ESCAPING A FAIRWAY BUNKER
Don’t be scared of the sand
Jhonattan Vegas shows excellent fairway bunker form in this sequence of shots taken at the 2015 Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. Vegas, using a short iron, makes contact with the ball first and then explodes through the sand after impact. Note his balance and strong foundation at address, impact, and follow through. Click on each picture for a larger image. PHOTOS: MICHAEL WEINSTEIN
Eric Woods, Publisher of California Golf+Travel Magazine and two-time Canadian Tour Order of Merit Champion and South American Tour Order of Merit Champion, tells you how to hit crisp shots out of a fairway bunker:
Fairway bunkers are simple to play effectively out of if you’re not scared to hit sand. I know that sounds obvious, but most players try to pick the ball completely clean out of a fairway bunker because they are scared to make any contact at all with the sand.
Mid to Short irons: It’s all about striking the ball first; you have plenty of loft, so attack the ball first and don’t worry about how much sand you take after impact.
Long irons: This requires a little more skill. A long iron needs to strike the ball first and then make a shallow divot in the sand. If you attack the ball too steep, the shot won’t have enough loft to get out of the bunker. So, the better players need to attack the ball shallow enough to allow the loft of the club to launch the ball out of the bunker. The higher handicap player should hit a solid shot with a mid iron.
Hybrids: Most hybrids have plenty of loft, so they should be easier to use then a long iron. Just make sure you make contact with the ball first and don’t worry about the sand after impact.
3-wood: This is a tough shot, even for good players. This is the time to pick the ball clean. Most good players rush the swing and have a tendency to top the ball. My suggestion is to make sure you have plenty of room for error. Once you’ve decided it’s the best play, mentally prepare yourself to make a great swing. That’s about all you can do.
