Greenside bunker consistency

Setup

1. Pick a flat lie in the middle of a practice bunker, with a hole 8 to 12 m away.
2. Mark a circle about 3 m across around the hole with tees or string.
3. One player in the bunker at a time. The next player waits outside the bunker, behind and well to the side.

How it runs

1. Before the first ball, rehearse the swing on the grass beside the bunker, not in the sand.
2. Play five balls with exactly the same setup and swing. After each one, look at the scar in the sand: it should start a few centimetres behind where the ball sat and be shallow and even.
3. Score a point for each ball finishing inside the circle; a second point if the scar looked right.
4. Rake your footprints and scars, hand over, and watch the next player. Two rounds each.
5. On the course you may not touch the sand with the club in front of or behind the ball, in a practice swing or in the backswing, so build the routine without grounding the club.

Coaching points

• Same setup every time: feet wriggled in for balance, stance a little open, ball just forward of centre, clubface open before taking the grip.
• Hover the club above the sand at address.
• Keep the lowest point of the swing in the same place by keeping the weight favouring the lead side throughout.
• Swing the same length and speed for the same distance; let the sand carry the ball out.
• Finish facing the target with the club up; a full finish keeps the speed through the sand.

Common mistakes

• A different ball position every shot, so the club enters the sand in a different place.
• Weight drifting back, which digs a deep scar or thins the ball over the green.
• Grounding the club at address, a habit that costs a penalty on the course.
• Leaving footprints and scars for the next player.