By Tarun Sardesai 

One of the most critical elements of the bunker shot is the correct wrist action through the shot. The wrist action in a bunker is different from that of a regular shot where you don’t really want to allow the club face to turn over, but instead you want a “spooning” action of the face. This action ensures that the face remains open, the bounce remains activated and the dynamic loft is continually increasing through impact. All of these factors will contribute to accuracy and consistency in the bunker.

In the picture below you can see that the forearms have crossed over which is an indication of the wrong wrist action through the shot. This can also activate the leading edge of the club and cause you to dig into the sand too much.

The next picture depicts the correct wrist action where the forearms have not crossed over and there is a distinct “spooning” action of the club face.

As a drill you can hit shots where you stop in this position and check that the face is positioned correctly. The goal of this drill is not to get the ball out of the bunker but instead to be more aware of the correct wrist action through impact.