The Long Running Bunker Shot

The long running bunker shot is the solution when you have a perfect lie in the bunker but a huge uphill slope to negotiate on the green. It is a safer shot than trying to carry it back to the pin. Whatever you do when you choose to run out your bunker shot you better make sure you get the ball back to the pin and here is how to do it.

1) Set up as you normally would for a bunker shot

2) Face and body open, hands slightly ahead of the ball, with the weight forward slightly, and the spine leaning slightly forward of center

3) The simple adjustment to be made here is to take the club back “low and away” making your swing’s shape look more like a “U” than a “V”

4) Finally you will release fully through the shot allowing your clubface to close through the ball giving it more hook-spin

5) This hooking action through the ball will cause it to hit the green and run like a rabbit

Note: you can also take a lower lofted club and hit this type of shot described above for the super long runners like you see in the British Open

Tom F. Stickney is a contributing author at golf-short-game-guide.com and is the director of instruction at Tom Stickney Golf . 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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