Recently I conducted a clinic on bunker play. To my surprise
many questions centered around fairway bunkers. Fairway bunkers can
be a challenge in many ways. They
’re usually a long distance from the green and the lip of the
bunker may be too high preventing you from advancing the ball the
distance you need or the lie may not allow you to make solid
contact with the ball. Your first objective is to get the ball out
into play even if you’re not able to get
to the green.
Recently I conducted a clinic on bunker play. To my surprise many questions centered around fairway bunkers. Fairway bunkers can be a challenge in many ways. They’re usually a long distance from the green and the lip of the bunker may be too high preventing you from advancing the ball the distance you need or the lie may not allow you to make solid contact with the ball. Your first objective is to get the ball out into play even if you’re not able to get to the green. To hit a fairway bunker shot, first inspect the lie and the lip or mound in front of you, this will determine what club you need. Make sure you have enough loft to clear the lip of the bunker even though you may not be able to reach the green. Take one more club than a normal shot and choke down about an inch on the shaft. Place the ball back in your stance with the heel of your back foot slightly below the surface of the sand to prevent you from slipping. Note, a common mistake is to over activate the body during the shot, so keep the lower body quiet. Try to swing 70 percent of your normal swing and the extra club will make up the distance. Some clubs to consider for fairway bunker shots: The new hybrid or baffler woods clubs are excellent for the longer shots because of the wide sole on the bottom of the club. Avoid a two or three iron as they tend to dig due to the sharp leading edge. The key to this shot is to keep the body quiet, swing easy, and make solid contact.
Don Leone is the Director of Golf Instruction at Coyote Creek Golf Course. For information about classes, email dl****@*********ke.com or call 463-8024.
