matt swanson, golf tips, texas golf, texas golfer, texas golfer magazine

One of the hardest shots in golf is the long bunker shot. Normally we see this shot on a par 5 when the architect has placed a bunker to catch the slightly errant second shot about 30 to 50 yards short of the green. You will also see this bunker on very short par 4’s placed to catch a drive of someone who is trying to get the ball close to the green. If you end up in one of these bunkers, you are left with that nasty in-between shot; you’ve got to get it out of the sand and hit it long enough to reach the flagstick.
What people normally do for long bunker shots is use a sand wedge and try to pick the ball off the sand just right. When you do this in a long bunker, chances are you will hit the ball a little thin and sail the ball over the green or catch it fat and leave yourself with a chip or long putt to the pin. An acceptable method for a long bunker shot is to take a pitching wedge or nine iron and try to chip it out of the bunker. This is a safer route and usually can produce an acceptable result.
But the best method to use is to take anywhere from a nine iron to a six iron and play the shot with a full blast, as if you were in a greenside bunker with your sand wedge. Your club choice will be determined by the distance you are from the flagstick—the further you are the less lofted club you will use. Open the face slightly and take your full swing making sure you do not hit the ball directly, but take a little sand and throw it out of the bunker. This is a shot thatcan provide astonishing results with a little practice. The main point you have to focus on is making a full swing and trusting your club choice.