How To Hit Out Of A Fairway Bunker Video

Bunkers are difficult places to hit out of in golf if you don't know the proper technique. Learn more about hitting solid bunker shots in this golf video.

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Hit ball thin
Don't swing steep
Try not to hit sand

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Jay Golden has been a PGA Member since 1982 and was selected for the PGA National Teaching Committee in 1988. He has taught golfers of all levels ranging from stark beginners to professionals on the PGA and LPGA Tours. He has written hundreds of instruction articles and a book with the all-time winningest golfer of official tour events, Kathy Whitworth, entitled "Kathy Whitworth's Little Book of Golf Wisdom." He has also made numerous appearances on TV, has lectured on the topic of "How To Teach Golf" to PGA Members, and is an accomplished golfer and long driver.

JAY GOLDEN: Can you believe this? I missed the fairway and I'm in a fairway bunker, someone great like me, leading money loser. I once lost the ball in a ball washer. I was playing so badly, my caddy was throwing clubs. Too much truth to those stories. Anyhow, fairway bunkers, many people have a lot of trouble getting out and you shouldn't. The number 1 rule from a fairway bunker, assuming that you have a good lie and most of the time you will, is to hit the ball thin. You want to hit the ball, not steep, taking a divot. Not hitting it perfectly, solidly. You want to hit the ball thin, even if it means hitting it with the leading edge of the club slightly on the upswing and sculling the ball out. It is the simplest way to get out of a fairway bunker. I've improved tremendously since I learned that from Bill Nary, who Ben Hogan called the greatest sand player on tour. Scull the ball, and even if you have to scull it on the upswing. If I hit this perfectly, I'm not going to hit any sand at all. And there it is, you could see. I sculled it, I hit it thin. No sand. Hit that ball thin, scull it on the upswing. Hit it thin. It's unbelievable how much easier that makes that shot. Many times, you're on a par 5, you just want some distance, you're not hitting to a green. So many times, you can't reach it from that fairway bunker. I don't recommend using that method with anything more than a 6 iron, a 5, a 4, a 3, a hybrid. You could still do it and hit the ball thin, but if you do it with a 9 iron, 8 iron, 7 iron, it makes it much easier. Hit the ball thin and you'll be happy hitting the balls at the fairway bunkers.

How to Hit Out of a Fairway Bunker Video

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