Ok, so you have found yourself staring at that unholy bunker, wondering if it will make a fool out of you again. The pin is so close…if it just wasn’t for that 20ft of water between you and the hole, or maybe if your ball wasn’t eaten by the sand monster. Don’t fret, you can learn Lob/Bunker shots that will keep you from worrying about encountering hazards. Lob shots may be difficult to master, but there are little things you can do to improve your chances of getting out of or around hazards. The worse things about hazards is that you only get a couple of chances to get it right before your score starts to suffer.

Lob Shots

• With Lob Shots, you want to make sure ball has control when it gets to the green. When starting your Lob shot, have your body open and your shoulders, waist, and feet in the direction of the target line. You are going for the full swing here, so bend your wrist to make the “L” shape with your club/arms. Follow through with the club face open and club pointing upwards. Lob shots simply take enough practice so that you feel natural in your swing. Keep a steady but medium-soft grip on the club and let the club drop naturally into your swing.

Bunker Shots

• Ok, you’re in the bunker and you need to get this right on the first or second try. You’ve got your sand wedge in your hand, so open your body and strike the ball with an open face. Here you are aiming just under the ball (kind of like what you do in chipping shots), so you’ll want to make sure you don’t try to lean back to get under the ball (unless you want to sling sand on you and your friends). Use a full swing and a complete follow through like you would for a normal shot. The idea here is not to hit the ball directly, but to hit the ½ - 1 inch of sand underneath the ball. You may already be a little frustrated that your ball is sitting in sand right now, so remember to maintain a good attitude before hitting your shot; try to keep your mind off of that frustration. Bunker shots are probably the most difficult shots to make in golf, but that doesn’t mean you can’t improve your ability to get out of them quickly. Stay and remember what you have learned for the swing.