The gap between a pro and a 15-handicap in the sand is massive. Tour players escape bunkers far more often than the average amateur. The technique isn’t the problem. The mindset is. Most golfers try to lift the ball out. They slow the club down right before impact. This is a fatal error that kills every shot.
David Armitage laid out the fix in a recent session. According to Golf.com, Armitage delivered a masterclass on bunker play during the first episode of Top 100 Sessions. He doesn’t tell players to hit the ball. He tells them to hit the sand. The club never touches the ball directly. It drives into the sand behind the ball. The sand then launches the ball out.
The Acceleration Cure
Amateurs fear the sand. They pull back and barely push through. The clubhead slows down and digs deep. This leaves the ball in the trap. Armitage’s advice is simple and brutal. You must accelerate through the shot. The instinct to decelerate is the only thing stopping you. Speed is the cure for the fear of the bunker.
Zephyr Melton, the associate game-improvement editor at Golf.com, reported on these instructions. Melton noted that Armitage’s approach turns a scary shot into a routine one. The bounce of the wedge does the work. You just need to keep the club moving. Stop trying to help the ball up. Let the clubface do its job.
Open the Face Wide
The setup changes everything. Golfers often keep their hands too far forward. This delofts the club and kills the bounce. Armitage says to open the face. This presents the bounce to the sand, not the leading edge. The leading edge should never cut into the turf here. It must glide over the surface.
This adjustment allows the club to slide through the sand. It prevents the leading edge from digging too deep. This technique is the key to consistent contact. The ball sits up on the sand. It pops out high and soft. The open face creates the loft needed to clear the lip.
The fried egg lie is the only exception. When the ball plugs in its own crater, the bounce won’t work. You need to close the face slightly then. Take more sand and dig the ball out. But for most bunker shots, the open face and acceleration rule.
