5 Types of Bunker Shots
How to Hit a Bunker Shot and the 5 Types
The key to being a great bunker player is knowing how to hit at least five different types of bunker shots.
The bunker shots that are needed are the:
- Sure Out
- The Normal shot
- The Spinner
- The High Soft shot
- The Runner
This is my first article in the line of Five bunker shots and I will run these 5 shots over the next week or so, and by the end of the series you can be a great bunker player and will be ready for any situation.
The first bunker shot that is needed is the sure-out bunker shot.
This is a must for every player to know how to hit for several reasons. First this shot is the foundation for every bunker shot that follows. Some readers may just be happy to hit the sure out and be so excited that they don’t care about any other bunker shot as long as they can get the ball out.
For the better players, the Sure Out may not be of interest to you, however I challenge you to stay patient and practice this shot. This is a shot that I have used to help many PGA Tour Players when their bunker game is struggling. This shot teaches perfect technique for the body and is the number one reason why good players struggle with bunkers at times. Teaching these Tour Players this shot and having them practice this for five minutes instantly brings back their great bunker player and it is so easy that they have added this into their practice repertoire.
The first fundamental to bunkers is understanding that we want to take a shallow cut of sand. We do not want the club to dig. I have heard many instructors teach to hinge the club extremely quickly in the backswing, swing from out-to-in, and cut across the ball. This is extremely wrong and does not make sense. The sand wedge was created for a reason and that reason is to have the flange act like a rudder in a boat and to get the club out of the sand as quickly as possible. This method of teaching is contrary to why the club was built and should be tossed aside as poor teaching.
Once we have the idea of bunkers and a shallow cut of sand into our mind we need to address the setup position for the Sure Out Method. First, draw a letter H in the sand. You want the H to be pointed at the target. We next want to place our feet parallel to the H with the little line pointed to the middle of our stance. Our stance width will be wide, very similar to a driver. The reason we want a wide stance is again to promote a shallow cut of sand versus a steep digging swing. We will place the ball about 2-3 inches in front of the little line of the H and therefore it will be 2-3 inches forward of the middle of our stance. The next piece of instruction is the secret to the Sure Out Method. I want each of you right now to act like your holding a club in front of you. (Just stick your arms out in front of you and take your grip with no club). Now squeeze your chest together. You should feel a connection of your triceps to your chest. Finally, simply turn back halfway and turn through halfway making sure to not bend your elbows or to use your wrists. This is all you need to get the ball out of the bunker every time and to improve your normal bunker shot. Now back at the course setup to the letter H and as you turn back (now with the club) feel as though the clubhead stays on the outside line of the letter H, since your feet are near the inside line of the letter H. You will not need wrist hinge with this shot and you will notice that it may feel awkward, but your power must now come from the turning of your chest. 
The faster you turn your chest the farther the ball goes. The swing arc is very wide and will promote a very shallow cut of sand. Do not worry if you thin this shot, however if you fat this shot at all the only reason for this is because you are not turning your chest through. Make sure on your finish that your arms are extended and your elbows have not bent at all. All of your weight will be on your forward foot and the ball will come out of the bunker 100% of the time.
The Sure Out method is the basic fundamental for hitting bunker shots. This is a shot that I use for Tour Players because they get into the flaw of using too much wrists and not enough chest to hit the bunker shots. This is a great way to improve your bunkers immediately and for you that struggle to get out of the bunker than this is a sure way to get out 100% of the time.
61 Comments
I am sure you covered this at some point but please indulge me. I get out of green side bunkers usually just fine, its those fairway traps that have me frustrated. Usually I hit them fat, I rarely make good contact and sometimes they fly right. Any quick tips?
Jd,
Thanks JD for the question. When playing out of a fairway bunker the key is to keep a quiet lower base. Assuming the lip is not a problem, you need to not dig your feet in. Second, choke up an inch on the club, and squeeze your knees in. This will quiet your lower body and allow your bottom out point to be consistent. Finally, I want you to make a 3/4 backswing and follow through and that will create some lag in your swing that will allow you to hit the ball solid from fairway bunkers. Hope this helps.
Keep em Long and Straight,
CJ
Hi C.J. I am glad to see you are back. I was wondering what happened.
I have not been at the driving range or on the course since early May.
I had a fall and suffered what I thought was a reasonably serious
injury to my lower right back. A trip to the Doc.showed that it was not as bad as I had thought. I was sent to therapy { massage} two & a half
months, with lots of rest etc. My last treatment was the end of July,
but still have to lay off any golf or practice for at least another
two plus months, so probably not till the new year, but I am trying
to bring it forward quicker than that. Wiosh me luck.
P.S. We were away all of july, and when we got back-I found e-mails
someone called Golf tailor. I did not bother with them, and ment to
contact you but got busy, until I saw your e-mail today. Thank Heavens
for that. Hope you get this.
Cheers, and good luck
Byrne Turner
Byrne Turner,
Thanks Byrne for the blog post and sorry to hear about your fall. I am glad that it wasn’t as serious as you thought, although some golfers would deem missing golf for a half a year as life threatening. JK. In all seriousness it sounds like it could have been worse. Thanks for your support and if you would like to stop getting the golf tailor emails you need to go on that site and unsubscribe or you will continue to get those emails. Best wishes and keep in touch. I have a lot of great things planned for this new business.
Keep em Long and Straight,
CJ
Hi CJ
What dimensions roughly should the H be in inches/feet. I am 5.11″
Thanks
Your “Sure out method”for bunker play is illustrated with a low lip bunker. Would it produce a shot high enough to escape from a deeper bunker or would it require a different technique. Thank you for your time CJ. George in the UK.
George Walker,
Thanks George for the question. I guess to answer your question it would depend on how high the lip is. The lip on the bunker I was hitting out of was actually quite high, but nothing compared to what you may find in England. Remember the sure out is a method that I recommend to get you out of the bunker all the time, but ultimately it is a practice drill that you can use to get you ready for the normal bunker method and ultimately to the high, the spinner, and the runner. So use this sure out method if you like, but to become a great bunker player you must know how to hit all these different shots.
Keep em Long and Straight,
CJ
Hi Cj, Your article (Sure Out Bunker Shot) does not indicate how big is the letter H & what club to use for the shot & whether clubface should be open & how much open. Pls advise.
Following the instructions you have given, I find the swing awkward to perform. Keeping weight on front foot from take-away thru impact until the finish, keeping my balance needs some training. Also when taking the club back & up the backswing, I find my body needs to tilt awkwardly to the left (towards target) in order to get the clubhead go from centreline of letter H to the outside line. This is so as I keep my feet square with the inside line of the letter H. Also tell me how to finish this swing after impact. Thanks.
Michael,
Thanks Michael for the question. A simple H is enough. it doesn’t matter how big or small it is. Just make sure the horizontal line of the H is in the middle of your stance. Now simply lock your arms and swing them back with the turning of your chest. The clubface is square for this shot. Also the weight should be 50/50 not left. When you finish your weight should be on your left side and your arms extended and locked in front of you. let me know if this helps. I will try to have the video sent out on this to make things easier.
Keep em Long and Straight,
CJ
The normal shot for amatures for sand is Don’t get in it! This makes sand shots fun and builds confidence. Good method.
Also CJ In the regular swing I dont think that having the shoulders and arms in front of the torso in a swing is stressed enough to Reg and Seniors to make the widest and best turn and swing. also some how helps stop killer lateral body movement.Is this true IYO?
Thanks for the sand help Larry
Larry B,
Thanks Larry for the comment and I think your correct. Out of the bunkers you do not want any lateral movement and you want to keep your lower body as quiet as possible.
Keep em Long and Straight,
CJ
HELP, not to change the subject, but i am desperate.I will be 76 on march 21st, for the last 10 years i have a problem finishing my swing iam for my age very agile and in good shape. I can easily make a full shoulder turn with my back to the target but i quit on the follow through.Are there any tips you can give me to help me get through the ball.ever since my triple bypass my head refuses to let me finish.I was a scratch golfer in my younger days and have won ten club chmpionships at seven different courses. PLEASE GIVE ME SOMETHING TO WORK ON> thanks,BOB SE>
Robert Rolle Sr.
Thanks for the question Bob. Alright lets change your thinking here sir. This is pretty simple. First tee up the ball and lets change our focus to the finish, not the ball. Have a friend help you and I want you and him to grade yourself. A one is your current swing, while a 5 is your perfect finish that you want. Now hit some balls tee’d up and I want you to give yourself a number and your friend to give you a number. Again change your focus and this is easy to fix. DO NOT WORRY ABOUT BALL FLIGHT! DO NOT GRADE YOURSELF BASED ON CONTACT, BUT ONLY THE FINISH! Let me know
Keep em Long and Straight,
CJ
Hi CJ,
Your tips are really great because they are so practical and so simple to apply, even using them directly on the course without practising them previously on the practice range. My bunker play has improved enormously with the “sure out method” and bunkers no longer give me the yips!!
Today, one of my shots went left close to a greenside bunker and the hole was also close to the other side of the bunker, so for the first time I played a perfect lob (60° wedge) over the bunker using your same stroke as the “sure out” and it worked beautifully. My playing partners couldn´t believe it !!
Many thanks and keep ‘em coming, much appreciated.
Juan from Argentina.
I try to swing hard when the sand is soft and swing soft when the sand is hard. Is that still a good tip with this straight arm technique?
Dennis Moloney,
Thanks Dennis for the question. No you don’t want to swing soft in hard sand. You want to have controlled aggression through impact. Does this make sense?
Keep em Long and Straight,
CJ
CJ, I live in Richardson and I believe that you live in Dallas. Where do you give lessions? I thouroughly enjoy your daily tips.
Scott Presley,
Thanks Scott for the question and yes I do live in Dallas. I am the Director of Instruction at TPC Craig Ranch in McKinney Tx. If you would like to schedule a lesson you can contact Shannon at shannon@perfectconnectiongolfswing.com and she can set up the details of what exactly your looking for. Hope to see you soon.
Keep em Long and Straight,
CJ
C. J.
I thank you for the great advice you give to us. I try to apply it whenever my feeble old mind allows.
I am now age 65+, and for a number of years in my past I played to a eight handicape or lower, but since a number of things “money”, “time”, interest and other variables intereffered for a long time, I found myself retired at age 50 and became a “practice tee” pro! Laugh!
At one time, I could even lay off of golf for long periods and thru a series of practice in my mind, I could sometimes come out a play a pretty competitive game, sometimes outplaying my juniors in Wolf games, etc.
What is strange, is the fact that I have basically played with the same irons, and woods, for many, many years. In fact the irons I still hit the longest are 1973 models. My newest driver is about 15 years old.
But the other strange thing is that for many years, where I did not play golf regularly, I did do some range training, and as well visualized on a regular basis. Thus for a long time, the older I became, the further I hit the ball off of the tee and in the fairway, etc. I was constantly amazed at this, since when I was a teenager, I could barely hit a perfect drive 230 yards, and at age 50 or later I was hitting drives 250-300 yards! It was weird!
Then after my long layoff of real play, at about age 55 I basically gave up playing gold, but would hit practice balls sometimes. The reason I gave up on golf, was the fact that my short game quit on me!
I mattered not how well I could hit the ball from teen towards the green, I could not score at all. Possible 74 scores, from the tips, turned into 85′s, etc. Suddenly from 60 yards on in, I could barely hit the green, and my chipping and putting went into the tank!
I could no longer compete with either those of my on age much less those young flat bellies! LOL
Thus, I basically gave up golf from about age 55 to just recently now at age 65!
by the way in my college days, I have shot a round of 63 on a short par 71 public course, with two missed puts from about 6 feet! My lowest nine hole score for nine holes was a 31 with two bogies. I have made six birdies in a row atl east five times in the past.
In 1973, I played at La Costa, CA, and played it for the first time from the “tips” and “down”, with a caddy and shot a pure 84! I only lost $50.00 on my Nassau bet against a La Costa member with a 5 handicap!
I think my caddy actually won money against the other caddy! LOL I was very proud of this score since, at that time, this was where the Tournament of Champions was played. Back then I hit a Wilson Staff driver with a stiff aluminum shaft and First Flight irons.
I still sometimes hit these irons today.
But, although I still feel the same, I now play once a week with a bunch of old men (my age) and sometimes get beat to death. I am now at a point where I am more comfortable hitting a greed with a 4 irn or a 8 iron than anything less! From 80 yards in, I am mostly hopeless.
But, of course, all of my playing companions seem to have the money to play with the latest equipment, and with “new” golf balls, where I still play with (mostly) old equipment and balls I find in the wrough, etc.!
I can still out drive most of these old bastards from the tee, but from there on in, they tend to beat me to death.
Should I borrow money to purchase some of the newer woods and irons, which these old men tend to hit very well, or just give up golf again?
What do you suggest?
Regards,
Ronald L. Hughes
Long Beach, MS
Ronald, You should give some of these new clubs a try to see if it improve your game. Technology in clubs (drivers, irons, putters, balls) has advanced so much in just the last 10 years. Why not give a new 2012 driver a try. You may find them easier to hit and probably longer and more accurate. You can try out clubs all day for free in a PGA Super Store simulator. You can even “check out” a club to take it to a real game if you like. You shoot a great game with your old clubs and balls. Why not try new equipment and see if its better?
P.S., for your short game, give Titleist Vokey SM4 a chance in the simulator. A good ball that might fit your swing speed can help too!
Best,
John
Thanks for the sdvice John! Perhaps when my money problems are solved I will actually try out the new equipment! Right now, $300.00 is big money, and that is just for a new modern driver, so the new irons and other speciality clubs are still a dream away.
Regards,
Ronald L. Hughes
Hi CJ your tips are great cant wait for the rest of them
Hi CJ
I really like your bunker guides but I have another question I don’t think you have addressed here or on your DVD’s which I have.
Namely, how do you recommend getting out of bunkers with either a, little sand say 1/4″ to 1/2″ on top of a hard base. Or b, a wet bunker that is drying out adn no fluff to the sand?
Thanks, Steve
Steve Sharpley,
Thanks Steve for the question. To get out of hard bunkers or wet bunkers you need to grip the club tighter in the last three fingers of your left hand. This will keep the club from bouncing off the hard surface. Technique is the same unless it is really hard and then you need to hinge the club a bit quicker in the backswing and place your weight a bit more forward than I suggest in the videos. Also expect the ball to come out a bit quicker so adjust your follow through like I mention to control distance.
Keep em Long and Straight,
CJ
Have just read the article and can’t wait to get to the practice bunker. I must say the “sure way out” sounds a bit contrary to all the teachings I have read(studied), but I am going to give it a try, because any suggestion that promotes consitancy is a great tip in my book. Will let you know.
Thanks for the info, your web messages is one of the very few I read regurarly as it is so informative and honest without trying to lure you you into a sale. thx for that and keep up the good work.
Regards
Willie Fouche (south africa)
Willie Fouche,
Thanks for your comments I appreciate it. I truly want to help all my students and obviously at some point want to make a living but I am appreciative of all the nice comments that I have received. I love what I do and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Keep me informed. Are you watching the PGA? South Africa is representing again in the majors. Whats in the water down there? Best wishes.
Keep em long and Straight,
cj
Hi. Could you tell me please when using your Sure out bunker shot , would you lay the club open? its not too clear on this point, many thanks, by the way enjoying the emails. regards Paddy
paddy DuLieu,
with this shot the basic is to keep the clubface square. Remember this shot produces a very wide shallow cut of sand and therefore the club won’t dig much. Opening the face can cause the club to bounce too much and therefore you will hit blade shots. However after saying this basic rule I encourage you to experiment with slightly opening the face to see if it works for you. This would allow a slightly higher shot for you but see if it works for you.
Keep em long and Straight,
cj
CJ, this is a great tip to ensure that the ball comes out of the sand.
I tried it for the first time in a match this week,without any previous practice and it really did work for me.The actual shot was approx.40feet and the ball finished about 4feet from the pin.
Would this shot still be suitable for a ball position that is well forward towards a high bunker face or would it be neccessary to open the face of the wedge in order to obtain more loft. I assume that by opening the face the added bounce would still maintain a shallow divot.
I am looking forward to receiving the other four types of bunker shots in due course. Thanks once again for a great tip.
Alan,
Congrats on your success and thanks for your question. the sure out method as you have seen takes a shallow cut of sand and the ball comes out kinda low. The other articles will teach you how to hit a lot more shots. Let me know how your doing after you read those articles.
keep em long and Straight,
cj
most useful artivle i have ever read but the promise of four more to come within a week is going to cost?
rabi de melo,
I am glad you like the article. That is some really high praise and I appreciate it. I am confused on your question though about cost. These articles are free and are my way of helping you and to say thanks for your support of Perfect Connection Golf Swing.
keep em long and Straight,
cj
I played twice this week and using what you said I got safely out of every trap I was in. Almost holed out on one. When are you going to five us additional advice?
Byron
This is great. Been struggling from bunkers but this is different from other teachings and it works to get out .. perhaps 95 rather than 100%. Can’t wait for the other 4
CJ
I purchased your series watched alot of the instruction great stuff. I have been trying to learn a 3/4 backswing for a while alot of instructors will not teach it. Cant wait to get to the range on Thursday and work on some this stuff. The only thing that I did not see covered in any of the videos was ball position. With this theory is standard ball positions short irons to 7 iron middle of stance and so on.
Mike
This was a very good tip on bunker play, however I was wondering if this can be used in both soft and hard sand?? or is there a different shot for hard sand…Please advise via email if there is a difference..Thank you so much for your time and I look forward to your future tips on bunker play…
Ken
Ken Wallace,
this drill is not as good for hard sand because with hard sand the club will bounce too much. Work on the drill and then read the other articles on bunker play Particularly the arrow drill and you will become a great bunker player.
keep em long and straight
cj
Where are the other drills located?
Byron
Hi Bryon,
Which drills are you referring to?
Thanks.
Shannon,
Your Caddy Concierge
CJ,
I found a momentus I had bought years ago missed placed while moving.A heavy 7 I club..Would it be any advantage to use it inside for drills when I don’t have access to the outdoors..
Thanks,
Ron
Ron,
great question and it depends. If you are a guy that comes over the top than yes but only a few times. This club because of the weight will allow the club to drop more from underneath or behind you and also if you use it alot it will do the opposite and could cause you to hit the ball shorter. Imagine swinging this weighted club alot being similar to a sprinter learning to run faster by jogging. Doesn’t make sense does it? this weighted club will train your neuromuscular patterns to be use to a slow swing. You need to practice faster swings to train your body and brain to swing faster not by swinging slower.
Keep em long and straight,
cj
CJ,
I don’t know how I missed your answer until today.?
You know what your talking about!!.I was swinging that heavy thing ala the old David Duval ad and sure enough I’m hitting it shorter..Your recent tip on training to swing faster has enlightened me..So far I’m just turning the driver over (holding it close to the clubhead)and swinging it that way..Do you recommend getting that club you used in your video with the ball and chain on the end..??
Again thanks for all your knowledge,
Ron
Ron,
Thanks for your comment and yes I do recommend that training aid. the website for that is speedchain.com. They have a speed chain also and that is a great training aid for building speed as well and will truly provide a workout for you. The device I was using was called the NOS which stands for Neuromuscular over speed trainer. Let me know about your progress.
Keep em long and Straight,
cj
We lefties thank you for writing this for both left and right handed golfers. Usually, I have to reverse everything that is said in these types of golf instructions.
I have used this method for getting out of bunkers for many years and find it to be “right on”.
In my seven decades of playing and teaching golf I have never heard an instructor, other than myself, say whether the player should look at the ball or the spot in the sand behind the ball as they make this shot. Interesting.
Coach Lally,
I teach picking a tiny spot about two inches behind the ball and focusing only on that and not the ball. Hope this helps.
keep em long and Straight,
cj
Wow that sounds so easy will have to try it tomorrow if there’s golf as it’s been so wet over here not sure if there will be any golf.
Edna,
Practice with it first, but once you hit it properly you will have it forever. the ball will come out a bit lower and running with the sure out, but this is the building blocks to becoming a great bunker player.
keep em long and Straight,
cj
I remember my golf instructor, after instructing me to demonstrate my set up for the bunker, saying that I would never get out of any bunker while in the fetal position!! He was right and I straightened my back and lowered my stressed-out shoulders from up around my ears! What a difference that made along with a smooth swing tempo.
Great article, thanks.I bought the 3 disc DVD series and like and am using the connection swing, however, at times I try to really hit a drive, and have read that to hit the ball further I have to swing my arms faster, which also makes sense. Are you saying that to hit a drive further I need to turn my upper body faster, staying connected? Or would my arms take over the swing and I would become disconnected? Please explain.
Harry,
There are a lot of different tips to hit the ball farther. Many tour players to hit the ball farther focus only on swinging in balance because they know if you lose balance or mis-hit the ball it goes shorter. Too often trying to hit it farther does not help. If so its not just the arms or body but everything. Always stay connected. think about cracking a whip. To crack the whip louder you almost become more relaxed but add speed. Try that with your swing and let me know if that helps.
Keep em long and Straight,
cj
CJ, Is this the table top drill? Tom
Tom Aber,
Yes the sure out is almost exactly the table top.
Keep em long and straight,
cj
These tips have actually worked for me!
dmeitz1,
Great to hear. I hope they do or I would be out of a job. Keep up the good work.
keep em long and straight,
cj
Hi CJ,
Great Lesson, CJ! Seems like this is what Nick Faldo in his golf telecast commentary emphasizes on the short shots: that the chest must keep turning through. Another instance of staying connected in the golf swing. I really like the idea of simply feeling your triceps connecting with the chest. CJ, Wouldn’t this concept work great on the short, pressure filled green side shots to take the small muscles out of the shot?
Robert Daly,
I agree with that thought on short shots and pressure filled shots. Put the emphasis on the big muscles and they can handle the pressure.
keep em long and Straight,
cj
I will try this tomorrow. I am inconsistant out of the sand. It is complicted at our course as we have different sand on the two nines – the front very stiff and the back very soft. I just want to get out every time!
Alex,
Try this out. More articles are coming on the sand and should help you out.
keep em long and Straight,
cj
This morning I hit 20 balls from the practice bunker (more clay than sand): 16 fell between 30 and 75 feet, 2 between 10 and 20 feet, and 2 in excess of 100 feet. All were out of the bunker. Probably would have been better if I had remembered better about how to use the top leg of the H.
On the course I had a bad day and was in the sand 5 times. Four were greenside soft sand bunkers and all came out on the green, The other was a fairway bunker – I got out with a pitch shot.
Alex,
Great job. Remember the sure out will produce a very shallow cut of sand and the thin shot is possible, but once you are doing this properly you can go to the normal shot but still remember to use your chest and you will now be able to get them close. keep me informed on your progress.
keep em long and Straight,
cj