So a splash bunker shot now is a slightly more delicate version of the blast bunker shot. It’s the cousin of the blast bunker shot. Blast bunker shot very aggressive, loads of sand and gouge the ball out. Splash bunker shot, a little bit more finesse, a little bit more delicate. Some people would say more difficult to play but it’s slightly more rewarding when you do play the splash bunker shot that it comes out higher, loaded up with a little bit more back spin.

The key to playing the splash bunker shot correctly is using the golf club correctly. Using plenty of loft and plenty of bounce angle. So bounce angle is on the bottom and the sole of the golf club. And the way we use the extra loft and the extra bounce angle is by setting the club in the right position to start with. So when you set the club face, we’d like the face to be open, open to target. So I could get my golf club here and have it vertical, I’m going to twist it to the one o’clock position and then I’m going to make my grip.

As I bring the golf club back down in front of me and I point it to the right. Which can seem quite strange if you’ve never really done this. But now take your body and turn your body to the left until that club face comes back to pointing straight to the target. Now you’re setting up with an open club face and an open body position ready to play the perfect splash bunker shots. So as I set up to my ball here, my target the black and white flag at the back there, my club face is open to target, my body is turning until the face comes back square to target. My body is now well left as a right-handed golfer.

I grip down on the golf club I make quite a wristy back swing; I slide underneath the golf ball, maybe taking an inch and a half, two inches of sand, something like that. Try and play the ball out in a nice little cushion of sand just get the ball down on the green. A little of height, a little bit of back spin and it should check up quite close to the flag there. So the face is open, the body turns until the face is back to square again. I go ahead and play it with a nice bit of wrist inch. And the ball pops out with a little bit of height, nicely close to the lip, runs down there to flag quite nicely.

So when you’re practicing these bunker shots, consider the difference between what is a blast bunker shot where you’re more aggressive, steeper and taking more sand. And what is a splash bunker shot, where you’re slightly shallower, slightly less sand as you attack the golf ball, utilizing the bounce of the golf club. Play the splash out when you need height spin and a nice bit of finesse.