Greenside bunker shots are something every golfer has to navigate on the course, but they can often take their toll on our scorecard and our sanity.
Learning how to hit a bunker shot is a crucial skill for all amateur golfers, especially when you consider the impact that finding the sand around the green has on your scoring.
Achieving better greenside bunker play requires the advice of an expert in the field, so I knew exactly who to reach out to for help.
Peter Finch earned a spot at 2025 Open Championship final qualifying thanks to a fantastic winning performance at the regional qualifier, but beyond his impressive playing abilities he has also helped vast numbers of amateur golfers to improve their game.
In this article and vertical video, Peter Finch explains how to play a greenside bunker shot like an elite tour pro, but also differentiates the technique to help players of all abilities to escape the sand unscathed...
Greenside Bunker Shots: What Does The Data Say?
Greenside bunker shots are a problem for almost every level of amateur golfer - with the green's last line of defence performing valiantly to repel our advances.
According to the latest Shot Scope data, even a scratch golfer only gets up and down from this spot 37% of the time, meaning more than six out of ten visits to the greenside bunker result in costly dropped shots.
That picture turns even bleaker for those at the top end of the handicap spectrum, with a success rate of around one in ten (10%) for a 25-handicapper.
As you can see, in the video below, there is a clear correlation between greenside bunker performance and reduced handicap indexes, so how can I help you to master this crucial golf shot?
There are different ways to play this one, so I am going to differentiate my advice in relation to your handicap, in order to give you the best chance of success from the sand.
How To Play A Greenside Bunker Shot: High-Handicappers
Start by placing the ball position just forward of centre in the stance, with the feet pointing just left of target for a right-handed golfer.
We need to open up the clubface, by rotating the handle of the club to the right and adding more loft, then take our normal golf grip.
Get your weight over to your lead side at address and keep it there throughout the swing to encourage a downward strike.
The idea is to hit the sand first, around an inch and a half before the golf ball. When you take the club back, you need a very quick wrist hinge to get the clubface pointing back at you.
Acceleration through impact is key, so don't quit on it. Aim to finish with the clubface once again pointing at you, and you should be able to watch the ball soar majestically onto the green.
Want a recap? Here are the key points to takeaway...
- Ball position just forward of centre
- Feet pointing left of target (right-handed golfer)
- Open the clubface
- Take normal golf grip
- Weight on lead side throughout swing
- Quick wrist hinge
- Keep acceleration up through impact
How To Play A Greenside Bunker Shot: Mid- To Low-Handicappers
Mid- to low-handicappers might want to achieve a little more finesse and control from their greenside bunker shots, so I've got a slightly adapted set of guidelines for you.
Rather than opening the stance to the target, by pointing your feet left, let's set up parallel - like you would be on a normal shot.
Bend the knees to get nice and low, and keep the ball position the same as stated above.
Open the clubface again but this time, keep the hands a little lower towards the sand. The club is going to travel a little more around the body, as you can see me demonstrating in the video above, as this will shallow the angle of attack.
This is the technique used by pretty much every tour pro, ensuring a cleaner contact with the sand and producing those mesmeric shots we can easily recall from the greatest in the game.
It's recap time – with those changes for lower handicap players in bold...
- Ball position just forward of centre
- Feet parallel to target
- Open the clubface
- Take normal golf grip
- Weight on lead side and bend knees to get lower
- Hands lower towards sand
- Swing more around body
- Keep acceleration up through impact
