How to Hit Fairway Bunker Shots: 5 Keys for Clean Contact Every Time
Sometimes, even a good drive can end up in a fairway bunker. The real fear of these fairway bunker shots is leaving the ball in the bunker and wasting a shot.
The good news is that you’re probably overcomplicating your fairway bunker shots, and there are some simple adjustments you can make for clean and consistent contact.
With a few setup adjustments, smarter swing mechanics, and better wrist control, you can start approaching these shots with confidence. Clean, ball-first contact is more repeatable than you think.
Key Takeaways
If you don’t have time to read our entire guide on how to hit fairway bunker shots, here are the most important pieces of information to take with you:
- Dig your feet in for a solid base and grip down on the club.
- Position the ball slightly back and shift your weight forward.
- Try to hit the ball a touch thin; clean contact is the priority.
- Keep your head level and avoid excessive body rotation.
- Use HackMotion to ensure your lead wrist is flexed at impact, not extended. You can’t scoop the ball out of a fairway bunker; you need a clean ball first contact.
Contents
1. What do you want to improve in your full swing?
How to Hit Fairway Bunker Shots
Here are the steps for building a perfect fairway bunker strategy. If you get these right, you’ll notice cleaner strikes not just from the bunker but, hopefully, on all of your shots.
Build a Stable Base
Wriggle your feet into the sand for traction. However, you don’t want to do this as much as you usually would on a greenside bunker. When you wiggle your feet down into the sand, this lowers your height.
To accommodate that adjustment in height, you need to choke down on the club to match the new position.
If you hit behind the ball in fairway bunkers often, it could be because you have wiggled your feet into the sand but forgot to choke down.
Ball Slightly Back, Weight Forward
Play the ball center-to-slightly-back in your stance, starting with about 60% of your weight on your front side.
Keep your head ahead of the ball to help move the low point forward. The goal of these shots is to have minimal movement when you pivot.
If your head shifts off the ball or you make too much of a weight transfer it becomes hard to make a clean ball first contact.
Stay Tall, Maintain Height
Stay level on fairway bunker shots.
Think of your chin being on a shelf. If you dip your head it would push into the shelf and we don’t want that happening.
In addition, keep your lower body quiet. Excessive lower body motion will shift your low point backward and increase the risk of hitting the sand first.
1. What do you want to improve in your full swing?
Club Up and Hit it a Little Thin
Hitting a fairway bunker shot thin rather than fat is a good thing. The goal here is to advance the ball as far as possible and make a clean hit.
Take more club than you normally would. If it’s a 9-iron distance, try the 8-iron.
Confirm there is not a large lip that will be difficult to get over. Swing at about 80% speed and try to catch the ball just a little thin, don’t dig into the sand.
Less sand between the club and the ball means more spin and better distance control.
Control Wrist Angles with HackMotion
Fairway bunkers punish wrist flips. If you make a last-second flip to try and get the ball out of the bunker, it’s going to cost you.
The key is to have a flat lead wrist at the top of your backswing (with a square clubface) and then move towards flexion on the downswing.
Use HackMotion to monitor your lead wrist at impact. Take it on the course with you and measure your lead wrist position on your fairway bunker shots.
Chances are, you’ll be lacking flexion and forward shaft lean if you struggle to get the ball out.
Drills to Practice Fairway Bunker Shots
Now that you have the fundamentals of hitting fairway bunker shots, you can start working on these drills to improve your game.
Lead-Wrist Flex & Hold
If you are working on how to train forward shaft lean this lead wrist flex and hold drill could help.
The drill teaches how to combine forward shaft lean with a square clubface by exaggerating lead-wrist flexion.
While you may not need to force wrist flexion on your fairway bunker shots this drill can help you get the proper feeling down.
Lead-Wrist Flex & Hold – Step by Step:
- Set Up: Address the ball with HackMotion on your lead wrist.
- Rehearse Impact: Press your hands forward and bow the lead wrist to reach 10°–15° of flexion.
- Mini Swing: Make a waist-high swing and stop just after impact.
- Freeze & Check: Hold the finish and check HackMotion for consistent lead wrist flexion.
- Progress Gradually: Only add more swing length after repeating the correct wrist angle consistently.
Low-Point “Line” Drill (Bunker Edition)
This Low Point drill can be used in and out of the bunker to become more consistent at impact.
It’s a simple but powerful exercise to improve low-point control, perfect for hitting out of the sand where catching the ball first is everything.
Low-Point “Line” Drill – Step by Step:
- Prep the Line: Draw a clear line in the sand and place a ball directly on top of it.
- Set Up: Position 60% of your weight on the lead leg with the ball slightly back in your stance.
- Rehearse Wrist Position: Use HackMotion to ensure lead wrist is flexed and the shaft leans forward.
- Make a Swing: Take a short swing and try to strike the ground at or just after the line.
- Review & Repeat: Check divot position and HackMotion wrist angles. Repeat until contact is clean and consistent.
Combined Top Drill
The Combined Top Drill is located in the HackMotion Drill Library in the app.
You can work on this one in real time as it helps blend proper top-of-backswing wrist positions into the downswing at real swing speed.
If you can get your top of the backswing position correct, your chances of being in the right spot at impact are much higher.
Combined Top Drill – Step by Step:
- Set Up: Wear your HackMotion sensor and address the ball as usual.
- Backswing: Make a full-speed backswing and pause briefly at the top.
- Check Wrist Angle: Look at HackMotion to confirm your lead wrist is in the green zone.
- Swing Through: Complete the swing with a smooth follow-through.
- Refine: Repeat the drill, gradually removing the pause, until you consistently start your downswing from a solid wrist position.
Final Thoughts
Fairway bunkers don’t have to be intimidating. With a stable stance, weight forward, and just enough club to take a controlled swing, you can escape cleanly and even chase pins.
The real secret however, is training your wrist angles and low-point control.
HackMotion gives you real-time data to make those adjustments feel natural, so you can stop fearing sand and start executing.
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