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Golf Tips for Playing from Greenside Sand Bunkers:

Many amateurs are nervous when they end up in a bunker and can't understand why the tour players would rather play from a bunker than the rough around the green. With the following tips and some practice to build confidence, you will feel the same way.

The absolute key to hitting from any bunker is to have a smooth swing. Do not stab at the ball and do not stop your swing when you hit the ball. For greenside bunkers take the club up and imagine your swing is "V" shaped, rather than going back low. Make sure to dig your feet in to get good traction and when you swing keep your lower body more still than you normally would.

Aim for a spot about two inches behind the ball and come down smoothly but a little more steeply than normal.

It is then critical to follow through and finish your swing. Don't be afraid to take lots of sand as the ball is being carried on the sand. Trying to pick the ball on a short bunker shot can be disastrous.

At setup open your stance a little and open your club face a little, of course you have to aim appropriately when you do this. To control the distance, vary the length of your backswing, not your follow through. If you have a longer bunker shot don't be afraid to trade the sand wedge for a pitching wedge, or even an eight or nine iron. Using the same technique will give you more distance and still get lots of spin. In fact the harder you swing from the sand the higher the ball will go and the more spin you will get.

For fairway bunkers the stance is more square, and you do want to hit the ball first. I recommend taking one extra club, choking up about an inch, and making a fairly normal swing with the ball back in your stance. Don't swing too hard and keep your lower body as still as you can using mostly an arm swing.

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