W L
GOLF
THE LONG FAIRWAY BUNKER SHOT
BY TOM ATKINSON , PGA GOLF PROFESSIONAL
The fairway bunker shot is feared by many in the golf circle , but it need not be . Your club selection must be considered carefully , it ' s very easy to default to lots of loft , because after all , you ' re in the sand aren ' t you .
way it feels and sounds . You don ’ t get that same lovely sound from a fairway bunker as you do from the fairway , so don ’ t anticipate it .
The biggest factor in club selection is how high you have to hit the ball to get it over grass mounds or lips that surround the bunker , not the total distance you want the ball to travel . Getting too greedy can obviously cause you problems , but being too cautious can also ! The question you want to ask yourself is , “ What is the least lofted club I know I can hit high enough to get over these obstacles ?” I ' ll often ask a pupil the question " What would you normally hit ?" 9 out of 10 times the answer is a 7 iron of loftier , then they ' re astonished when I ask them to pull out a 5 wood , or rescue club . My theory , there ' s more loft on these than you think and invariably you will carry the lip , if not then the ball will be travelling at such speed when it hits the lip that it will roll a long way anyway , a win win .
Like any shot in golf , fundamental number one is controlling the low point , this is what you should work on the most .
The technique should not differ from that of a fairway shot , after all it ' s only your brain that knows that the surface is different . Lots of average golfers struggle with balance in their swing , especially when faced with shots that make them uncomfortable . You will need to build a non slip stance for sure but don ' t bury yourself in too far , you will bring the ground too close to you as you ' re at impact .
There ' s often not much chance to practice these shots other than on the course , so next time you ' re on the range , grab a little sand from the greenside practice bunker and throw it on the floor to simulate your fairway trap !
Good Luck and if you need any further help don ' t hesitate to contact me for a lesson .
We ' ve all caught a shot thin in our lives , this is the time to do it intentionally , not above the equator of the ball but definitely just above the sand . The biggest difference from a shot off grass is the
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