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Bunker shot Wedges Beginner / Intermediate ⏱ 8 min 🇬🇧 Video in English, summarized

Shawn Clement's Bunker: Sand as a Snowplow

Shawn Clement, from the Richmond Hill Golf Learning Center, revisits his bunker lesson using a very Canadian image: the snowplow. With a clubface open 30 to 45 degrees, he focuses on just one thing: the swing needed to send a clump of sand toward the landing area.

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Shawn Clement
Shawn Clement · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

To be continued

16 minNext Level UpTommy Fleetwood's Short Game: Chip, Bunker, and Long PuttTommy Fleetwood · Intermediate11 minNext Level UpDeChambeau's Short Game Practice: Chips, Rough, BunkerBryson DeChambeau · Intermediate / Expert7 minFrom the same proClub award presented at address: Shawn ClementShawn Clement · Beginner

What the lesson shows

Shawn Clement It starts with an image: a hand gliding across the water, tilted, causing it to surge forward. It’s the same with the wedge: the face open at an angle of 30 to 45 degrees engages the sole and pushes the sand forward. If the clubface is too open, it doesn’t push anything; if it’s square, it piles up sand and gets stuck, like a snowplow with misaligned blades. The lob wedge works even better than the sand wedge. It first opens the clubface, then the stance very slightly, since the ball only curves about 10 degrees to the right. With the ball in the center or slightly forward, he aims for a fade starting from the left side of the flag.

The exercise: to scatter sand on the green, without a ball, or by making pieces jump. The direction of the throw indicates your alignment: too far to the right, you’re too closed; too far to the left, you’re too open. Your eyes are focused on a grain of sand about 2.5 cm behind the ball, but your attention is on the sand disc you’re about to throw. We always use the same amount of sand, with the same opening: Only the swing changes—a slight adjustment to clear the lip, and a more pronounced one for a long bunker shot of 45 to 50 yards. For a buried ball, he refers to another video, showing a closed clubface that digs its own trench.

The Exercise, Step by Step

  1. Open the face by about 30 to 45 degrees, then open your stance very slightly.
  2. Place the ball in the center or slightly forward, and aim for a fade that starts on the left side of the flag.
  3. If you don't have a ball, throw some sand onto the green and watch the direction of the throw.
  4. Adjust your alignment: if you're leaning to the right, open up more; if you're leaning to the left, open up less.
  5. Look at a grain of sand about 2.5 cm behind the ball and focus on the shot you're about to take.
  6. Adjust your swing: use a light swing for a bunker shot that just gets you out of the bunker, and a heavy swing for a deep bunker.

Key Takeaways

Open angle of 30 to 45 degrees: the sole pushes the sand forward.
If it's too open, nothing grows; if it's too tight, it gets stuck in the sand.
The stance opens very slightly after the face.
Always the same amount of sand and the same opening.
Only the momentum changes depending on the distance.
The sand stream indicates whether you are properly aligned.

Mistakes to Avoid

  • Playing the club square: the club picks up sand and gets stuck.
  • Opening the face too much, which prevents the sand from being pushed forward.
  • Open up your body as much as your face.
  • Adjust the amount of sand or the opening based on the distance, rather than adjusting the momentum.

Driving Range Mode

Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.

  1. Sandblasting without a ball at various targets
  2. Shots played from the sand, to be chipped onto the green
  3. Series with increasing momentum: lip, front of the green, flag, back of the green

Your Questions

Why is Shawn Clement talking about snowplows?

Because the surface must be angled like the blades of a snowplow. When angled at 30 to 45 degrees, it pushes the sand forward; when flat, it causes the sand to pile up and gets stuck.

Should you take more or less sand depending on the distance?

No. Shawn Clement always takes the same amount of sand, with the same clubface angle. Only the swing changes: a little to just get out of the bunker, a lot for a deep bunker.

How can I tell if I'm properly aligned?

Throw some sand without a ball and watch the trajectory. If it veers too far to the right, you're too closed; if it veers too far to the left, you're too open.

Which club should I use?

The sand wedge or the lob wedge—which Shawn Clement finds even more effective. He demonstrates a long bunker shot with a 62-degree wedge.

Learn More

All “Bunker Shot” videos →Find the lesson that's right for you Tommy Fleetwood's Short Game: Chip, Bunker, and Long PuttThree of Fleetwood's pre-shot routines around the green: the “lofted putt” chip, the bunker shot aimed at an impact mark, and the long putt read from the low side. DeChambeau's Short Game Practice: Chips, Rough, BunkerHis typical practice session around the green: three basic chip shots, three shots from the rough handled differently, and in the bunker, controlling the point of impact on the clubface. Justin Rose's Approach to Short Game PlayRose breaks down the short game into a few key principles: a low point under the left armpit, a long or short arc depending on the flag, and compares Seve and Mickelson. Shawn ClementAll of his lessons

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

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