Alignment
          This fear of not getting the ball up and out has most of us laying the club to far open in an attempt to help the ball come out higher and softer. I would urge you to try it a different way. Aim the face of the club at your target (square clubface not open). Next set up with your feet aimed slightly to the left of your target (Right hand Player). Now during your shot swing your arms and shaft along your feet line rather than your target line. This will help you hit softer bunker shots!

Setup: Make bunker shots easier by putting the ball forward in your stance in front of your natural low point.

Circle: use this practice drill. Draw a circle in the and and practice splashing the circle of sand up onto the green.

Practice Drill for Setup
          First I encourage all of you who fear the sand to become friendlier with it. Go to your practice bunker and with your index finger draw a circle in the sand about 3-4 inches in diameter. Now make some practice swings hitting the circle of sand and splashing some sand up onto the green. When you feel comfortable doing this drill you are ready to add the ball. Draw the same circle and add a ball in the middle of the circle. Now make sure the ball is towards your front foot and that your stance is slightly open. Go ahead and make the same swing you were just making without the ball. Splash the sand up and out onto the green. The result will be a nicely blasted bunker shot which lands safely on the green.

Blast: Do not try and hit the ball onto the green, instead, practice splashing sand up onto the putting surface

Make a big enough swing to get it out!
          Too often when the fear of the bunker grabs us we want to hurry up and get it over with. When we feel this way most of the time we take a backswing that is too short. Without a big enough backswing we are forced to try and over accelerate our hands and arms toward the ball to give it enough power to get out. This normally doesn’t work too well for us. The key to success here is to make sure you take a big enough pivot to get the ball out. For most this is going to be a bigger slower pivot motion. Remember to take a big enough swing and keep the speed and rhythm of your arms constant through the swing. Don’t try to give it any extra at impact.

Still Not Taking Enough Sand?
          Well here is a little tip for those of you who might face a shot where there is water or more bunkers behind the green and catching it a little thin is not a favorable option. Try closing the clubface slightly. The result will be that the leading edge of the Sand wedge is now lower than the bounce and will catch the sand first and help you dig more sand.


Use the bounce for more spin on bunker shots.

Feeling better now try some bounce.
          Not worried about getting the ball out anymore and you are more concerned with getting it close to the hole for a sandy? Hold your sandwedge up in front of you (See pic) Notice that the bottom of the club is rounded and lower than the leading edge. This is bounce! Learn to use it to hit it soft and close to the hole, out of the bunker. Go back to your practice bunker and draw your circle of sand. This time make some practice swings hitting the back of the sand wedge or the bounce against the sand rather than the leading edge. Result: more shallow splashes of sand, more spin and softer, closer shots to the hole.
          Follow these few drills and set up procedures to take the fear out of the bunker. I bet after a few weeks that you will begin to be looking for bunker shots and looking at them as a scoring opportunity rather than another edition of fear factor.
          Becoming a good bunker player will have you on the way to making more par saves and more birdies on those par fives you try to reach in two.

Tony Ruggiero teaches at the Hank Johnson School of Golf at Sandestin and is the host of the leading golf Instruction radio program in the south, The Dewsweepers! For more information on Tony, The Dewsweepers or the Hank Johnson School of Golf, go to www.dewsweepersgolfshow.com.