If there is one aspect of the game I hear golfers regularly complain about, it is the bunker shot.

This needn’t be the case, as with a little understanding and good technique it can be a highly rewarding and satisfying shot to play. Once we realise that we use the sand to push the ball out of the bunker, we can work it to our advantage. Read my tips and you should never find yourself beached again.

Bunkers are an integral part of the golf course, and too many scores are ruined as a result of being unable to get out. The knock on effect of this is that a simple pitch shot over a bunker can strike fear into somebody who was originally a very confident golfer. The bunker can, regardless as to whether you go in them or not, cause great problems with our thought process on the course. As our fear grows, we begin to steer our iron shots clear of them, and our focus is taken away from enjoying the game.

It may seem obvious, but the lower handicap golfers are normally the better bunker players. This is because the more experienced golfer has a better understanding of where and when the club head will hit the sand. The higher handicap golfer generally has less knowledge and control of their swing, making consistent striking of the sand difficult, which leads to inconsistent results. Thankfully we can all improve with practice, so let’s find a bunker, get into the sand and learn how to get out.

“There are many different areas in golf that we may practice and improve, but bunker shots tend to be left until last”

The first thing we need to discover is a feel for the bottom of our swing arc. This is the lowest point the club travels relative to the ground through the swing. The way to do this is to practice hitting the sand without a ball until we are able to take a consistency of sand that still allows us to swing the club freely to the target. We do not want to be taking so much sand that the club digs in and gets stuck.

The sole of the sand wedge is designed to bounce rather than dig into the sand, and we can increase the bounce of the club by opening the face. Our grip on the club is, as always, vital to the success of our control over the face of the club, so try to establish your grip before you take your stance. I prefer to have an open club face in order to maximise the bounce on the sole. This way I do not have to be so precise on how I hit the sand, and it gives me a lot more freedom to control the distance of the shot through the length of my swing.