Fairway bunkers are golf’s great equalizer. They tend to be the last line of defense against the long and slightly erratic player. At face-value, fairway bunkers are not very difficult. Most of the time they are not too deep, and unless your ball rests against the lip of the bunker they are not too terribly difficult to escape from.
Many players struggle from the fairway bunker, so today we will look at a few common mistakes and the proper plan of attack to escape these gentle monsters.
Common mistakes
- Ball position – too far back (closer to the trail foot). This causes a swing that is too steep and leads to inconsistent ball contact.
- At address – weight favoring the trail leg (right leg for right-handed players). This leads to the players swing center to be behind the ball which will result in poor contact.
- During the Swing – players tend to have too much lower body involved in the golf swing. Due to the unstable footing in the bunker too much lower body movement or torque will result in poor contact and poor balance.
Ideas to help in Fairway bunkers
- At address – Ball position should be the same as if you were playing from the fairway.
- At address – Weight should favor the lead foot 60/40. This will encourage the player to stay more on top on the golf ball and will lead to better contact.
- At address – Slightly open your stance. This will result in a slightly steeper angle that will create the launch that is necessary to hit a proper bunker shot.
- During the Swing – Dig your feet in slightly and try to make the golf swing more with your upper body. The idea is to keep the lower body quiet during the swing. This will result in better balance and most likely better shots.
My last piece of advice is to take at least one more club. Due to the minimal lower body movement more club will allow you to get the desired distance.
If you try to make these in changes the next time you face a fairway bunker, I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the results.
Alan Reese
PGA Professional
Salem Golf Club
areese@pga.com