Guest Post by Katie Hunt from UpandDownGolfer.com

Finding a way to successfully get yourself out of a bunker can be considered one of the most challenging activities in golf. It puts a golfer’s nerves on edge whether beginner or an advanced player of the game.  The lack of understanding of this skill has ended a promising round countless times. A bunker is the one spot on a golf course you want to completely avoid. But as a majority of golf courses have bunkers, golfers have no choice but to develop this ability, otherwise their game suffers the consequences.

One of the circumstances you must consider is whether or not you are in a fairway bunker, or are you in a bunker next to the green? If you find yourself in a fairway bunker, you’ll want to utilize an iron to get yourself out. Specifically you would adjust your golf swing with the mindset that you’re in the middle of the fairway. The only exception in this case would be if you’re about one hundred and fifty yards away from the green. If that happens and you would normally hit your seven iron one hundred and fifty yards yards, you will want to club up one (six iron). With both of these options make sure you focus on picking the ball completely off the surface of the sand. This is solely for closing the distance between you and the pin.

Are you stuck in a greenside bunker?  Use your sand wedge. Make sure you adjust your golf swing with the mindset of getting all the loft and lift you can to get yourself out. This helps you get a good distance along with a soft landing. Make sure your aim is about one and one half inches behind the ball. Your goal here is to hit behind the ball and follow through with your golf swing. Simply aim at the sand behind the ball and hit that area of sand carrying the ball through and onto the green.

In both side and fairway bunker make sure you twist your feet into the sand and maintain a good solid stance. If you keep these tips in mind you will see a positive change in your golf game.