One of the toughest shots in the game? I see so many people have trouble out of the fairway bunker, but I am here to explain WHY it can be broken down into a much more manageable shot and give you confidence in executing it.
The first tip I can give you about fairway bunker shots is about having stability. What I mean by this is making sure you have a stable base when you set up to the ball. I see time and again people step up to a ball in the bunker like it is sitting on freshly mown grass. It is not grass or dirt! You have to dig into the sand with your feet to be able to grab some traction and avoid spinning out or slipping through your full swing. You can see the pros doing this every time they set up in the bunker, especially on greenside shots. You won’t have to dig down as much from the fairway bunker, but some is required for that stable base.
The next tip I have is regarding club selection. For fairway bunker shots, I have found great success in choking down a little bit on the club after I have dug down into the sand with my feet. However, when you choke down, you will naturally lose a little bit of distance. This is why I club up at least one club any time I am in the fairway bunker, just to make sure I don’t leave it short. Clubbing up will also help compensate for choking down on the club.
The final tip, and perhaps the most important, is focusing on ball first contact. To make sure you strike the ball first, I recommend putting the ball a little back in your stance while also putting a little extra pressure onto your lead side. Another common mistake I see is players trying to lift the ball out of the bunker by either leaning back or swaying a bit through the swing. Do NOT do this. This affects ball first contact. Trust that the club you have chosen (after analyzing the lip) will have the correct loft to get you out.
The best thing you can do is practice this shot on the range. If you are lucky enough to have a practice fairway bunker, grab some time in there. If not, one cool drill is taking a towel and placing it on the ground behind your ball. The goal is to miss the towel on your downswing, affirming ball first contact. Give these tips a shot, let me know what you think!
Mark Roberts Golf 