Make Better Contact From Fairway Bunkers

Mark Blackburn

Mark Blackburn

SwingU Master Faculty, Golf Magazine Top-100, Golf Digest Top-50 in America, No. 1 in Alabama

Distance wedges from a fairway bunker are no different than they are from the fairway, we just want to make sure we have nice clean contact and we want to maintain a steady arc.

We don’t want to change our height when our body tilts or our arc width excessively. That’s gonna lead to very inconsistent contact, and the dreaded fat shots.

I’m setting up here, I’ve got normal straight up stance. Ball is going to be in the middle of the stance. I’m going to stand nice and centered and I’m gonna try and maintain my height and then try and keep the shaft leaning forwards without changing the arc width excessively.

I’m going to set up here, ball’s in a nice position, I’m going to make sure I maintain my arc width. And then from here I’m trying to do is be aware of staying nice and stable, not letting my body move very much.

And I’m going to really try and focus on more of a nine o’clock length swing so that I can ensure great contact.

That was a really crisp, clean distance wedge from the fairway bunker. Nice solid contact, ball first.

If you want to hit good fairway bunker wedges, you want to make sure that you have a nice controlled swing. You don’t want to change your height or your tilt and maintain a steady arc.