5 Effective Bunker Drills to Save Strokes & Boost Confidence

Britt Olizarowicz

Jul 19, 2024 . 5 mins read

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If bunkers scare you, you are in the right place.

One of the most significant issues golfers have with bunkers is a lack of confidence.

To gain some confidence and check on your technique and mechanics simultaneously, try doing any of these five golf bunker drills.

Whether you are worried about your wrist position, backswing length, or position in which you want to strike the ball, these 5 golf bunker drills will help you step your game up.

5 Effective Bunker Drills to Help Save Strokes

Line Drill for Low Point Control

To hit a great bunker shot, you’ll want to hit 2 to 3 inches behind the golf ball. This strike position will encourage the golf ball to come out softer and higher, making it easier to control when it hits the green.

To practice the low point drill, draw a line in the sand using your club or the rake.

Take practice swings where you put the club’s leading edge on the line and make swings where you enter the sand at this line.

Pay close attention to where the club is entering the line. Now place the ball a few inches in front of the line and continue to try and hit this line.

For most golf shots we keep our wrist in a flexed position and aim to hit the ball first and then the turf, for sand shots you want to hit sand first and then the golf ball.

Keep drawing the line to get feedback and develop consistency.

Umbrella Bunker Drill

One of the struggles that many amateur golfers have with bunker shots is adjusting their setup and the center line. With this umbrella drill you’ll quickly realize what it takes to get yourself set to hit a bunker shot.

Draw an umbrella in the sand.

Stand over the middle spoke of the umbrella, but turn and strike the sand at each of the five or six lines you have drawn. When you do this, you must keep your body stable and rotate your torso to move the club correctly.

Pay close attention to where the club enters the sand, and adjust body tilt and shaft position to control the location of the divot. You’ll be a great bunker player if you can learn WHERE to hit the sand on your bunker shots and control exactly where the club enters.

This one is worth watching the video for additional clarification.

Create the Shade Bunker Drill

While we are on the topic of umbrellas let’s take a look at this “create the shade” bunker drill.

For this one, you are going to want to visualize holding an umbrella directly above your hands during the backswing.

You can simulate a backswing while holding an umbrella and ensure your hands are directly below it. The idea is that your thumbs will be pointing straight up to get your wrists hinged and in the right position.

Do this drill while wearing your HackMotion to really feel that hinge and then check in on the wrist angle measurements. You can also set the HackMotion to vibrate to alert you if you are getting the club too shallow and not hinging enough.

Think about this “thumbs up” concept as you hit your next bunker shots and see if it improves contact and control.

Seve Ballesteros Bunker Drill

Seve was one of the greatest players the game has seen. He knew how to get out of a bunker with very little trouble and this drill originates from him.

For this one, you will stand with your feet wide and your knees bent low. Keep the handle of the club lower to increase the loft and the bounce. Start with a 7 iron and focus on hitting out of the sand from this position with the low hands.

You’ll notice you need to extend the lead wrist a bit more to get the golf ball out of the bunker.

Keep the wrists extended so the ball flies out a bit higher.

Once you can get some shots out with your 7 iron, start increasing the loft and hit shots with your 8, 9, PW, etc. By the time you get to your sand wedge, it’s going to feel easy to feel that slight throw at the bottom of your swing and pop the ball right out.

One Hand Sand Drill

The lead hand can get you into some trouble when hitting out of a bunker. If your lead hand takes over and you start hitting the golf ball with more forward shaft lean, the overall ball flight is lower and more piercing.

Unfortunately, the ball doesn’t get out of the sand.

One way to fix or eliminate this issue is to start taking some swings with your trail hand or the dominant hand.

You’ll notice that in order to get the ball out of the bunker, you have to throw it into the sand and let the clubhead and hands arrive at impact at about the same time.

Once you manage this with one hand, put the lead hand back on the club and execute the shot.

Final Thoughts

The most important concept when working on bunker shots is to actually find time to work in the bunkers.

So many golfers go to the driving range or the putting green, but they completely forget to spend time in a practice bunker. The more confidence you have in the bunker, the easier it is to get out.

Wear your HackMotion as you practice in the bunker so you can see higher ball flight, more control, and consistency in these shots.