Bunker shot tips video

published 28 July 2015

Golf Monthly Top 25 Coach Andrew Jones offers his bunker shot tips video to help you escape sand every time

Bunker shot tips video

When playing from sand you need to forget about this as shot, delicate shot and understand that to get the ball out you need to be explosive and swing the club at what feels like driver pace with plenty of acceleration through the ball.

Beginners guide to bunker play

Obviously the most important thing is to strike the sand before the ball with a depth of divot and the point at which the club strikes the sand being the same every time. The key to this is mastering the two areas of stability in the swing, horizontal and vertical.

Make sure you don’t sway away from or towards the target during the swing – this will create fat and thin contacts. The main error I see here is when players lean away from the target to get the ball up in the air. So concentrate on covering the ball through impact.

Equally, ensure your upper body doesn’t lift or dip during the swing. This is much the same as with your normal giolf swing in that you want to maintain the posture you set at address through to impact. Set your knees at the right level at address (you should have more knee flex here than for a normal shot) and then hold your height through the swing.

I want you to feel that you are playing this shot 'in the basement' rather than on the ground floor. So flex your knees more than usual and then stay at this level through the shot.

More top golf tips

From there make a full swing with plenty of speed. The adjustments we have just discussed will certainly help you strike the sand consistently. The ball will pop up and out leaving you with a simple attempt for par.

Head to the practice ground and use this bunker shot tips video to help you groove an action that is repeatable and reliable. Your sand save stats will go through the roof!

In his current role, Neil is responsible for testing drivers and golf balls. Having been a part of the Golf Monthly team for over 15 years and playing off a handicap of 3, he has the experience to compare performance between models, brands and generations. For 2022 he thinks the main trend in drivers is: "In a word, consistency. Whilst all the brands are talking about ball speed (and the new drivers are certainly long), my biggest finding has been how much more consistent the ball flights are. Mishits don't seem to be causing the same level of drop-off or increase in the spin numbers. This means that more shots seem to be flying the way you want them to!" As far as golf balls are concerned the biggest development is in the, "three piece, non-Tour, urethane-covered section. For regular golfers, these models offer superb performance at both ends of the bag without denting your wallet quite as much as the premium Tour-played options."

Originally working with the best coaches in the UK to produce instruction content, he is now the brand's Digital Editor and covers everything from Tour player interviews to gear reviews. In his time at Golf Monthly, he has covered equipment launches that date back well over a decade. He clearly remembers the launch of the Callaway and Nike square drivers as well as the white TaylorMade driver families, such as the RocketBallz! If you take a look at the Golf Monthly YouTube channel, you'll see his equipment videos dating back over a decade! He has also conducted 'What's In The Bag' interviews with many of the game's best players like Rory McIlroy, Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm. Over the years, Neil has tested a vast array of products in each category and at drastically different price-points.

Neil is currently playing: Driver: TaylorMade Stealth Plus Fairway Wood: Titleist TSR2 Hybrid: Titleist TS3 Irons (4-9): Mizuno JPX 919 Forged Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM7 46˚, 50˚, 54˚, 60˚ Putter: Odyssey Triple Track Ten Ball: Titleist Pro V1X