Mastering shots from deep bunkers: technique and strategy

Before moving the club, you need to read the slope, assess the height of the lip and decide which trajectory gives you the best chance of getting out with enough margin. Only then comes the shot.

From the bottom of a deep bunker, the flag may be partly hidden and the stance is rarely comfortable. The ball can also sit very differently from one bunker to another: a clean lie on an upslope presents a different problem from a buried ball close to a high lip.

Before thinking about distance, decide on the way out. Club selection, body position and the point where the club enters the sand come next.

Playing from a sloping bunker

The slope affects both your setup and the path of the club. If the sand rises towards the target, your body needs to adapt to the incline to maintain balance throughout the swing. Setting up as if the surface were flat can make solid contact more difficult.

On a downhill slope, the adjustment is different. Your body follows the fall of the ground and the club needs to enter the sand along the same angle. Trying to lift the ball during impact can alter the point of contact and make a clean strike harder to achieve. Burying your feet slightly into the sand helps create a more stable base and gives you a better feel for the slope before starting the swing.

Adjusting your setup to the slope

On an upslope, your shoulders and hips follow the incline of the sand. Your ball position and weight distribution need to work with that surface so the club can travel through the sand naturally.

On a steep downhill lie, the opposite applies. Your body follows the slope and the swing follows the same angle. Trying to create a higher trajectory with an extra movement of the hands can make the contact less reliable.

Calculating the height you need

In a deep bunker, the lip is the first obstacle. Before aiming at the flag, look at its height and identify the point where the ball has the most room to get out.

The loft of your wedge will be important for producing a high trajectory. Your club choice will depend on the height of the lip, the distance to the target, the lie and the amount of green available beyond the bunker. A nearby flag can be deceptive: if the lip requires a very high trajectory, trying to leave the ball close to the hole adds difficulty to a shot that already has little margin.

A slightly more conservative exit can leave you with a much easier next shot.

Choosing the right wedge

A deep bunker often requires enough loft to clear the lip. A higher-lofted wedge can make it easier to produce the necessary height, although the right club will depend on the situation.

The lie also matters. A clean ball sitting on the sand allows you to use the bounce more easily. A buried ball requires a different entry into the sand and may call for a deeper contact. On a conventional bunker shot, opening the clubface increases the loft and encourages the use of the bounce, but a slope may require adjustments to keep the face working correctly with the angle of the surface.

Finding the entry point in the sand

The ball and the sand determine where the club should enter. With a clean lie, you can follow the usual bunker pattern: the club enters a few centimetres behind the ball and moves sand forwards. The ball comes out on that cushion of sand, combined with the loft of the clubface.

With a buried ball, you need to enter deeper into the sand to reach and release it. In this situation, the leading edge can play a greater role and the clubface may need to be more square.

The difference can also be seen in the flight. A buried ball close to a high lip is unlikely to produce the same trajectory as a clean ball sitting on top of the sand.

Maintaining speed through the swing

A high lip can make you shorten the swing without realising it. You accelerate on the way down and, just as the club reaches the sand, the fear of sending the ball too far takes over. The club still needs to keep moving, although there is no need to hit violently.

You do need enough speed to move through the sand and complete the swing. If the club loses pace as it enters the surface, it becomes harder to move the amount of sand required. The wedge continues through the sand after entering and finishes towards the target.

Playing according to the lie

There are clear differences between a clean lie, a buried ball and the different degrees of slope. Each situation calls for small changes to the preparation of the shot.

Upslope. Follow the incline with your body and establish a firm base. The slope itself helps produce a higher trajectory, so balance and the path of the club become particularly important.

Downslope. Let your body follow the fall of the ground. Trying to compensate by forcing a higher trajectory can make contact with the sand more difficult.

Buried ball. The club needs to reach the ball through the sand. The entry will be deeper and the trajectory may be lower than with a conventional bunker shot.

Very high lip. Work out the height you need to clear first. If a direct shot towards the flag leaves very little margin, change the target and choose an area from which the hole can be continued more easily.

Choosing the target from the bunker

Strategy starts with deciding where the ball should finish. From a deep bunker, the flag is not always the best target. A wider area of the green can give you more margin, particularly when the lip restricts the trajectory or the lie makes contact difficult.

Changing the direction of the exit can also be the better option. If a wall of sand forces you to play an extremely precise shot, aiming for a lower section of the lip can reduce the risk considerably. Once you have chosen the exit point, the swing becomes easier to execute because you are no longer trying to alter it during the movement to create more height or distance.

Drills for practising deep bunker shots

Bunkers are a useful place to work on contact without starting with a specific target. One simple drill is to draw a line in the sand and practise several swings, trying to make the club enter the same area each time. You can then place a ball in front of the line and see how the result changes.

The next step is to vary the slope. Practising first from an upslope and then from a downslope makes it easier to feel how much your body position needs to change. A buried ball adds another challenge and requires a different entry point.

If you want to work on these types of shots, Alcanada’s academy has PGA professionals and the practice area is equipped with Toptracer. It is a useful setting for trying different lies and seeing which adjustments work best before taking them onto the course.