The High Bunker Shot

The high bunker shot is met with dread by many amateurs, and many course designers incorporate deep sand traps in their designs. In fact, it seems like no matter what bunker you seem to get into in Colorado (where I teach)it is ten feet deep with a high lip to negotiate to a green that runs away from you! In this situation you need a high soft shot that comes out of the bunker and has no chance of hitting the lip on the way out. This shot involves a few simple set up changes and you must have a good lie and a lob wedge in your bag for sure.

1) Place the ball forward in your stance and open the club up, like you are going to balance a wine glass on the face

2) Aim your body slightly open to your target

3) The hands are even with the belt buckle, or slightly behind the ball at address and the weight is slightly rear of center

4) Set the club up quickly with your wrist hinge and allow your swing shape to be more of a “V”

5) Accelerate down and through the impact zone holding the clubface open into a full finish…you will find the harder you swing the higher the ball will go

Note: for an even higher shot allow your wrists to release “under” on the way through. This is not advisable too often but it will give you slightly more height

Tom F. Stickney is a contributing author at golf-short-game-guide.com and is the director of instruction at Tom Stickney Golf ( www.tomstickneygolf.com ). Tom has published over 100 Articles in publications such as Golf Digest, Japan Golf Digest, Golf Magazine, Senior Golfer Magazine, Golf Illustrated, Golf Tips, Golf for Women, Executive Golfer, Mid-South Golfer, Southern Golfer Magazine, and Colorado Golfer Magazine. He is one of Golf Magazine’s Top 100 Teachers in America and was recently ranked by Golf Digest as one of the Top 20 Instructors Under 40.

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