Uphill Bunker / Sand Shots

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As you learned from the Short Game DVD, hitting shots out of the bunker is very easy once you learn the few basic fundamentals. But what happens when faced with an uphill lie? As you'll see in the video, the same fundamentals apply, you simply need to understand a couple more things that will make this shot much easier. The swing is the same, only the setup is slightly different.

  • Uphill bunker shots are handled using the usual sand techniques: Drawing the box, striking the match, acceleration, etc.
  • The only difference is in the setup - if you have a clean lie, your shoulder angle should match the slope
  • Balance your weight as best you can and make your normal bunker shot

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64x64
Brad
Please help with bunker shots out of poor shallow and firm sand. Even bunkers with wet sand which happens all of the time. thank you Brad
October 12, 2017
64x64
Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Brad. As you saw in the video above demonstrating the dig effect. Use the club to help you dig a little. If you open the face too much in wet/compact/shallow sand it will tend to bounce. Square the face a little more and allow the club to dig the ball out. Minimize the distance behind the ball strike by half of a normal shot depending on conditions.
October 12, 2017
64x64
Loran
I find that When I have a high uphill bunker, I cannot get the ball very far... Maybe one foot. Also I tend to chunk it. I take it escaping from sand is not so much for distance as saving par, correct?
May 22, 2015
64x64
Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Hello Loan. The uphill bunker shot can be tricky and very hard to hit for distance. Par is the goal without a doubt.
May 23, 2015
64x64
Terry
Hi I seem to have trouble hitting my 3 rescue or my 3 wood when on an upslope I tend to fade the ball have you any tips please thanks Terry
November 6, 2014
64x64
R.J. (Certified RST Instructor)
Terry, You're likely adding secondary axis tilt because of gravity wanting to pull you backwards. I would bet that it's a balance issue that is causing a slight disturbance in either your path or face angle at impact. Match your shoulders to the slope and make sure to maintain that angle by leaning away from where gravity is trying to pull, which will keep you leveled out instead of falling backwards. A warning though, if you lean too much forward, you'll end up sticking the club into the slope and hitting it really fat. R.J.
November 7, 2014
64x64
David
I know to tilt shoulders on the same angle as the slope in a bunker or fairway...I'm not the best bunker player, but I used to squat down with a lot of knee flex in the bunker. What I got out of this video is that I observed chuck had very little knee flex in the bunker, I decided to try having very little knee flex in the green side bunker on my next round. I was absolutely amazed how easy it is to hit out of a green side bunker now! I know this video had nothing to do with knee flex in a green side bunker. For the money I've been very pleased with the info from rotary golf! Thanks guys! You have made golf much more enjoyable for me! Keep up the good work!
July 30, 2014
64x64
Craig (Certified RST Instructor)
Great David! We appreciate the good feedback and happy you are enjoying the site!
July 30, 2014
64x64
russell
On the uphill sand shot it didn't look like you hit to far behind the ball or came out to far in front like the other sand shots where you took the whole box of sand out , so do you take less sand with uphill lies in the sand?
April 6, 2014
64x64
Chris (Certified RST Instructor)
It can be very easy on uphill sand shots to get steep and take too much sand. You need to allow the club to shallow out a bit which will give you the look of less sand so that you dont stick the club in the face of the slope.
April 8, 2014
1.1 Introduction to The GOAT Code 1.2 The GOAT Delivery Position (GDP) 1.3 The GOAT Grip 1.4 The GOAT Setup 1.5 GOAT Ball Position 1.6 Trail Hand Putting Drill 1.7 Tiger Woods Tee Drill 1.8 Add Lead Hand to Putting Stroke 1.9 Skills Assessment Challenge: Putting
2.1 Clubface is KING 2.2 Trail Hand Chipping Stroke 2.3 Trail Hand Ripper Chip 2.4 Add Lead Hand to Chipping Stroke 2.5 Progressive Drill to Add Lead Hand 2.6 Add Lead Hand to Ripper Chip 2.7 Skills Assessment Challenge: Chipping
3.1 Transferring Power from the Core to the Hand 3.2 The GOAT Pitch Shot 3.3 Pitch Shot Starting Line Drill 3.4 Fundamentals of Compression 3.5 Skills Assessment Challenge: Pitching
4.1 Core Activation - Chair Drill 4.2 Core Activation - Medicine Ball Throws 4.3 Core Activation - Slam Ball 4.4 Core Activation - Punching Bag Power 4.5 20 Yard Wedge Shot Basics 4.6 Skills Assessment Challenge: 20 Yard Shots 4.7 40 Yard Wedge Shots - The Magic! 4.8 GOAT Power Sequence 4.9 The GOAT Drill 4.10 How to Increase Hand Speed - J Release 4.11 The Importance of the Waggle for Speed 4.12 How the Lead Side Works for Power 4.13 Magic of Supination 4.14 80 Yard Shots - Down the Line 4.15 The GOAT Takeaway 4.16 The GOAT 9 to 3 Drill
Webinar 1: The Core Webinar 2: Core Power & Putting Webinar 3 - Compression & Clubface Control Webinar 4 - Fascia & Effortless Power
Squish the Bug for Effortless Power - Pt 3 of 3 The GOAT Release The GOAT Release Intro - Endless Conveyor Belt GOAT Code Secret to Effortless Power - Pt 1 of 4 GOAT Code Effortless Power - Head Movement - Pt 2 of 4 GOAT Code Effortless Power - Using Your Head - Pt 3 of 4 GOAT Code Effortless Power - Take it to the Course - Pt 4 of 4

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