As a high school golf coach, my advice would be to not listen to anyone on here. Go take a lesson from a qualified PGA teaching pro. Learn how to do it the right way. Then...practice, practice, practice!

David
High School coaches do a great job and devote a lot of time steering their young players to be better and enjoy the game of a lifetime and I commend you for your efforts. Seeking out a PGA Professional is always the best solution. I also would recommend Nate visit youtube and view some of the games best sand players and their tips and mini lessons to get a better idea as to what is correct and what is hindering his efforts in the sand. I'm pretty sure if one of your young players had the same problem you would offer good advice other than " see a PGA professional.

Thank you for everything you said, I was in the process of taking lessons every Tuesday and Thursday from my home course pro until winter approached but have never thought about youtube, will keep that in mind

Thanks again, nate

Thank you Deno! I didn’t mean any disrespect to anyone on here and I’m sorry if anyone took offense. Yes, of course there are a ton of great videos, books, magazine articles etc... out there to learn from. These can be great resources for people, especially for people with limited budgets. However, everyone has their own swing and in my experience, there is nothing like quality instruction from a qualified teaching pro. I agree with what Jason and Elson said. Take a dedicated bunker lesson for an hour. Someone who can be right next to you to watch you, talk to you and record your swing so you can both go over what is going on with your swing. Come up with a game plan together. Someone who can also evaluate what is your go to club out the sand and make sure it’s fit properly for you. Having a properly fitted wedge is crucial to being a good sand player. I have always worked with local pros who have been wonderful in providing free clinics or lessons for my teams over the years. Young, eager assistant pros love doing these types of things, some head pros as well (It helps bring them business later on) Nate, I wish you nothing but the best. Reaching out on here for advice shows us your level of dedication to your craft. Not many high school students would do that. Keep us posted on how you make out. I’m sure you will be much improved this year. Go get that trophy this season!

David
No offense taken. You offered Nate great advice and I'm sure he'll benefit from a Pro's evaluation and have more confidence getting up in down in future matches. Good Luck to your Team this coming season.

Can't go wrong with that advice. I had a problem and spoke to a PGA Professional. He watched me swing a few times and in five minutes fixed what I was doing wrong. Saved me so much time! Then I practiced that technique over and over. Never had that problem again. I highly recommend this advice.

Could not agree. My my teaching pro says it is an easy fix. Go see a professional. He always says do not look for a band aid fix. Good advice......

Meant to say could not agree more with the coach.......my bad....

As mentioned before, get a lesson or a few, a professional can help you find what is actually at fault and help you fix it.
Remember a PGA teacher is trained to see a lot more than we are and can help you understand the cause and find a solution.
Per my own experience, I too struggle out of the sand, and try many of the "fix" it all suggestions on the past, what have worked the best for me was to get a wedge with a lot more loft, because I always had a hard time judging the proper amount that I had to open the face for those shots.
I intend on getting some lessons this year my self so I can improve my own game.
Best of luck young man.

And remember - as our Golf Pro likes to say, playing out of a bunker (like all golf shots) is 75% a mental game - the other 25% is all in your head ……


As everyone is saying - go see a Pro for a couple of dedicated bunker lessons. Best bang for the buck IMHO. Jason

Beyond mechanics (for which you'll want a lesson or two), I'll suggest:

The best bunkers players prioritize bunker shots as follows:
1. Get the ball out of the bunker.
2. If possible, get the ball on the green.
3. If possible get the ball near the hole.

Most recreational players think #3 first. Completely backwards.

WW

When I was in high school I worked at a golf course that hosted a golf tournament / clinic for Chi Chi Rodriguez. For those who don't know him he was one of the best bunker players in his day. My job was basically his assistant for the day, so I got a lot of great advice. One thing he said that always stuck with me is, "bunker shots are the easiest shot in golf. It's the only one where you don't hit the ball." When he did the clinic he told everyone to let the sand do the work for you. He asked someone for their car keys and splashed the keys out onto the green. Point to the story, don't make it harder than it is. Don't be afraid to dig in and hit the sand. Practice makes perfect-good luck