Bunker Shot
Also known as: sand shot, blast
A bunker shot is any stroke played from a sand hazard. The two families play nothing alike: greenside, where the club never touches the ball, and fairway, where clean ball-first contact is the whole objective.
The word covers two almost opposite problems. Close to the green, the club is meant to enter the turf-less surface an inch or two behind the ball and never touch it at all. This means the displaced material carries the ball out. From a fairway hazard 80 yards out, the opposite is true. This means catch the ball first, take almost nothing behind it, and treat the shot as a normal iron played from an unstable footing. Confusing the two is the single most common scoring mistake in a hazard. This is. This is because the greenside method from a fairway lie leaves the ball 40 yards short.
Lie dictates almost everything else. A soft, fluffy surface swallows the clubhead and demands more speed. A firm or rain-packed one repels it. As a result, the ball comes out lower and faster than expected and needs less effort. A plugged ball. This means the "fried egg". This means will not respond to the standard method at all. This is. This is because there is material in front of it as well as behind. A ball resting against the face of the lip may be unplayable in practice even when it is legal to attempt.
The rules add their own constraints. The club may not be grounded behind the ball before the stroke, though since 2019 loose impediments such as leaves and stones may be removed. A ball that cannot reasonably be played can be declared unplayable and dropped outside the hazard under penalty. This is frequently the lower-scoring choice from a buried lie under a steep face. Leaving the surface raked as you found it is not a rule of scoring but it is a rule of the game's manners.
Before choosing a club, answer one question out loud: am I trying to miss the ball, or hit it? Near the green the answer is miss it. From a fairway lie the answer is hit it. Every other decision follows from that.
Read the surface with your feet as you take your stance. Soft and deep means the club will slow down. As a result, take more speed or more club. Firm and shallow means it will skid. As a result, open the face less and expect a lower, faster runner.
Example
Two shots, same hazard. This comes from the greenside lip he opened the face and splashed through two inches behind the ball. From the fairway trap on the next hole he choked down, took an extra club, and picked it clean.
Why it matters
Most golfers rehearse one method and then apply it everywhere. Recognising which of the two families a lie belongs to, before choosing a club, prevents the majority of hazard disasters.
How it shows up on video
The clearest tell is the entry point. Near the green, look for the divot beginning visibly behind where the ball sat and the club continuing through to a full finish. From a fairway lie, look for the opposite — contact at the ball with only a shallow scrape afterwards, and a quieter lower body throughout.
Common mistakes
- Playing a fairway lie with the greenside method. This means taking a cushion of material behind the ball costs 30 to 40 yards on a shot that needed clean contact
- Decelerating near the green. This is the number one reason a ball stays in the hazard. The surface absorbs energy and the swing has to keep accelerating through it
- Using a pitching wedge close to the green, where its sharp leading edge digs instead of skimming. This means the wider sole of a specialist wedge exists for exactly this
- Treating a plugged lie as a normal one, when it needs a squarer face, a steeper entry and the acceptance that the ball will run out on landing
- Grounding the club behind the ball while taking a stance, which is a penalty even when it was unintentional
In SwingVantage Motion Lab
SwingVantage can observe entry point relative to the ball, whether the body kept accelerating through the strike, and how much the lower body moved during the swing. This means the three variables that separate the two methods. Face-on video with a clear view of the impact zone is required.
Frequently asked questions
How do I know whether to hit the ball or the surface behind it?
Distance decides it. Inside about 30 yards, aim behind the ball and let the splash lift it. Beyond that the ball must be struck first, because no amount of displaced material will carry it far enough.
Can I move a stone or a leaf in a bunker?
Yes. Since the 2019 rules revision, loose impediments may be removed anywhere on the course, including a hazard. What you still cannot do is ground the club or test the surface before the stroke.
Is taking an unplayable ever the right call?
Often, from a buried lie under a steep face. Two penalty strokes to drop outside frequently scores better than three attempts to escape. It always beats an injury from swinging into a compacted lie.
Does a wet lie change the club I should use?
It does. Rain-packed sand is firm, so the sole skids rather than digging in and the ball comes out lower and hotter. Take less speed, or a club with a less aggressive sole, and expect more run on landing.
Related terms
- Short GameThe short game is all shots played around and on the green. This means putting, chipping, pitching, and bunker play. This means and typically accounts for 60–65% of strokes in an average round.
- PitchingPitching is a mid-range short-game shot that carries the ball most of the way to the target with a descending blow and controlled spin, typically from 30–100 yards.
- DecelerationDeceleration is when the club slows down through the impact zone instead of accelerating past the ball. This means a common cause of mishits on chips, pitches, and bunker shots.
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