How To Play A Bunker Shot out of Wet Sand (5 Tips)

Written by Todd in Online Golf Instruction

A bunker shot out of wet sand takes some simple adjustments and you can master this shot and might actually find it an easy shot.  Here are five helpful tips:

  1. Move the ball slightly back towards the center of your stance
  2. Make sure your footing is stable and sit down a bit into the shot
  3. Use your 60 degree wedge, but do not open way up
  4. Use a shorter abbreviated follow through
  5. Keep your eyes on the spot behind the ball

The best golfers are able to hit quality bunkers shots out of different types of sand.

Of course they practice for the different situations that they face and get really good at making the slight adjustments that it takes to be a quality golfer.

One time you might get really fluffy sand and the next time you might have to play out of a wet, compact bunker with very little soft sand.

We are here to help!  If you have been struggling with a bunker shot out of wet sand, we can help.

How to play a bunker shot out of wet sand?

Update: We have found key #4 above to truly be the difference maker. A shorter, abbreviated follow through with some conviction will give the golfer the speed he or she needs to hit the ball far enough, yet not get stuck in the wet sand. Try it! It’s a game changer!

If you end up in a puddle, make sure you take some free relief (just not closer to the hole).

Tip #1: Move the ball slightly back towards the center of your stance

When we are playing out wet, compact sand it is important that the club doesn’t bounce against the firmness and you end up with a bladed shot.  By moving the ball back, we are giving ourselves less room to hit behind the ball, which is ideal in this situation.  If you hit behind the ball as far as you might in a tradinail bunker shot, sometimes the club can skip through the shot, causing some devastating results. 

In a traditional bunker shot with fluffy sand, we can play the ball more forward and use a lot of sand to throw the ball out of the bunker.  This provides a large margin for error, but we do not have that same luxury out of a wet bunker shot.

How to play out of a fairway bunker

Tip #2: Make sure your footing is stable and sit down a bit into the shot

Go ahead and make sure your feet are stable.  One of the advantages of the sand is that we can dig out feet into the sand to stabilize our feet.  The last thing you want is to slip in the shot, hurting your chances of striking the sand where you need to.

You will also want to widen your stance a bit and sit down slightly with your backside.  This helps keep your lower body stable and allows you to swing your arms and control your low point in the swing.

How to hit out of a sand shot (normal shot)

Tip #3: Use your 60 degree wedge, but do not open way up

Unless you have a really long greenside bunker shot, I am a fan of using the 60 degree lob wedge for the majority of the greenside bunker shots.  The extra loft helps us get the ball up and helps it stop quickly.  We can avoid the front lip of a bunker, while having enough loft to help the ball sit down quick enough.

Using your 60 degree wedge, only slightly open it.  In the regular bunker shot, especially when we have short sided ourselves, we often open that 60 degree wedge way up.  However, you want to be able to use the bounce and not have the club skip across the firm, compact, wet surface.

When to use a sand wedge

Tip #4: Use a shorter abbreviated follow through

Once again, we want to prevent the club from skipping through the sand.  One way to control this is to use an abbreviated follow through.  We want to be firm and fast with the shot, but don’t follow all the way through.  It might feel strange at first, but give it a shot and you might be amazed at the distance and spin control that you can gain with this shot.

This type of swing is great on those firm bunker shots even when it is dry out. Some courses might not frequently rake their bunkers or add sand to their bunkers, leaving a version of hard pan in the bunker. 

This abbreviated swing approach helps prevent the club skipping through the sand and you blading the golf ball.

How to hit a 50 yard pitch shot

Tip #5: Keep your eyes on the spot behind the ball

As you practice this shot and get used to the tips above, you will determine a good entry point for your golf club into the sand.  You can keep your eyes focused on the area behind the ball where you need the club to enter the sand.

Keep your eyes on that spot until you see the club sweep through the hitting zone.  By keeping your eyes down, you are helping ensure that you hit the sand before the ball and help prevent the really devastating bunker shot.  Even if you hit a bit thin or a bit fat, you will have a shot that ends up on most greens.

Bunkers can become really difficult when it is raining out. Make sure you find a way to practice different conditions!

Next Steps: Practice

Unfortunately, finding a place to practice bunker shots might be difficult.  The next time you are playing a casual round and there isn’t a group behind you, spend 5 minutes practicing some sand shots on a variety of different greens.

Look for opportunities when you get a variety of sand.

Or even better, find a practicing facility that has practice bunkers where you can try short, medium and long bunker shots.  And can also practice from a variety of lies that you might encounter in a bunker.  This includes: fried egg, downhill, uphill, wet, dry, no sand, lots of sand.

Become the prepared player and take some notes on what works during your practice rounds or practice sessions.

Golf Practice Games (Top 22 Recommended)

My Secret To Golf Improvement

Let’s face it, in order to get really good at golf, we must practice frequently.  About three years ago, I made the leap and invested in a golf simulator build for my garage.  I went with a SkyTrak Launch Monitor and the TGC software and can now play over 100,000 courses including Augusta, Pebble Beach, Bethpage Black, Whistling Straits. St. Andrews and many other of the top 100 courses in the world.

This golf simulator setup, which is more affordable that you might imagine, has been a game changer.  I can now play golf everyday of the year regardless of rain, snow, cold weather or time of day.  I can practice or play rounds of golf.  I can stand in the 11th fairway at Augusta and with the auto-rewind feature I am able to practice my approach shots from various differences.

It is worth checking out through Rain or Shine Golf as they offer some incredible packages along with financing offers that are difficult to beat.

Some direct links to Rain or Shine Golf for pricing and financing:

Take Action – What You Can Do Today to Get Better

What does this mean for you?  I believe in the following recipe to get better:

1 – Improve your motion in the golf swing by identifying a golf instructor.  Here are some options:

Here is a list of golf instructors that we have reviewed:

2 – Train to swing faster and improve your swing speed.  Here are some options:

Looking to gain more Speed and Distance in your swing. Two Options:

3 – Understand course strategy and work to break through your next barrier.  Here is a series on breaking through:

We have provided guides on how to break 100, 90, 80 and 70. Check out more below, if interested.

4 – Practice Frequently

Did you know that I build a golf simulator in my garage and have played over 500 rounds of golf on my SkyTrak system?  It has been a game changer and one worth checking out. Here are some of my other posts on golf simulators frequently asked questions:

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