There’s no bigger scorecard wrecker for amateur golfers than bunkers.
According to Shot Scope data, the average golfer successfully converts sand saves one in five times. That means 80% of the time, when the average golfer finds the bunker, they lose a stroke.
Amateurs will hit the ball to 24 feet from the pin on average out of greenside bunkers, as they struggle to adapt to difficult lies in the sand.
Uphill and plugged lies require different techniques to get the ball out, and that presents a real challenge for amateurs. But Bryson DeChambeau has some advice to help with that.
DeChambeau won the US Open with one of the most iconic bunker shots of all time. And while DeChambeau is known for his prowess off the tee, the American has been effective around the green in recent seasons.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, he once revealed how amateurs should play normal shots out of the bunker, as well as uphill and plugged lies.
Bryson DeChambeau’s bunker tips
It can be a relief when you arrive at a bunker to find your ball sitting nicely on the sand, but it’s still a challenge to get it close. So DeChambeau gave amateur golfers advice for your typical bunker shot.
He said, “In the bunker, going with a stock, standard lie right now. What I do is dig my feet in pretty square, maybe just a fraction open to the target line, so a couple degrees left of the target.
“I get the heel (of the club) down, open the face, and I’m always feeling like I’m hinging the wrists and hitting a cut shot. Hitting about two or three inches behind the ball.
“You want to feel like you’re using the heel to get in, allowing the club to go in, plane out, and skip through the sand a bit easier with an open face. It’s almost like hitting a flop shot. You can see the mark super close to the hosel, that’s why pros hit shanks.
“And it goes heel to toe, that’s the mark you want out of the sand. If you can do that, and you’re hitting the heel and planing out with an open face, that’s how you hit the ball up with a lot of spin.”
Shane Lowry also advised using the heel in bunker shots, so the advice is well-founded among pros! And it’s also a key to hitting out of plugged lies.
Bryson DeChambeau revealed how to hit bunker shots out of plugged lies
Plugged lies in bunkers can be a daunting prospect, but it doesn’t need to be. DeChambeau explained why it can actually be an easier shot when played correctly.
He said, “Plugs, on an upslope, are very easy to hit out. Most people are like, ‘It’s plugged, it’s super difficult.’ Well, actually, it’s not, and the reason why is most people try to hit it too hard with too much speed, and the ball is not going to spin out of this.
“It’s going to project out, and it’s going to run forever. I like to put the heel in so it’s going underneath, and it’s almost like a small little chip shot. So when there’s not much behind it, you don’t have to hit it as hard.
“People try and hit it too hard when it’s a plugged lie, hit it softer and feel like you’re getting that heel into the ground so the club can go underneath the ball.”
It goes against every instinct to not hit the ball hard out of plugged lies, but according to DeChambeau, finesse is the key.
Bryson DeChambeau’s tip for hitting bunker shots on uphill lies
Even more than even plugged lies, uphill lies can cause real problems out of bunkers. But DeChambeau’s advice for hitting these shots is actually straightforward.
He said, “This is an uphill bunker shot; this is where most people try and hit it harder. And you don’t necessarily need to do that. All you need to do is level yourself with the slope.
“Most people are standing here (standing straight up with level shoulders), and they just try to hit into it and they chunk it, and it’s super difficult to get out. That’s because you’re obviously going into an upslope. You have to tilt yourself to be in line with that bunker.
“Then you can just hit a normal bunker shot.”
When your shoulders are aligned with the ground you are standing on, you’ll be far better positioned to hit out of difficult lies. And by following DeChambeau’s advice, you can take a significant amount of shots off your score!
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