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Bunker shot Wedges Beginner / Intermediate ⏱ 11 min 🇫🇷 Video in French

Getting Out of the Bunker with a Square Stance: 8 Tips

Were you taught to open your stance and swing the club from the outside? Guillaume Biaugeaud suggests forgetting those instructions: the world’s best players stay square, very low, and let the club glide through the sand on a neutral path. Stance, speed, two drills, and speed control: his eight-step method.

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Guillaume Biaugeaud
Guillaume Biaugeaud · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.
Schedule · Step 3 of 7Escape Bunkers in 7 StepsYou've mastered it when: Out of 10 tries, you use the same address without even thinking about it.
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To be continued

7 minSame problemThe ARC Technique to Get Out of a Greenside Bunker First TimeJoël Bernard · Beginner / Intermediate5 minSame problemViktor Hovland's bunker shot: a wedge, a setupViktor Hovland · Beginner / Intermediate7 minFrom the same proScottie Scheffler's Footwork: Swing AnalysisGuillaume Biaugeaud · Expert

What the lesson shows

First instruction: stay honest, with feet parallel to the target line, instead of opening the clubface to the right and turning the body to the left to compensate. The club path is neutral, and the club glides quite smoothly through the sand. The stance is very low: open face, clubhead lowered, knees bent, upper body leaning forward. To open the face, rotate the clubhead and then adjust your grip; the club then rests on its bounce, which glides, rather than digging in with the leading edge. The ball is positioned between the middle of your feet and your left foot, with about 60% of your weight on your front leg (not 80 or 90%), and your hands centered between your navel and the outside of your left hip.

Next, you need to speed: The sand between the clubface and the ball acts as a cushion and absorbs the energy. But this speed doesn’t come from moving your body: you stay stable, positioned slightly to the left, and cock and uncock your wrists. Two exercises: hold a stick in your field of vision to check your stability, and place a tee at the end of the grip that should quickly point toward the sand. To control the power, combine face angle and swing arc the motion; don't worry about the amount of sand, because too much sand also makes the ball roll a lot.

The Exercise, Step by Step

  1. Position your feet parallel to the axis of play.
  2. Rotate the club shaft to fully open the clubface, then adjust your grip.
  3. Lower the handle, bend your knees, and lean forward to get very low.
  4. Place the ball between the middle of your feet and your left foot, with about 60% of your weight on your front leg.
  5. Maintain this stable position throughout the entire movement and generate speed by cocking and then uncooking your wrists.
  6. Exercise: A baguette in your field of vision should not move during the swing.
  7. Exercise: Place a tee at the end of the grip; it should point quickly toward the sand as you swing up, and then again as you swing down.

Key Takeaways

Square stance, feet parallel to the line of play, neutral club path.
Very low stance: feet shoulder-width apart, arms lowered, knees bent, upper body leaning forward.
You open the clubface by rotating the shaft, then return to your grip.
Ball positioned between the center and the left foot, with about 60% of the weight on the front foot.
Speed comes from the movement of the wrists, not from a shift of the body.
Distance is determined by the opening and the amplitude, not by the amount of sand.

Mistakes to Avoid

  • Open the face to the right and align the body to the left to compensate.
  • Cut the ball with a very wide, vertical swing.
  • Staying too high, with your legs straight: you won't scoop up enough sand.
  • Shift 80 to 90 percent of your weight forward, or, conversely, move to the right.
  • Being afraid to pick up speed after taking off too far.
  • Adjust the distance by using more or less sand.

Driving Range Mode

Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.

  1. A rod in the field of view to monitor stability
  2. Tee at the end of the grip: quick setup toward the sand
  3. Two flags at different distances, controlled by aperture and amplitude
  4. Note which aperture and which f-stop correspond to which distance

Your Questions

Should you open up your stance in a bunker?

No, according to Guillaume Biaugeaud. He advises against turning your face to the right while keeping your body aligned to the left: staying square, with your feet parallel to the line of play, is, in his view, the most important adjustment.

How do you properly open the clubface?

By rotating the shaft to open the clubface, then resetting your grip. Opening the clubface by rotating your hands while still holding the grip is not the correct method.

Why does my ball stay in the bunker even though I'm hitting sand?

Because the sand between the clubface and the ball acts as a cushion and absorbs energy. So you need to generate speed by cocking and uncooking your wrists, while maintaining your balance.

How do you hit a bunker shot that's shorter or longer?

By combining clubface angle (more loft, more height) and swing amplitude. The amount of sand is a poor lever: too much sand causes the ball to roll and can send it too far.

Learn More

All “Bunker Shot” videos →Find the lesson that's right for you The ARC Technique to Get Out of a Greenside Bunker First TimeThe ARC method: a low, steady base; bounce from the sole with the face turned and the grip toward your belt; cut through along your foot line. Guillaume BiaugeaudAll of his lessons

Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Guillaume Biaugeaud). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons without hosting them.

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