Adjusting to Different Sand Conditions on Bunker Shots

(Editor's Note: This article is a companion to "Three Keys to Successful Sand Play")

When our shots land in a bunker, we don't always find ourselves in perfect bunker conditions. The sand might be wet, or perhaps there isn't much sand in the bunker (shallow lie). Or maybe our ball has come to rest on a downslope or upslope in the bunker.

In these conditions, we must make adjustments to the usual sand-shot technique.

When playing out of wet or shallow sand, the technique and set-up may be the same as normal sand play except for the following: The club face may be square instead of slightly open and we might think about taking a less aggressive and shorter backswing.

When opening the club face at the address position, the back portion of the bottom of the clubhead will tend to bounce off the sand (rather than having a digging effect). In wet or shallow sand, we try to discourage the club from bouncing off the sand into the ball. We would rather eliminate any bounce by addressing the ball with a square face.

Keep in mind we are still trying to enter the sand about two inches behind the ball.

What about uphill and downhill lies in the sand? The set-up is slightly different than with the normal technique. The stance is more open to the target line - about 15 to 25 degrees open instead of 10 to 15 degrees for level sand shots - with the clubhead slightly open.

The ball is positioned off the left heel for uphill shots. You then swing the club upward on the forward motion in a direction conducive to the slope of the lie. In other words, if you have a 30 degree upward sloped lie, you wouldn’t want to make a perpendicular or 90 degree entry into the sand.

If you have a downhill lie, your stance should be as much open to the target line as the uphill lie, with the ball positioned in the middle of the stance or between both heels. You should have about 60 to 70 percent of your weight on your left foot (for right-handed golfers), with your wrist cocking immediately on the back swing to produce a much more vertical or steep motion to accommodate the downward sloped lie.

Applying these principles for various sand conditions and lies will greatly improve the consistency of your sand play and will reduce your scores.

About the Author
Marty Fleckman is Director of Instruction at BlackHorse Golf Club in Cypress, Texas, in the Houston metropolitan area. Marty credits Byron Nelson, Carl Lohren and Jim Hardy for contributing to his success in golf. In 1964 Marty won the Texas State Amateur Championship, and followed that up in 1965 with the NCAA individual championship while playing for the University of Houston. He was a member of the United States Walker Cup team in 1967. Marty is one of only four players in the history of the PGA Tour to win in his first professional start. In 1986 he was inducted into the Texas Golf Hall of Fame. Marty is also a member of the PGA of America and the PGA Tour.