One of the toughest shots in golf can be the fairway bunker shot.  It is a shot that is not faced very often but when it is presented in front of many amateurs, the bunker feels like a death trap.   There is a way, however, to get you up and out of the death trap and on with your round.  Take these tips into consideration the next time you find yourself in a fairway bunker.

Keep your lower body quiet.  Your hips will not make a full rotation as they do with a full swing.  The type of swing you will be taking is about a three quarters swing.  So with keeping your lower body still, you will feel like the swing is “armsy”.

Since you are not taking a full swing, the club that we select will not go its full distance.   Go ahead and take one extra club.  This will allow the shot to reach the target distance of the shot.

Unlike a greenside bunker shot, I want you to focus on the ball when hitting the shot.  Usually we want to splash the sand so that the bounce of the club will allow the pop out.  You will want to try to pick the ball off of the sand and splash the sand after impact.  This will propel the ball up, just as it would as a normal shot off the ground.

The next time you find yourself in a fairway bunker, be sure to keep these tips in mind.  It may just be the difference between a good…or a great score!

Brett Bennett