When to Open the Sand Wedge On Bunker Shots, Golf (Video) - by Pete Styles
When to Open the Sand Wedge On Bunker Shots, Golf (Video) - by Pete Styles

If you watch the professionals playing on television you will often see them approaching bunker shots with the clubface that doesn’t look like he is aiming at the target, it’s often aiming for the right handed golfer to the right hand side of target and they have this clubface that almost looks flat like you get a glass of wine balanced on the leading edge. And this is what we would call an open face shot. So how, why and when should you be using an open face shot.

Well basically when you play a normal bunker shot you can play with quite a square face mostly the sand wedge you have about 56 degrees of loft on it unless you have got a very severe lip in front of you, 56 degrees will provide even loft to get the ball out, but there are going to be times when you need to get the ball higher you also needs to get the ball to stop a little bit quicker, now if you can twist that golf club to the right hand side for the right handed golfer at setup the groves will all point over to the right hand side but also now it has more loft. If I make my normal swing here the ball would come out higher, but it would also come out to the right hand side. So you need to compensate by actually aiming your body and your shoulders left so you would spin your feet around a little bit down the left hand side open your shoulders a little bit, encourage the swing to swing left and face right and you will find the ball will come out somewhere between the two, the face might have a little bit or more authority over where it starts but it takes a bit experimentation just to see how much open face and how much open body and shoulders do you require, you will expect the ball to come out higher shorter, stopping a bit quicker you will also appreciate that when you open the face up here, you create more bounce angle, bounce angle is the fact leading edge is of above the trailing edge when you open the face the trailing edge hits down low as you create more bounce, really useful if you are in soft fluffy sand where the risk is you dig underneath the ball or you dig underneath it when you are playing off the soft fairway. So if you need to open the clubface making sure you twist it and then grip it, don’t grip the club then trying twist it open because your hands will just rip it back over to a shut position or square position. So aim it to the right, for the right handed golfer -- to the left then made your grip, head down underneath the golf ball is normal and the ball will come out higher shorter with a little bit more check when it comes down and lands.

 2012-07-12

If you watch the professionals playing on television you will often see them approaching bunker shots with the clubface that doesn’t look like he is aiming at the target, it’s often aiming for the right handed golfer to the right hand side of target and they have this clubface that almost looks flat like you get a glass of wine balanced on the leading edge. And this is what we would call an open face shot. So how, why and when should you be using an open face shot.

Well basically when you play a normal bunker shot you can play with quite a square face mostly the sand wedge you have about 56 degrees of loft on it unless you have got a very severe lip in front of you, 56 degrees will provide even loft to get the ball out, but there are going to be times when you need to get the ball higher you also needs to get the ball to stop a little bit quicker, now if you can twist that golf club to the right hand side for the right handed golfer at setup the groves will all point over to the right hand side but also now it has more loft. If I make my normal swing here the ball would come out higher, but it would also come out to the right hand side. So you need to compensate by actually aiming your body and your shoulders left so you would spin your feet around a little bit down the left hand side open your shoulders a little bit, encourage the swing to swing left and face right and you will find the ball will come out somewhere between the two, the face might have a little bit or more authority over where it starts but it takes a bit experimentation just to see how much open face and how much open body and shoulders do you require, you will expect the ball to come out higher shorter, stopping a bit quicker you will also appreciate that when you open the face up here, you create more bounce angle, bounce angle is the fact leading edge is of above the trailing edge when you open the face the trailing edge hits down low as you create more bounce, really useful if you are in soft fluffy sand where the risk is you dig underneath the ball or you dig underneath it when you are playing off the soft fairway. So if you need to open the clubface making sure you twist it and then grip it, don’t grip the club then trying twist it open because your hands will just rip it back over to a shut position or square position. So aim it to the right, for the right handed golfer — to the left then made your grip, head down underneath the golf ball is normal and the ball will come out higher shorter with a little bit more check when it comes down and lands.