How Can I Get Over A Golf Bunker? (Video) - by Dean Butler
How Can I Get Over A Golf Bunker? (Video) - by Dean Butler

Okay. The question is how do I get the ball over the bunker? Well, very simply. It’s by selecting the right club and having the right technique. And if you got those two things in place, then you must have the word commitment. This is something I strive for all the time. You got to be committed. If you’re not committed, you could have the right tool and the right technique, you’re not going to be committed, you’re not going to get results.

So, first of all, what club will be used? Well, again, look at the bunker. I would say the majority of times that you’re going to go over a bunker will be close to the green. So, look at where the flag is. Whether the flag is on the front of the green, the middle or the back, I would always go with my most lofty club, my 60 degree or maybe your 64 degree. And from that, we’ve got the best chance of throwing the ball up in the air. Second thing is, once we selected the club, we got to get ourselves in the right position. So, how do we settle? We settle with the clubface aligned for the target. So, if I set up this way, clubface in line for the target. So, having the feet parallel as you would do for a normal golf shot, we’re now going to set ourselves slightly open. So, it’s in the left hand side. That’s an open setup for those right-handed golfers. Having got yourself into that position, we then want you to put your weight predominantly 60-40 on this left hand side. And the reason for keeping that weight there is it creates the angle of attack because which part of the ball do we want to hit? Do you want to hit the top? Nuh-uh because that will put it in the bunker. Do you want to hit the middle of the ball? No, because that will hit a low shot. No control at all in there. Do you want to hit the bottom of the ball, which then rotates the ball backwards? So, the club will get the ball up high and it will land the softest possibly can. All you have to do is decide how far you need to hit that ball. So, let’s cover that. There’s the setup. The ball positions further forward than what I would like it to be because I want to go high. I want the weight on the left hand side. From here, keep my hands forward and I’m going to maintain this weight position. From here, I want to select the length of the swing. So imagine, I’ve got a shot say ten yards away, if I was to put somebody there and throw a ball to them, I would stand there and [Inaudible] [0:02:10] just go. And just by practicing that movement, the most natural thing is we did as school children, just throwing the ball to somebody. That is what we need in the golf swing. So, a ten-yard shot. So, imagine that swing I’ve just done from here. Back…just nice and easy. No forcing the ball. So, we got a shot that’s 20 yards and you’re already ahead of me, aren’t you? We kind of throw the ball a little bit further. So, we just extend the swing a little bit. So, if I’ll just get another ball, set myself up here again, same set up. You notice the setup is not changing here at all. It’s just the length of the swing. How to get that ball up? So, from here now, I’m going to lengthen my swing. So, a little bit longer. Another shot has gone much, much higher and much, much further and that’s it. So, to get over the bunker, select the right club, you got the right knowledge here and the setup, and be totally committed to the golf shot. Okay. The way not to try and get the ball above the bunker is to try and lift the ball yourself. What I mean by that is setting yourself up just the same way and then instead of keeping your hands forward, you end up trying to lift the ball up in the air. The more you try and scoop – horrible word, hate to use it, but the more you scoop, the more likely the club is going to hit the ground behind the ball or hit the top of the ball, and guess what. That bunker is now where that ball is heading. You’ve got the knowledge. Put it into practice. Simple technique but be committed. 2014-05-14

Okay. The question is how do I get the ball over the bunker? Well, very simply. It’s by selecting the right club and having the right technique. And if you got those two things in place, then you must have the word commitment. This is something I strive for all the time. You got to be committed. If you’re not committed, you could have the right tool and the right technique, you’re not going to be committed, you’re not going to get results.

So, first of all, what club will be used? Well, again, look at the bunker. I would say the majority of times that you’re going to go over a bunker will be close to the green. So, look at where the flag is. Whether the flag is on the front of the green, the middle or the back, I would always go with my most lofty club, my 60 degree or maybe your 64 degree. And from that, we’ve got the best chance of throwing the ball up in the air.

Second thing is, once we selected the club, we got to get ourselves in the right position. So, how do we settle? We settle with the clubface aligned for the target. So, if I set up this way, clubface in line for the target. So, having the feet parallel as you would do for a normal golf shot, we’re now going to set ourselves slightly open. So, it’s in the left hand side. That’s an open setup for those right-handed golfers. Having got yourself into that position, we then want you to put your weight predominantly 60-40 on this left hand side. And the reason for keeping that weight there is it creates the angle of attack because which part of the ball do we want to hit? Do you want to hit the top? Nuh-uh because that will put it in the bunker. Do you want to hit the middle of the ball? No, because that will hit a low shot. No control at all in there. Do you want to hit the bottom of the ball, which then rotates the ball backwards? So, the club will get the ball up high and it will land the softest possibly can. All you have to do is decide how far you need to hit that ball.

So, let’s cover that. There’s the setup. The ball positions further forward than what I would like it to be because I want to go high. I want the weight on the left hand side. From here, keep my hands forward and I’m going to maintain this weight position. From here, I want to select the length of the swing. So imagine, I’ve got a shot say ten yards away, if I was to put somebody there and throw a ball to them, I would stand there and [Inaudible] [0:02:10] just go. And just by practicing that movement, the most natural thing is we did as school children, just throwing the ball to somebody. That is what we need in the golf swing. So, a ten-yard shot. So, imagine that swing I’ve just done from here. Back…just nice and easy. No forcing the ball. So, we got a shot that’s 20 yards and you’re already ahead of me, aren’t you? We kind of throw the ball a little bit further. So, we just extend the swing a little bit.

So, if I’ll just get another ball, set myself up here again, same set up. You notice the setup is not changing here at all. It’s just the length of the swing. How to get that ball up? So, from here now, I’m going to lengthen my swing. So, a little bit longer. Another shot has gone much, much higher and much, much further and that’s it. So, to get over the bunker, select the right club, you got the right knowledge here and the setup, and be totally committed to the golf shot. Okay. The way not to try and get the ball above the bunker is to try and lift the ball yourself. What I mean by that is setting yourself up just the same way and then instead of keeping your hands forward, you end up trying to lift the ball up in the air. The more you try and scoop – horrible word, hate to use it, but the more you scoop, the more likely the club is going to hit the ground behind the ball or hit the top of the ball, and guess what. That bunker is now where that ball is heading. You’ve got the knowledge. Put it into practice. Simple technique but be committed.