Jamie Donaldson Instruction: Fairway Bunkers

Fairway bunkers aren’t viewed by Tour Pros as difficult hazards to get out of, simply because the goal during the swing is exactly the same as from the fairway – to strike the ball first.

Too often, amateurs attempt to get the ball out by adding loft with the weight set back, but this tends to cause them to strike the sand first, leading to a severe loss of distance.

Making these changes to your address position, highlighted by Donaldson, will encourage you to strike the ball before the sand.

“You don’t really want to shift your weight much during the swing in a fairway bunker,” says Donaldson. “I set my weight slightly on the front leg and try and keep it there, that way I won’t hit the sand behind the ball.”

Jamie also demonstrates a key drill to get your entry point in the sand consistent and highlights the importance
of balance.

First, here are some general tips from Jamie:

Play safe
Lower your expectations from fairway bunkers – aim for the fat part of the green to give yourself a bigger margin for error. You’ll tend to get more backspin too so favour being long of the flag.

Club up
Because there’s less body action involved during the swing, you won’t build up as much clubhead speed so take one more club than you’d normally use and really focus on the strike.

Quiet legs
On a fairway bunker shot your legs should be quieter during the motion, using more of a ‘hands and arms’ swing. This helps limit the movement of the head for a consistent strike.