Bunkers · Tip
Ball Above Your Feet in the Sand
Part of our bunkers programs. Build a program with it
When the ball sits above your feet in a bunker, the club is effectively shorter. Let it be. Set your hand height at address to fit the lie. Then return your hands to that same height at impact. That keeps the club on its normal path through the sand. The same idea works on full swings too. Whatever hand height and shaft angle you set up with, try to repeat them at impact.
Step by step
- Notice the ball is above your feet.
- Set your hand height for the lie.
- Swing on your normal path.
- Return your hands to the same height.
- Splash through the sand.
Why it works
When the ball is above your feet, the slope brings the ball closer to your hands, so the club effectively plays shorter. If you set your hands at a height that fits the lie and return them to that height at impact, the club bottoms out in the same place relative to the ball. That lets you keep your normal swing path and splash the sand out under the ball instead of changing the swing to fight the slope.
Common mistakes
- You stand tall and leave your hands at their usual height, so the club feels too long and the lie feels awkward.Choke down if needed and set your hands at a height that suits the lie before you start the swing.
- You change your hand height during the swing, which moves the low point and leads to thin or fat contact.Aim to bring your hands back to the same height and shaft angle you had at address.
- You try to steer the club around the slope with a new, different swing path.Keep your normal path and let the setup handle the slope, then splash through the sand.
How you'll know it's working
- The ball comes out of the sand with a consistent height, without skulling across the green or sticking in the face.
- The club enters the sand in the same spot each time, just behind the ball, and leaves a shallow, even divot.
- Your hands feel level with where they started at address when you reach impact.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Practice on a gentle slope first, or on a plain lie, and focus only on setting your hand height and returning to it.
Harder: Practice on steeper slopes, or change the lie from one ball to the next, and still return your hands to the setup height each time.
Common questions
How do you hit a bunker shot when the ball is above your feet?
Set your hands at a height that fits the lie, keep your normal swing path, and return your hands to that same height at impact. Then splash the sand out under the ball.
Why does the club feel shorter when the ball is above your feet?
The slope puts the ball nearer to your hands, so the club reaches the ball sooner than on a flat lie. Your setup should account for that, so the club still bottoms out in the right spot.
