It’s a scene that often leaves scorecards in tatters. Finding your ball in a bunker is often bad enough for amateur golfer but on a downslope is even worse.
Whether it’s because the sand is wet or your ball has crashed into the front lip, you’re faced with a downhill bunker shot. So what do you do? Let’s take a look in this short video…
This bunker tips video was filmed at Lumine Golf Club, host venue of the 2019 European Tour Qualifying School. For more information, visit their website.
How To Play a Downhill Bunker Shot: The Main Points
First of all, when you’re on a downslope in the bunker the ball is going to come out lower so it’s important to be realistic with what you can achieve. As the ball is coming out lower, when the ball hits the green it will realise much more than usual. If hitting to a tight pin for example, chances are you’re not going to hit it stone dead so make sure you at least give yourself a putt for the up and down.
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As for the technique, there are a few things I like to see.
It’s vital that you resist the urge to try and help the ball into the air. Playing a bunker shot off a down slope requires some setup adjustments. You want to match the angle of your knees, hips and shoulders to the angle of the slope. This will give you the best chance of creating the same strike pattern and depth of strike as if you were on a flat lie. The left shoulder is going to be a lot lower than usual.
You’re looking to create a steeper angle of attack into the ball with some wrist hinge. As a player is on a downhill lie the ball is going to come out flatter and it is easier to thin shots. You’re trying to hit down on the golf ball to try and get as much height as you can.
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Into the follow through and where normally the club would release past the hands, when faced with a downhill lie, I encourage a finish that I describe as keeping the loft on low.
Conclusion
A lot of golfers struggle with sand shots, whether this is through lack of confidence, practice or technique. Hopefully, in this article we’ve covered the important parts on how to get out of a bunker shot from a downhill lie. Give it a go and see how you get on. Remember that even for the skilled golfers this isn’t an easy shot and it will take time to practice.
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