We all dread seeing a shot fly wide of the fairway and skip into a fairway bunker. Being in a green-side sand trap is bad enough, but one that is 150 plus yards away from the hole presents a whole new set of challenges.
To be successful out of a fairway bunker, you must first examine your situation. Do you have an uphill or downhill lie? Is there a lip or not? Are you too close to the edge of the bunker or too far away? All these variables have an affect on the shot you will try to hit.
Today, I will focus on two basic shots, both from the center of a fairway-bunker. One has a lip to go over and the other does not.
When there is no lip to fly over, the main thing you want to achieve is striking the ball before hitting the sand. If the trajectory of the shot is a little low, it isn't a big deal because there is no lip to fly.
To insure that you strike the ball first, move the ball slightly farther back toward the middle of your stance. This will increase your chances of striking the ball first because the club will be traveling on the downward arc at impact.
When there is a lip, you must do the opposite. Move the ball forward in your stance and try to hit the ball on the slight upswing. This is tricky because you don't want to hit any sand before the ball. Therefore, the club face must skim above the sand just before impact. Then as it starts to ascend, the club strikes the ball. This upward arc will help project the ball up and over the lip.
In both cases, if you are in soft sand and you dig your feet down slightly, make sure you choke down on the club to compensate for the amount you have sunk into the ground.
Don DeLorenzo is a PGA-certified instructor at Gilroy Golf Course. To schedule a lesson with Don, call Gilroy GC at (408) 848-0490.
Don DeLorenzo To schedule a lesson with PGA-certified instructor Don DeLorenzo, call GIlroy GC at 848-0490.
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