Bunker Shot: How To Handle The Swallowed Ball

If bunker shots weren't tough enough to rescue yourself from during a challenging round of golf, worse yet is when the ball lands in a bunker and is practically buried whole by the soft sand. This type of scenario happens all of the time and is quite tricky to deal with when you only have the top surface of the ball showing itself, otherwise known as the “swallowed ball”.

A Word Of Attitude

Before we move on with advice on how to deal with the swallowed ball scenario, I want to quickly remind you not to get frustrated and upset when these types of shots happen. Remember that golf is supposed to be challenging. Golf is supposed to be unpredictable. Golf's beauty is that the game always throws you a surprise or two (or three, or four, or...) so have fun with it! Don't get caught up with a bad attitude. This will only make your game worse.

Dig Your Stance Deeper Than Usual

When the sand has swallowed your ball and you can only see the top surface, you are going to have to adjust the standard stance you use. Remember that the ball is literally resting a couple of inches underneath the sand so you must start from a lower level.

Your goal is still to cause the clubhead to hit below the ball, as in any standard bunker shot, but since it is lower than usual, you have to adjust the same distance into the sand. Perhaps the ball is only down a couple of inches in the sand but those two inches make it harder than you think, so dig in and get ready to swing!

Lower The Club

Another tip is to get the club lower so that you can send the leading edge of the blade to dig in more. Simply close the clubface up slightly during address, while at the same time delofting it so that the club will more easily dig up.

Give Your Swing More Speed

When you play a buried lie like this, the club must ram through added inches of sand, splashing with more resistance. This obviously slows down the club to a large degree and calls for extra speed on the swing. I'm not talking about making the swing harder, just faster.

Pitching: Choosing The Right Club & Reaching Realistic Goals

When it is time to make a pitch shot, you can't just pull out any club for the job. The club you pick will depend entirely on how much distance lies between your ball, the green, and the hole. So as long as you adhere to the basic fundamentals of proper execution when hitting the shot, the specific club you use to make your pitch a successful one is a matter of the yardage needed and preference from experience.

Ideally you want to select a club for your pitch shot that will send the ball soaring far enough, and high enough, to get past the ground distance that you need it to. You also need the ball to come down with the appropriate trajectory so that it comes to a dead stop on the green (or better yet, close to the hole).

Isn't The Pitching Wedge The Ideal Club To Use?

Fundamentally, yes, the pitching wedge would indeed be the best choice, but the intermediate-to-advanced golfer has room for preferences when playing their short game. There are even golfers that like to hit pitch shots from any club, be in the sand wedge on up to the 9 iron.

However, if you are new to golf or still getting a feel for your clubs, the key is to practice as many pitch shots on the range as possible with your short irons. This way you will get a good feel of the trajectory of each club as well as the distance that they will give you when on the course. Be sure to hit many different types of pitches. Try some low liners under the wind and dozens of high flops that fly over bunkers – any odd situation that you may face during a real game.

Pitch Shot Goals & Realistic Expectations

You have probably heard this before but it can't be said enough: Every shot you take should be preceded with a solid goal and a realistic expectation. But setting specific goals can be tough for the new golfer to apply. You need to know exactly what you want to accomplish - you need to set up an easy pitch - you need acceptable results. Here is how you do it:

1. Set your goal. Think big, think bold! Go for the green in a way that you have never done before. Get ambitious with your pitch shots (and all other shots for that matter) and make it a goal for the ball to reach as close to the hole as possible. Visualize the ball landing and leaving you on a 1-putt shot to the hole.

2. Realistic expectations. Now just because you went for the gold with your pitch shot this does not mean that your ball will land where you want it to each time. In fact, you should walk away from any result with a positive attitude. So at the same time while dreaming big, also program your mind to be happy anytime the ball lands either on the green or at least close to it. That is the way this game works: Reach high but make the best of every situation.

Pitch Shot Or Chip Shot: What Should You Do?

As you may already know, the chip shot and the pitch shot are two completely different things. To put it in simple terms, chips shots are a regular part of your short game (like putting) and pitch shots tend to “set up” your short game.

Pitch shots are usually knocked around with your pitching wedge (or a sand wedge) from anywhere from 35 yards away to almost 100 yards away. They are very close to a standard iron shot.

Chip shots, on the other hand, are routinely made closer to the green within 25 to 30 yards and come in various forms. For example, you can game a chip shot with any club you like, from a low-number iron all the way to your sand wedge (depending on the conditions of your shot).

All varieties of the chip shot can be narrowed to two basic groups: The “bump and run” and the “flop shot”.

1. The bump and run: The bump and run describes a chip shot that is made when you have flat, open grass in between your set up and the green. This is one of those golfing terms that literally means what it says: A shot that is bumped low and rolls the majority of it's way towards its destination.

2. The flop shot: The second category of chips shots is known as the flop shot. Some golfers also refer to is as a “lob shot”. This type of chip shot becomes necessary when facing obstacles like a water hole, sand; anything that gets in the way of being able to roll the ball toward its destination. Flop shots reach skyward quickly then drop straight down to the ground. There should only be a slight roll, if any at all.

The easiest chip shot from these two choices is always going to be the bump and run, for obvious reasons. It's must easier to swing into play because the stroke is very similar to a putt, which means less chance of making a mistake.

Flop shots, on the other hand, are a tougher cookie to crumble because it is easier to mess up the shot. You could easily hit a fat shot or top the ball because you must open up the clubface and hit with a slice from underneath the ball. You can always tell the inexperienced golfer on the course because these chip shots never usually end well. But with enough practice they turn into successful swings that will impress your playing partners.

Chip Tip: A Simple Way To Understand The Mechanics Of The Chip Shot

If you are having a tough time with your chip shots then the easiest way to get better is to first understand the mechanics of the shot.

Simple think of the chip shot like the hands of a clock: The bottom of your swing would be the 6 o'clock mark. The top of the swing would be your 12 o'clock mark. In this shot, the appropriate timing on these “hands of the clock” may vary depending on how much distance you need.

For example, if you swing the club from the 6 o'clock starting point, back along the target line, and the backswing stops at the 3 o'clock position, then the swing along the target line – after striking the ball – should not stop until it reaches the 9 o'clock mark.

The Bottom Line

Make sure you draw the club back, keeping it low to the ground right along the target line, then forward through the ball. Finish your swing pointing directly to the target line, with the same amount of distance that you took your club back, making sure to not stop there – keep the club moving as you lead with the front wrist – as this will keep the clubface on the target line.