5 tips for hitting fairway bunker shots with confidence

Fairway bunkers are a completely different challenge from greenside bunkers. The objective, technique and overall strategy are nearly opposite. While greenside bunker shots are designed to get the ball up and out of the sand with plenty of loft, fairway bunker shots are often about maximizing distance and getting the ball back in play.

Depending on the distance you have left, you may need to hit anything from a short iron to a fairway wood. The good news is that with the proper plan and a few adjustments to your technique, fairway bunkers can be much more manageable than you might think.

Here are five tips you can use to hit fairway bunker shots with more confidence.

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1. Focus on ball-first contact

When playing from a fairway bunker, your goal is to make solid contact with the ball before the club interacts with the sand. This is the opposite of a greenside bunker shot, where you intentionally hit the sand behind the ball to create a splash effect.

Think of a fairway bunker shot more like a traditional shot from the fairway: You want to strike the ball first and then take a divot. Understanding this distinction is important because it will help you make the proper adjustments to your setup and swing.

2. Ball position is crucial

One of the biggest differences between greenside and fairway bunker shots is ball position. Because you want to make ball-first contact, the ball should be positioned in the center of your stance or slightly behind it.

This positioning helps ensure that the club makes contact with the ball while it is still moving downward toward the ground. For many golfers, the club’s low point naturally occurs around the center of the stance. By positioning the ball appropriately, you give yourself a much better opportunity to catch it cleanly before the club enters the sand.

3. Consider club selection

Choosing the right club requires a little assessment before you swing. Start by evaluating your lie. Ideally, the ball will be sitting up on top of the sand, giving you a clean opportunity to make ball-first contact. If the ball is buried or sitting down, it may be smarter to abandon the idea of a traditional fairway bunker shot. Instead, grab a lofted wedge, take plenty of sand and focus on getting the ball out and back into play.

Next, consider the height of the lip in front of you. The higher the lip, the more loft you’ll need to get the ball up and over it. When in doubt, it’s generally better to take a little more loft than you think you need rather than risk hitting the ball into the face of the bunker.

If you have a good lie and a manageable lip, you can use almost any club in your bag, including fairway woods. You may want to take one extra club to account for the added difficulty of the shot, but don’t automatically assume you need to lay up. With the right conditions, you can still be aggressive and advance the ball a significant distance.

4. Take some sand

There’s a common misconception that fairway bunker shots require you to pick the ball perfectly clean off the sand without making any contact with the surface. While that technique can work, it’s generally much less reliable than making ball-first contact and then taking a little sand.

The problem with trying to pick the ball completely clean is that even a slight miscalculation can lead to a thin strike. That can be particularly costly when there’s a lip in front of you, as a thin shot may not have enough trajectory to clear the bunker.

Instead, focus on making solid contact with the ball first and allowing the club to brush the sand immediately afterward. Good fairway bunker players aren’t afraid of taking a little sand. They simply make sure the ball comes first.

5. Stay stable and finish forward

With the goal of striking the ball before the sand, it’s important to maintain a stable base throughout the swing. Try to avoid excessive lateral movement, particularly any unnecessary shift toward your trail foot during the backswing.

One helpful setup adjustment is to wedge your trail foot into the sand so that the outside of your foot is slightly higher than your big toe. This can help limit lateral movement and keep your weight from shifting too far away from the target.

Finally, make sure you finish with your weight on your lead foot. Resist the temptation to hang back or try to lift the ball into the air. The loft of the club will do that for you. By staying balanced and moving through the shot, you’ll have a much better chance of producing the clean, ball-first contact you’re looking for.