Bunker shots: aim at the sand, not the ball, and get out first time

A 26-handicapper leaves 21% of greenside bunker shots in the sand, according to shot-tracking data from Shot Scope. A 2-handicapper leaves 1%.

In a standard greenside bunker shot the club never touches the ball; the sand carries it out.

This is for golfers who regularly take two goes to escape, or who alternate between leaving it in and thinning it over the green, mainly players of about 15 handicap and above. Single-figure players can use the drill to tighten up distance control. Plugged lies and long bunker shots need different techniques and are not covered here.

What a bunker costs at each level

Shot Scope’s 2026 figures, published by Golf Monthly, show that finding a greenside bunker costs roughly 0.4 to 0.5 shots on that hole at every handicap level, from scratch to 25.

Better players lose it in getting up and down. Shot Scope data published by MyGolfSpy puts the sand save rate at 37% for scratch golfers, 20% at 10 handicap and 10% at 25 handicap. On the PGA TOUR, the average sand save rate for 2026 stands at 50.67% after the Bank of Utah Championship.

In Shot Scope’s case study, the 26-handicap group missed the green with half their greenside bunker shots and left more than one in five in the bunker. For them, the first target is reaching the green with one swing.

Why hitting the sand works

Titleist defines bounce as the angle formed by a wedge’s leading edge and the lowest point of its sole. That angle lets the club skim through the sand rather than dig in, much like the nose of a ski.

Most bunker trouble starts when golfers try to pick the ball clean. Catch it first and it flies over the green; lean back to help it up and the leading edge either digs too deep or bounces off the sand into the ball’s equator.

The set-up

This standard greenside splash follows advice from Peter Finch, a PGA professional, in Golf Monthly. The instructions are for right-handers; left-handers should reverse them.

1. Open the face first, then grip. Turn the handle so the face points a little right of target and gains loft, then take your normal grip.
2. Ball just forward of centre. Wriggle your feet into the sand for a stable base.
3. Weight on your lead side, and keep it there through the swing. That encourages a downward strike into the sand.
4. Pick your entry point. Finch suggests that, for most club golfers, the club should enter the sand about an inch and a half behind the ball. Look at that spot, not at the ball.
5. Accelerate through. A long, committed swing that throws sand on to the green. Decelerating is what leaves balls in the bunker.

Higher handicappers may find the shot easier with an open stance (feet aimed left of target) and an early wrist hinge. Finch notes that most tour players set up square and swing more around their body for a shallower strike, which suits golfers who already make clean contact.

The drill: the sand box

You need a practice bunker and ten balls.

1. Mark out the box. Draw a line in the sand at right angles to your target line, then a second line about four inches in front of it.
2. No ball (five swings). Set up as if the back line were an inch and a half behind an imaginary ball. Swing and try to throw the sand inside the box out of the bunker. The divot should start at the back line and finish near the front one.
3. Add a ball (ten shots). Place a ball in the box, the same distance in front of the back line. Look only at the back line. Score a point for each ball that finishes on the green.
4. Log the score. Eight out of ten from a flat lie means you are ready to work on distance. Five to seven means keep going with the ball and check where each divot starts. Fewer than five means going back to the no-ball swings until the divot starts at the back line every time.

You cannot rehearse this on the course. Rule 12.2b of the Rules of Golf bars you from touching the sand with your club in the area immediately in front of or behind the ball, whether in a practice swing or in your backswing. Doing so incurs the general penalty: two strokes in stroke play, loss of hole in match play. Make your rehearsal swing outside the bunker, then pick a grain of sand behind the ball to look at.

Set a goal for your level

• Above 20 handicap: out first time and on the green. Aim for the middle of the green, not the flag.
• 10 to 20: on the green and close enough to two-putt. Accept a 20-footer when the flag is tight to the lip.
• Single figures: pick a landing spot and hold your finish to control distance. A sand save rate above 30% puts you ahead of the Shot Scope figures quoted earlier for every level except scratch.

Match the bounce to your sand and swing

Titleist says lower-bounce wedges suit firm turf and coarse or hard sand, while higher-bounce wedges (more than 10 degrees) suit soft sand. It also notes that golfers with a steep swing who take deep divots benefit from more bounce. If your sand wedge digs in fluffy sand or skips off firm sand, the club may be part of the problem, so consider a wedge fitting.

Keep a bunker score on your card

Before each greenside bunker shot, pick your spot in the sand an inch and a half behind the ball and keep your eyes on it through impact. Write a small B on your card for every bunker shot, and circle it if the ball reaches the green. After the round, count the circles. When every B has a circle, start chasing up-and-downs.

Sources

• MyGolfSpy: Shot Scope case study – greenside bunker play
• MyGolfSpy: How often should you get up and down from a bunker? (Shot Scope data, 2026)
• Golf Monthly: How many shots do amateur golfers lose when finding a bunker? (Shot Scope 2026 data)
• PGA TOUR: Sand save percentage, 2026 season
• Titleist: Vokey ultimate guide to wedges – wedge bounce explained
• Golf Monthly: How to play a greenside bunker shot (Peter Finch)
• The R&A: Rules of Golf, Rule 12 – Bunkers