How to get out of a plugged lie in a bunker

You think you’ve hit a great towering iron shot into the green only to find that when you get there your ball has came up short and you’re left with a plugged lie in a bunker.

What do you end up doing? Do you hack three or four times at it until you finally scuttle the ball across the other side of the green?

If you’re anything like a lot of handicap players I play with, then the answer is a resounding ‘yes’. So hear are a few tips for getting out of a plugged lie in a bunker…

Plugged lie in a bunker: Main points

When faced with a plugged lie in a bunker you have to hit down a bit harder into the sand. You will have no control over the spin so make sure you adjust your landing spot. If you try and get cute with it you’ll end up not getting the ball out at all.

Watch the video at the top of the page for my full breakdown of how to get out of a plugged lie in a bunker.

If you have any questions, let me know in the comments below or you can tweet me.

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Dan Whittaker is an elite golf swing and performance coach based at High Legh. For more information, visit his website or click here for more advice.

Tom Irwin

Tom is a lifetime golfer, now over 30 years playing the game. 2023 marks 10 years in golf publishing and he is still holding down a + handicap at Alwoodley in Leeds. He has played over 600 golf courses, and has been a member of at least four including his first love Louth, in Lincolnshire. Tom likes unbranded clothing, natural fibres, and pencil bags. Seacroft in Lincolnshire is where it starts and ends.