Welcome to Play Smart, a regular GOLF.com game-improvement column that will help you become a smarter, better golfer.
Controlling your distance from greenside bunkers can be challenging for the average golfer. Sure, most of us know how to hit a stock bunker shot that comes out high and lands soft, but once there’s some distance added, things can get tricky.
How often have you seen your playing partner face a long greenside bunker shot only to clip it too clean and skull it over the green? If your friends are anything like mine, it’s a common occurrence.
The shot doesn’t have to be impossible, though. In fact, you can use the same exact swing as your normal bunker shot — all you need to do to get more distance is change one thing in your setup. Colt Knost explains more in the video below.
How to improve your long bunker shots
The setup for a standard greenside bunker shot is something we all know. Ball a little forward in your stance, weight on your front foot, open clubface, etc. But once recreational players need a little more distance on these shots, they start making various compensations.
As it turns out, that is completely unnecessary. To get more distance, all you’ve got to do is take a little more club — and you can use the exact same setup.
“You can hit a number of different clubs out of a greenside bunker,” Knost says. “I’m going to do the same setup for every shot.”
Knost explains that as he progresses to clubs with less loft out of the bunker, it typically results in a shot that flies seven or eight yards more. So, if his 60-degree shot from the bunker flies 15 yards, his 56-degree wedge will fly about 23 yards, while his 50-degree wedge will fly 30 yards. The only thing that changes is the club in his hands. His setup and swing are exactly the same.
“Trust me, do this.” Knost says. “Same swing. Different lofts. Different shots. It’ll help your bunker game.”
