The Long Bunker Shot

Professional golfers struggle with this shot, it's no wonder that amateur golfers also find it difficult. I would even go as far as to say that the long bunker shot is the hardest shot in golf.

It is a shot that in the scheme of things we don't practice alot mainly because we are not faced with playing it often.

Hit fat and you're facing a long putt or perhaps another bunker shot. Hit it thin and you're 50 yards past the pin in goodness knows what kind of lie. Long bunker shots require a full, powerful swing and the room for error is small.

When playing this shot your priority should be to get the ball out and any where on the green, what I mean is don't get to fancy and end up racking up a high number.

It is very important when playing this shot that you maintain your levels, one way I do this is by looking at a dimple on the top of the ball, this helps me avoid hitting the shot fat which is the most common mistake made with this shot.

The problem is, to get enough distance with a sand wedge, you have to take a fairly big, fairly hard swing while also minimizing the distance you hit behind the ball.

Even the best golfers occasionally make the mistake of coming a bit too close to the ball and blading the shot, or of quitting on the downswing and fluffing it entirely.

Instead take a 9-iron and don't choke up on it -- use the full length of the club. Play the ball well forward, off your left instep, and take a very wide, very open stance. You should aim yourself more to the left than on any other shot, about 45 degrees or so. The clubface, like your stance, should be open, and laid back as well.

What you want to do is make a shallow, splashing explosion. You won't have to worry about getting too deep because the ball is well forward in your stance and the club is well open. Still, the idea is to hit at least an inch and a half behind this ball, and that's a lot of sand for a long shot.

The longer shaft and stronger loft of the 9-iron will help you get distance, but you still must give this a hard swing. However, that's what's nice about this shot-you can belt it and you don't have to worry about digging down deep; and you can get all the distance you need without having to hit too close to the ball.

But the best part is watching the ball dance. When you hit this shot right, it'll fly on a line several yards left of your target, hit the green still at least ten feet left, and then suck directly back to the right. When you apply that sand- paper-like friction to the ball, this shot will scoot to the right faster than any shot in the game.

It takes some practice, as all sand shots do, but once you get a feel for it, you'll find yourself relying on this slicing 9-iron to bail you out of the toughest of predicaments.