Play Better Golf – with Niall McGill The fairway bunker shot The fairway bunker shot can be a tricky one, but today I’ll show you how to play them more effectively, so you never have to worry again when you see your tee shot heading for the sand. First, and most important is club selection. You must select a club that has enough loft to easily lift the ball over the lip of the bunker, get this wrong and you’ll not be walking far to hit your next shot. Next, you should address the ball with quite a wide stance and the ball positioned central. When holding the club, you should increase your grip pressure slightly and to provide a stable base, you should lightly work your feet into the sand (pic.1). On the backswing your firmer grip pressure will reduce the amount of wrist hinge (pic.2), creating a wider swing arc which will in turn shallow the attack angle and help produce a clean strike on the ball. This will make it easier to make a complete follow through (pic.3) and reduce the chance of chunking into the sand. Remember that despite the new rules allowing you to generally ground your club away from the ball, you are still not allowed to ground your club when playing your bunker shot. If you are interested in taking some coaching to help improve your game, then don’t hesitate, give us a call today on 01738 440678 or email info@noahsarkgolf.com | 
