2 simple keys to hitting a high, soft bunker shot

Few shots strike fear into the hearts of mid- and high-handicappers like the deep greenside bunker shot. While golfers can generally extricate balls from shallow fairway bunkers with relative ease, deep bunkers require a specific technique.

So what is the best way to approach a greenside sand shot when the face of the bunker is taller than your eyeline?

GOLF Top 100 Teacher Trillium Rose shares some simple keys in a video posted on Titleist’s YouTube channel.

How to hit a high, soft bunker shot

According to Rose, the two most important requirements for hitting high, soft bunker shots are loft and speed.

“Make sure you have a high-lofted club,” Rose says. “I’ve got a 58-degree in my hand — maybe it’s a lob wedge for you.”

Regardless of the club, Rose recommends making sure your grooves are clean and dry. Then, once you’ve addressed the ball, open the clubface.

“We’re gonna need a lot of speed to get through this sand, which means we’re gonna use your body to turn through and let your hands be nice and soft,” Rose says. “Dig in [with your feet] if you need to, especially on that front foot because you’re gonna need to rotate your hips through.”

To avoid excessive roll and distance on the shot, Rose suggests using an abbreviated finish.

“Because the flag’s pretty close, I don’t want to have the ball go over,” she says. “I don’t want to have a very full finish. I’m gonna have a nice long back swing, and then a short finish.”

Give Rose’s advice a try to upgrade your bunker game today. To watch a video of Rose’s tip in its entirety, click here.

Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia’s inaugural class of female varsity golfers, Jessica can out-birdie everyone on the masthead. She can out-hustle them in the office, too, where she’s primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF’s inaugural Style Is­sue, which debuted in February 2018. Her origi­nal interview series, “A Round With,” debuted in November of 2015, and appeared in both in the magazine and in video form on GOLF.com.