How to Hit a High, Soft-Landing Bunker Shot

A high, soft bunker shot is one of those shots the pros hit that just seems impossible for the average player.

When you see it executed on TV by a professional, it looks so simple – but you have enough experience in the sand to know that it is anything but simple.

While this shot might not be easy, it is within your reach.

It will take a combination of proper technique and plenty of practice to add this shot to your repertoire. Let’s get into the details of how you hit this shot in the article below. We’ll also touch on how to use it properly on the course so it can deliver maximum value to your game.

Why Hit a High Bunker Shot?

There are a couple of potential motivations for attempting to execute a high, soft bunker shot from around the green:

1. Little Room to Work With

You might need to reach for your high bunker shot when you have very little room to work with before reaching the hole location. In other words, you are “short-sided,” and you have to stop the ball quickly after it lands if you are going to set up a short putt.

A lower bunker shot would probably not stop fast enough in this situation, so hitting the shot higher is really your only option to get it close.

2. High Bunker Lip to Clear

The other reason to go high with a bunker shot is to safely escape the trap in a single swing.

When the lip of the bunker in front of you is several feet high, it might take a significantly lofted shot just to get out. If you don’t have a high bunker shot in your bag, you could be forced to play away from the target to get out – or you might not be able to get out at all.

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In addition to the two points above, some golfers just prefer to hit the ball high out of the sand. You might find that this type of shot feels easier to control than a lower trajectory that lands quickly and runs across the green toward the target.

Ideally, you’ll be comfortable with both a high bunker shot and a low one so you can pick the right play for each situation you face.

Start with a Simple Goal

To hit a high bunker shot, you need to maximize the effective loft of the club at impact. That’s it.

For a shot that seems so difficult and complex, the object is quite simple – maximize the loft of the club and the ball will come out high. Of course, it’s easier said than done to put the club in the proper position at impact but understanding the goal of the swing will help bring some clarity to your approach.

Adjusting Your Standard Technique

Assuming you already know how to play a standard bunker shot, you won’t need to completely reinvent the wheel to hit a higher shot – you’ll just need to make a few adjustments to bring the ball flight up.

Starting from your regular technique for a basic bunker shot, consider the following tweaks:

1. Move the Ball Forward in Your Stance

This is a common method for any kind of shot that you want to hit higher, whether from the grass or the sand. Find your normal ball position for a bunker shot and move it up at least an inch or two.

This adjustment will give you more room to work with and will give the club more time to shallow out and maximize loft.

2. Lay the Face Wide Open

Most greenside bunker shots are played with a significantly open face, but that setup should be even more dramatic here.

Lay the face wide open so it is nearly pointing up to the sky. This might look a little weird at first, and you may struggle to trust it, but this is the best way to hit your bunker shots as high as possible.

3. Move Your Hands Back

This is the piece of the puzzle that most golfers miss when setting up for a high bunker shot. Typically, when playing from the grass, you want your hands at least even with the ball, if not a little in front. When playing a high bunker shot, however, you need to set your hands behind the ball at address – again, it’s about maximizing loft.

Quick Lessons High Bunker Shots

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With those three adjustments, you’ll be in a good address position to prepare for a high bunker shot. You’ll still need to actually swing the club, however, which is what we’ll address in the next section.

Using Active Hands

This is a shot that is all about making your hands as active as possible. Active hands can be a problem throughout much of the rest of the game – especially when holding a putter – but you’ll need them to be very active when trying to loft a high bunker shot onto the green.

During the backswing, set the club by fully hinging your wrists and making a small shoulder turn. Then, on the downswing, trust yourself to fully release the hands and slide the club through the sand and under the ball.

You aren’t actually trying to hit the ball with this swing – you want to go under the ball and let the sand carry it out.

That’s a big part of how you achieve such a high, soft trajectory. It may help to rehearse these swings in a practice bunker without a golf ball. Just splash the club through the sand a few times to get the feeling for how your hands need to work.

Doing the Work

With the basics of this technique outlined above, the only thing standing between you and some high bunker shots is practice. Make it a point to work on this shot during your practice sessions so you can build the skills and confidence needed to use it on the course.

Before long, you’ll be looking for chances during a round to pull out this shot and impress your friends. Have fun out there!