Setup (face on):

• As mentioned, proper setup is the most essential component to consistent bunker play. In golf, the way we set up our body at address will naturally dictate the way the club swings (e.g., attack angle, club path, etc.).
• Relative to a normal golf shot, we want our weight (center of mass) mostly on our lead side and a significantly wider stance. This will help us keep our lower body quiet throughout our swing and will help prevent your club from digging with the leading edge.
• Notice in the illustrations that the golfer has squatted down by bending at the knees more.
• We also want the clubface open so that the grooves point to our lead foot, thus allowing the bounce work for you.

Setup (down the line):

• In addition to the above suggestions (weight left of center, wide stance, open clubface, squat down) we want our feet at least 6 inches farther away from the ball than a normal golf shot.
• This will help us shallow our angle of attack which will enable us to get the ball up in the air quickly.
• Check out this insane video of Jon Rahm hitting a bunker shot with a 4-iron – notice how much he squats at address.

Ball Position and Alignment:

• For most bunker shots, we suggest that the ball is located just inside your front heel. Your ball position can move toward the center of your stance if you’re looking to hit a chunk and run, but it generally shouldn’t change much.
• We recommend a square stance.
• Neutral shaft angle at address…butt of club points to your belly button. This is to ensure we’re using the bounce of the club as opposed to the leading edge.

Length of Swing:

• Amateurs often don’t take a long enough backswing – this inhibits their ability to generate the power required to get the ball out of a bunker.
• Take a long backswing and accelerate through the hitting area. Clubhead speed is your friend. So many amateurs don’t swing hard enough and quit on the shot at impact. Don’t be that person!

Releasing the Club

• We want to make sure we don’t flip our hands over through impact – this will expose the leading edge of the wedge and cause the club to dig. See illustrations.
• Instead, feel like the clubface is pointed to the sky through impact and into your follow-through. This will keep the upper body from stalling through impact.

How Much to Open Club Face:

• The easiest way to alter your trajectory out of the sand is to change the angle of your wedge at address.
• For plugged lies, we generally want a square club face (i.e., perpendicular to our target line).
• For lower trajectories, we want to slightly open the club face.
• For high trajectories, we want to open the club face so it points to the sky.
• It’s important to understand that as we open the club face, we’re effectively adding bounce to our wedge. Thus, the more open the club face, the easier it will be for the club to slide through the sand. Put simply, the less likely you’re going to chunk the s*** out of it.

• Objective: Without blading it, hit a regular golf ball off Bunker Mate without having the device move more than 6 inches.
• If Bunker Mate moves more than 6 inches, you’ve either hit behind the ball too far or come in too steep – see technique section above.
• Note: With a wide open clubface, as used for high, soft bunker shots, it is possible to pass the clubhead under the ball without the ball going anywhere. This is perfectly acceptable and an indicator that you are keeping the face open appropriately.

With Foam Golf Ball

• Objective: Without blading it, hit a foam golf ball off Bunker Mate without having the device move more than 6 inches.
• If Bunker Mate moves more than 6 inches, you’ve either hit behind the ball too far or come in too steep – see technique section above.
• Foam ball will go less than half as far as a regular golf ball.
• Note: Since the foam ball is light and stays on top of the sand (fabric), the foam ball may stay in place after a proper swing with a wide-open club face. This is normal. Try closing your club face a touch and you’ll find the ball will travel.