FOR many golfers, bunker trouble begins with a simple mistake: failing to use the sand wedge as it was designed.
The key lies in the club’s bounce, the curved sole that allows the club head to glide through the sand rather than dig.
By opening the club face at address and retaining that loft throughout the takeaway, you can make better use of the bounce, producing cleaner contact and more consistent escapes from the sand.
Get it over your shoulder
Imagine balancing a layer of sand on the club face at address. Your goal is to keep that sand in place throughout the backswing, as though you were tossing it over your trailing shoulder and into the bunker face. Retaining loft during the takeaway helps preserve the club’s bounce. The more loft you maintain, the more confidently you can accelerate through the shot, knowing the club is less likely to blade the ball over the green.
Pile sand on the face
A great drill for developing the correct feel is to open the club face (aiming slightly right of the target for right-handed golfers) and pile sand onto the face. Your mission is to keep the sand resting on the club face during the early stages of the backswing. Most golfers struggle at first as the tendency is to roll the face shut, but with practice and a smooth takeaway, maintaining the loft becomes much easier.
Keep the loft, keep the sand
When the club face loft is retained correctly, the sand remains on the face throughout the takeaway. This is a clear indication that the face has stayed open, and the bounce is being preserved for the downswing.
Lose the loft, lose the sand
Allow the club face to close during the takeaway and the sand will immediately fall away. It’s a simple but effective reminder that closing the face reduces the available bounce, making it far more difficult to slide the club cleanly beneath the ball.
