Golf Tips » July 1999: The Wet Bunker Shot

This months tip request comes from Bob Clay of Ontario who asks,

“How do you play the wet bunker shot?”

The first aspect of this shot is to understand the function of both your sand wedge and lob wedge.

The sand wedge has a flange or “bounce” at the bottom of the club. In dry sand this helps the club slide through the sand and not dig in. However, in wet sand that same flange will cause the club to skid and bounce into the ball causing you to “blade” the ball, and the resulting shot goes screaming across the green.

The correct method is to use your lob wedge which has little or no bounce. Open the clubface slightly to take the leading edge out of play, and then just swing normally. The result will be a shallow divot, and the ball will come out with quite a bit of spin.

If you do not have a lob wedge, use your pitching wedge, with the same technique.