Master Your Bunker Swing and Escape the Tough Lies ⛳️

If you want to start saving more pars from the sand, it starts with two things: mastering your basic bunker swing and having a reliable plan for when the lie isn’t perfect.

Today, we’re diving into both. 👇

Watch the video breakdown here

Build a Better Bunker Swing ✅

A great bunker swing starts by simplifying your motion.

Parker McLachlin, PGA Tour winner and short game coach, breaks it down into three simple moves:

• Hinge: In the backswing, create a 90-degree angle between your lead arm and the shaft.

• Release: Return to impact with minimal shaft lean, keeping the club neutral.

• Rehinge: After contact, rehinge into a 90-degree finish with your lead wrist.

This hinge–release–rehinge sequence keeps your motion clean and helps you control your contact through the sand.

➡️ [Click here to watch Parker demonstrate the bunker swing]

Key Tip: Keep your legs and upper body relatively quiet during the swing.

Focus the motion into your arms and hands for smoother contact.

Once your technique is solid, controlling your entry point into the sand becomes critical.

A simple drill Parker teaches: make swings brushing a line in the sand, aiming to consistently hit just forward of center under your sternum.

No golf balls needed at first — just build the habit.

This ability to control your entry point is what separates consistent bunker players from the ones guessing shot to shot.

➡️ [Watch the full bunker swing drill here]

Adjusting Your Swing for Different Shots 🎯

Once you’ve got the basics down, you can easily adjust your swing depending on the shot you need:

• High, soft shot:

  Keep the face more open, take a longer follow-through, and hit closer behind the ball for more spin and height.

• Lower, running shot:

  Slightly square the face, enter the sand about three inches behind the ball, and shorten your follow-through to let it release.

Being able to choose between flying it to the hole or letting it run out gives you much more control.

How to Escape Bad Lies in the Bunker 🚀

Sometimes you’ll find your ball buried in a rake mark or footprint.

Here’s how Parker teaches players to recover:

• Move closer to the ball:

  A closer setup helps you create a steeper, more vertical swing.

• Hinge the club straight up:

  Feel a strong vertical hinge in the lead wrist to help attack steeply into the sand.

• Hit steep and deep:

  Your goal is to get the club under the ball by aggressively driving down into the sand.

• Minimal follow-through:

  After contact, keep the finish short. Let the ball pop out and release toward the hole.

➡️ [Click here to see Parker’s bad-lie bunker technique]

You’ll be amazed how much easier it is to recover from tough breaks when you trust this method. 🎯

Why This Matters 🧠

Most bunker struggles aren’t just about technique — they’re about controlling your entry points and matching your release to the type of shot you need.

Having a reliable plan for bad lies takes the fear out of tough breaks and helps you save more pars when it matters most.

If you missed last week’s setup lesson, you can catch up [right here].

Thanks for reading! 🙌

If you’re enjoying these Tour-level tips, feel free to forward this to someone who dreads bunker shots — they’ll thank you later!

Have a question? Want help dialing in your short game? 💬 Just hit reply — we’d love to hear from you.

Talk to you next week!