Hitting from a greenside bunker is already a tricky proposition. And, depending on the lie of the ball, things can get even more difficult for players — especially for those amateur golfers who fear bunker shots more than a kid does monsters in his closet.
One of the nastiest lies from a bunker is the dreaded downhill lie, which requires a player to be standing uneven, with both their feet and hands slanted in ways that are unfamiliar. When this greenside-bunker shot occurs, many players haven’t a clue on how to hit the ball, let alone where a shot may end up.
But GOLF Top 100 Teacher Mike Bender is here to help ease any worries when it comes to downhill lies from greenside bunkers.
Recently taking to Instagram, Bender breaks down his most important techniques for players to follow, which are highlighted in text below the video.
As Bender shows in the video, players want to remember to lean with the slope, angling their body toward the ball. It’s also important to slowly bring back the club prior to taking some practice swings, making sure the clubhead clears the lip of the greenside bunker you’re hitting from.
Adds Bender: “I’m leaning left, and as I release, the release is very quick. These kind of shots require lots of speed and lots of quickness in the wrist, snapping the clubhead down.”
The most important part of hitting from this type of downhill lie is to focus on your hands, and to avoid driving the handle down. If you don’t do this, you’re risking a shank or a really low shot — which won’t produce the soft landing on the green that you’re looking for.
Bender addresses this by simply saying, “you’ve got to stop the hands and let the club release.”
By following Bender’s technique on a downhill lie from a greenside bunker, you’ll be able to counteract the downhill lie, producing a shot with lots of loft onto the putting surface.