Wrist Action in Bunker Shots (The Things You’re Probably Doing Wrong)
The way the wrist performs in the bunker is different from other golf shots.
If you are keeping your wrists in the same position they are on chip shots or full swing shots, it could be the reason you are not accurate out of the bunker.
Wrist Action in Bunker Shots (Key Takeaways)
If you don’t have time to read our entire guide on the wrist action in the bunker, here are the key points to take with you:
- The issue most golfers struggle with is too much flexion in the lead wrist on a bunker shot. The result is a delofted club and no guarantee the shot will carry the edge of the bunker.
- The goal is to maintain extension in the lead wrist through impact (the opposite of what we want to see in full swing shots).
- Combining proper wrist action with the correct setup will give you more versatility in what you can do out of a bunker.
- Bring your coach (the HackMotion) with you into the bunker and record some swings, making sure you are maintaining extension in the lead wrist.
Contents
Wrist Action in Bunker Shots (What You Should Be Doing)
If you’ve learned from our HackMotion training and videos, you know that the number one mistake golfers make in their full swing is too much extension in the lead wrist through impact.
Too much extension opens the clubface and can cause the ball to go to the right of the target.
However, in a bunker, everything changes.
What you NEED the lead wrist to do is stay extended through the golf ball. As long as you have the clubface open, your stance wide, and the ball up front, you’ll hit a high lofted easy-to-control bunker shot.
The Problem
Wrist flexion in the lead wrist is also known as bowing.
If you set up to a golf ball and take the label on the glove of your lead wrist and point it to the ground, that’s flexion. In the full swing, this flexion delofts the club a bit and creates more distance and impact consistency.
In a bunker, delofting and exposing the leading edge creates a recipe for disaster.
The Solution
The key is to add extension, with the glove logo pointing upwards. This process increases the loft of the club, exposes the bounce, and produces a higher and softer shot.
When you set up to hit your bunker shot, open the face and then re-grip the club.
When you do this, try to add a little extension to the lead wrist. Make sure that the logo is pointing up and not down towards the ground.
Your swing thought as you play this shot is to keep that extension throughout the entire bunker shot. When you get back to the golf ball, your clubface will still be open, your wrist extended, and you’ll be able to glide the golf club right through the ball.
Drills to Help Understand
There are a few drills to help you understand this concept and make the switch to added extension in the lead wrist a bit easier to manage.
Sand on the Clubface Drill
As seen in the video above, keeping sand on the clubface at setup and then dumping it behind you can give you that feel of adding extension instead of adding flexion.
Find some time when you can work in a bunker and get this feeling down before your next round of golf.
Hammer Release Drill
Some golfers struggle with the concept of release on a bunker shot like this since it feels different from traditional golf shots.
To understand this concept, think of the motion of swinging a hammer.
This video gives you a good way to work on that feeling and get your club head through the ball while it’s still open.
HackMotion Bunker Drills
The problem with developing the correct wrist action on the bunker shots is that you may not feel the proper action.
HackMotion makes it possible to see and feel what you are doing with your lead wrist through impact. Play around with increasing amounts of extension until you get the feeling down.
Cock the Wrists Quickly
In the traditional golf swing, we have learned to hold off on the wrist cock and not make it the first move away from the golf ball.
However, when you are hitting bunker shots, sometimes this early wrist cock can get your lead wrist extended and give you that open clubface you need to hit a great shot.
Remember that when you cock the wrists on the backswing, you’ll want to uncock them on the downswing, again allowing for the lead wrist to be pointed more toward the forearm.
FAQs
Should you hinge your wrists on bunker shots?
An early hinge on a bunker shot can help open the clubface, increase loft, and make it easier to hit high-lofted shots that land softly.
What is the trick to bunker shots?
The trick to bunker shots is to keep your lead wrist extended through impact so that the ball flight is higher and the golf ball stops quicker on the greens.
A full swing with a flexed lead wrist, creates a lower ball flight that may not get out of the bunker.
Should you open the face on bunker shots?
Yes, opening the face on bunker shots increases loft and exposes bounce, so it’s easier to move the club through the sand.
Final Thoughts
Proper wrist action in the bunker is not difficult; it is just different from what you want to do in your full swing.
Making this switch and changing your wrist angles from one shot to the next takes a little more understanding than most average golfers have.
You can do this by working with the HackMotion swing analyzer and wearing it while you are in the bunker.
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