Chipping From The Bunker – A Brief Instruction

How to choose the right shot

The main quality that any golfer should possess is the ability to read a situation properly, assess it and then decide what shot to take. What happens most often is that most golfers dread taking a shot from the sand bunker as they find it more complex. However, chipping the ball from the bunker has the same goal as a normal chip shot. This is to lift the ball a little above the ground and make it roll with the grass.

Making a Sand Shot

When your short iron shot has led the ball into the bunker, don’t worry you can always make a successful chip shot to get out of the sand. There are certain specific techniques you can employ for this chip shot but the main thing to keep in mind is to keep the swing short and compact.

Keep your clubface open

When taking a chip shot from a bunker, make sure you keep the face of your club facing upwards or keep it more open. Therefore, when your club hits the sand, the face should be towards the sky or the ground.

Bend your elbows

It is always a good idea to chip the sand close to your golf ball, so that it gets a good lift. Also when extending your arms backwards for your swing, you should keep them close to your body. That means you must bend your elbows and try not to extend your arms too far backwards.

Swing through the sand

The main thing is that you must not be intimidated by the sand pitch and let your club go through the sand. You must not stop when you hit the sand, as this will lead to the clubface hitting the sand too far from the ball. This will not give you a good elevation on your shot.

Some more tips

Now that you mastered the technique involved in a chip shot from the bunker, here are a few pointers to make the shot perfect:

In case the sand bunker is shallow and dense, then you should not swing too hard. In such cases, keep your backswing as short as possible and try to take a larger piece of turf from the bunker, when making a shot.

You most often have to chip the ball from a bunker unexpectedly, so always be prepared. Make sure you practice this shot multiple times so you are not clueless when you have to play this shot. Also, you must always remember to "chop" under the golf ball.