What to Do in a Wet Bunker?

Step One: Understanding successful strategy from a wet bunker begins with how the shot works. If the sand is wet and heavy, you must take less of it to move the ball out of the bunker. Too many amateurs take the same amount of sand out of the bunker for each shot. To be a good a bunker player, you must understand how the texture and density of the sand affects the shot. When the sand is compact and packed down, you have to strike the sand closer to the ball. It almost becomes more like a pitch shot off a tight lie.

Step Two: Make that swing a little more steeply. Swing the arms back and hinge the club aggressively like Broadhurst does here. Then in the follow through, make sure you repeat that move. If you get the club too shallow on a very hard lie, the club can hit the ground prior to the ball and skip into it causing a rocket shot into the bunker face. By creating a sharper angle of attack, we can hit the sand closer to the ball and take less of it. We need to create lift. This is the most effective way to do so with the widest margin for error.

Step Three: Make sure you have a solid stance. Hard packed sand can be slippery when we start turning. This applies to greenside or fairway bunkers when they are wet. Get those shoes planted in the sand so you can keep your balance through the entire shot.