Lets talk about the different approaches to hitting out of bunkers. The fairway bunker shot is a full shot played off the surface that absorbs the clubs momentum. The greenside bunker shot rides a cushion of sand and doesn’t have to travel far.

The fairway bunker shot is set up with a longer iron so I stand up taller and aim at the target. I Dig in a little into the sand and I adjust my grip down on the club about a half an inch to compensate. The key is to stay level throughout my shot which insures good contact. If you dip, you’ll hit sand and take energy away from your swing. Keeping your body quiet and your backswing slower should ensure a nice straight shot.

The key to a greenside bunker shot is lowering your center of gravity by bending knees to get better leverage on the ball. I line up left of the target and open the clubface so it aims at the target. I want to hit the sand, not the ball. I want the club to enter the sand about an inch behind the ball. The sand propels the greenside bunker shot. The amount of sand depends on how much spin I want on the ball. For a check and run shot, I’ll hit a little further behind the ball. The backswing is shorter and the swing is designed to cut across and under the ball. I don’t want tension in the arms and hands. I want a short swing with rhythm.

Our first mindset approach is ‘ Don’t try to make a spectacular shot and get the ball close to the pin. Its probably not realistic and will probably only set your next golf shot up from a worse off situation.

The key to ball reaction to an uneven lie will be determined by balance in your swing and solid contact. For a ball above your feet, the ball will tend to go right to left and a ball below your feet, from left to right..Opposite for a lefty.

Lets look at a situation where the ball is above your feet. For shorter distances to the pin, you want to set up right of the pin, if its a longer shot, take an extra golf club but grip down on your golf club. With the slope, you don’t want your club to hit the ground early and also a longer club will help keep balance during your golf swing. A swing from a slope has tendency to put you on your heels due to the unnatural posture. You also want to set up with the ball towards the middle of your stance. When you swing your golf club, you only want to take a three-quarter swing . This will ensure solid contact and keep things simple.

Before I can begin the new season, I need to get into golf shape and get some form back. Besides hitting the driving range there are a few things that I can do on my own that I would like to share and maybe will be helpful to you as well. To begin with, I work on my back swing. I want to be able to consistently repeat my swing that puts me in best chance to be in the impact position.

1. There is no top of a golf swing. It is a position you pass through as your body is unwinding while your shoulders continue to complete the back swing. Maintain the flex in your right knee while turning your hips 45 degrees and shoulders 90 degrees. Maintain the angles in your posture that you establish in at your address of the ball.

2. Do not stand up or lean over. If your body rises or sinks on the back swing, then you spend your back swing looking for the proper position to make solid contact, sacrificing distance and accuracy.