Golf Bunker Shots 2: How Much Sand?
Pete Styles
So, once you’re comfortable with setting up correctly for golf bunker play, let’s look at getting a good, consistent strike in the sand…
Most golfers appreciate that they need to strike the sand before the golf ball. But I think a fear of hitting the ball thin and seeing it shoot off over the other side of the green, causes them to consistently take too much sand.
Combine that with the classic mistake of decelerating through the ball and more often than not the golf ball stays in the bunker.
Bunker Play
Aim to strike the sand 2 inches behind the ball.- Pick a spot in the sand behind the ball (rather than the golf ball itself) and focus on this point of impact during your swing.
- A good sized divot in the sand is about 6 inches in length (2 inches before the ball and 4 inches after) and an inch or two deep. Any more sand than this and it becomes very difficult to get the ball out of the bunker without making a very aggressive swing
- Watch a video here.
- First part Golf Bunker Shots 1: The Set Up
Pete Styles
Since becoming a Golf Professional 17 years ago, I have used my experiences of teaching every standard of golfer, from Tour Professionals to complete beginners, to develop, refine and hone my teaching skills.
My teaching combines a wealth of knowledge about golf and a great passion for seeing people improve, into a straight-talking, simple-to-follow style that is tried and tested over the course of 40,000 plus individual golf lessons.
I currently deliver my teaching to pupils in two forms – either in person at The Trafford Golf Centre next to the Trafford Centre in Manchester, or via Video lessons from my website free-online-golf-tips.com
My main passions in life apart from golf are, my family – wife Clare, son George and daughter Hannah.
I am also a qualified ski instructor and after living in the Italian Alps for a number of years, I now relish any opportunity to get back out on the slopes.
I also enjoy reading, particularly autobiographies and real-life adventure books and would encourage anybody who hasn’t already to find and read a copy of Touching The Void, and Between A Rock And A Hard Place.