Set-Up (Address)

How you set-up to the ball is essential to make the bunker shot successful. 

Your set-up sets the stage for all subsequent aspects of the bunker play. Bunker play is a process, each action leading to the next. When all elements are performed correctly, the result is a solid, effective bunker shot.

The opposite is true as well. If your set-up is incorrect, your chances of hitting a good bunker shot have become very difficult. A good set-up is the first key to success!

Setting the Station (Creating the correct set-up)

Photo A Photo B
1 Target Line 2 Heel Line 3 Toe Line 1 Ball Position 2 shaft line 3 Impact Box

 For a consistent bunker shot, always start your practice with the station. The station is the basic setup.

Photo A.

• The First line you should draw in the sand is your intended target line. This line helps set the club head in the correct position at address.
• The Second line is the heel line, and this line is drawn parallel to the target line
• The last line from photo one is the toe line. As you turn your left foot open the toe line will rotate to the left of your target line.

Photo B

• Yellow line 1 is the ball position,
• Yellow line 2 is the shaft line and
• box 3 is the point where the club enters and exits the sand. 
  

Aim and Alignment

A common mistake many golfers make is not aligning their body properly as they address the ball. Even the best will suffer if the player is not aligned properly. Alignment is crucial for playing a successful bunker shot.

You’ve heard to open your stance; having your stance too far open will minimize the friction on the ball and create an exaggerated out-to-in swing path. This gives excessive side spin on the ball. When the ball lands on the green, it will spin away from the intended target. This is the last thing we want when playing green-side bunkers. 

In Photo A, there are three lines. The first step to proper alignment is target selection. Line 1 will help you choose your intended target. Your Target depends on the lie of the land; let's use this example as if you are playing on a flat surface.

Draw the Target line directly in line with the flag. Once you have chosen your target, the next step is to place your club head on the ground, in line (square) with the intended target, as you begin the other steps of your set-up posture.

If you watch a professional playing the game, you often see them set the club face first and then go into their address stance. This strategy is effective, and I recommend you incorporate this into your game.

Now, you can begin to take your stance by aligning your heels, and this is line 2. This line is parallel to the intended target line. The last line is the toe line, line 3 in Photo A. The left foot should be rotated open approx. 30 degrees. The left knee should now be in the same direction as the left foot. Knees, hips, and shoulders will be on a line just left of the target line.

Your target will depend on the type of shot you are making. The best place to make this decision is from behind the ball before you take your set-up.

Avoid the temptation to open the face of the club too much. This happens when you feel you need more loft than is actually needed to play the shot. With the face rotated too far right, the club face points away from the target. You need to get used to the new look. Stay patient and stick to the suggested routine mentioned later in the course.

Ball Position and Shaft Line

Ball position is also important to posture. The ball's position in the bunker should align with the left heel line 1 in Photo B. Line 2 is the shaft line. The shaft line depends on how much loft you add to the club; the more loft added, the more the shaft will be in line to the center of your body. 

The Grip

Many of the most common golf mistakes result from incorrectly holding the club. As the bunker is a specialist shot, you need a specialist grip, which we call the butterfly grip. The butterfly grip has a strong left hand and a weak right hand. To achieve this correctly, keep the right elbow down and the shoulder back when applying the right hand on the handle. 

If you do not see three knuckles when looking at your grip, rotate your hands—not your club shaft, adjust your hands—until you see those knuckles. Your left thumb should be running down the top of the shaft.

The Left Hand = The Loft

When you look at your grip, you should see a "V" formed between the index fingers and the thumb on the right hand. This "V" should be pointing at the chin. If it isn’t, make adjustments until it is.

Posture

A good posture comprises several body parts, adjusted for the specific purpose of making an effective golf swing. Your arms should hang under your chest with the knees slightly flexed; this gives good stability and freedom to make the golf swing.

A correct posture during set-up is critical to a good golf shot. If any component of your posture is wrong, your shot will suffer. It’s as simple as that. 

The key elements of a correct posture are:

Stance is the position of your feet as you address the ball. For the basic bunker shot your feet should be aligned parallel to the target line with the toes on the left foot turned open.

There are three ways to align when addressing the ball. Learning how to use each stance to your advantage can significantly improve your game.

The Open Stance

The open stance is when your trail foot is moved more forward. The rest of your body, including your shoulders, will parallel this. This stance is important for certain shots, such as playing the high/soft bunker and pop-up plugged ball shots. This will be mentioned later in the course.

Wiggle your feet to plant them firmly in the sand and grip down slightly on your club.

Caution: taking a too-open stance will cause the ball to fly to the right. If done by mistake and the stance is too open, it will create very inconsistent contact with the sand and causes an exaggerated outside-to-inside swing path and an inconsistent angle of attack. If the face is open to that path, the ball will spin right off target, and if the face is square to the path, the ball will miss left.

The Square Stance

This is the most common stance used when you want to play the basic bunker shot. 

With the square stance, your feet are aimed parallel to the target if you draw a line from just the left of the target, as noted earlier in this chapter. 

The Closed Stance

A closed stance is when the left foot is moved forward, as shown by the yellow line in the photo. If done deliberately, this will help correctly use the hands and arms in the downswing. If done by mistake and the stance is too closed, it will cause an exaggerated inside-to-outside swing path and incorrect contact with the sand.

One Tour Professional I know who practices with a closed stance is Pádraig Harrington. The reasoning is to exaggerate the feeling of a quiet lower body in the downswing and not to pull the handle towards the ball. I have tried it, and it does help create the correct downswing sequence.

The Width of Your Stance

The distance between your feet is also important for bunker shots. Typically, the stance should never be more than shoulder width and no smaller than hip-width. Mobility is just as important as Stability. For the basic bunker shot, I recommend having the stance the same width as the outside of the hips.