunker Shots

Arguably the hardest shot in golf, mostly due to the shots golfers try to play from them. For a shot of twenty-five yards or longer, it’s assumed that one should try to pick the ball cleanly, which is difficult for even the best players in the world. The fundamentals listed above can apply to any bunker shot from seventy-five yards from in; the only thing that should change is the club selection.

The Final Word

Practicing all these different shots consistently is the only way you’ll hone in your sand game. Just remember: have fun with it. Make it a game, challenge yourself or a friend to see who can one-up the other in the bunker.

Like most things in golf, shots that may seem scary will become less scary once you learn more about them. I hope the tips you’ve read above will help your bunker game improve the next round you play, and every round after.