Well, that's not true...I know exactly why I hate this shot so much. It's because they make me nervous. They always have, and I suspect they always will. Even so, there are a few tips that have helped me get out of these nightmares and perhaps they can help you as well.



If you are anything at all like me, the first problem you're faced with when you land in a fairway bunker is which club to select. Your first priority in this selection is to make sure you have enough loft to clear the lip of the bunker. Take it from me, it doesn't a bit of good to gaze down the fairway visualizing where you want the ball to land if it doesn't clear the lip of the bunker first!

So, is there an easy way to determine the right trajectory that the ball will need to take in order to clear the lip of the bunker?

Actually, there is.

Pick the club that you think is going to work. Take this club outside the bunker (remember, you are not allowed to ground your club inside the bunker) and face the target on a line that is behind where your ball is. Put the club on the ground and "gently" stand on the club face with the shaft pointing in the direction of the target.

As you press your foot down on the clubface, the shaft will begin to come up at an angle. Look at this angle and compare it to the lip of the bunker. If the angle is above the lip, you have the right club and should be able to clear the bunker lip. However, if the shaft angle is below the lip of the bunker, chances are you won't make it out of the bunker and you should take one or more club to increase the trajectory path.

Keep in mind (and I know I don't need to say this) it's better to come up short of the green than it is to bury your ball in the sandy lip of the bunker.

Two things to keep in mind as well when playing out of a fairway bunker are: Don't wiggle your feet too deep into the sand. This will only make you lower than the ball and you might hit the ball fat. Second, don't try to hit the ball too hard or to "scoop" it out. Just take a normal swing, the same swing you would make if you were in the fairway. Trying to "blast" it out will almost always end up in a poor shot.

But, of course, the best advice to playing fairway bunkers is to stay out of them altogether! That's what I try to do.