How can I improve my overall bunker play? — Joe in Moorpark

This week's question is answered by teaching pros Jon Gomez of River Ridge and Dan Martin of Rustic Canyon.

Answer from Jon Gomez:

From a greenside bunker remind yourself that you need to keep loft on the club during the swing.

In a regular swing you are allowing the club to release or naturally rotate during the swing. If you do this while hitting a greenside bunker shot you are allowing the club to de-loft during the swing, making it harder for the club to slide under the ball and create that nice, soft, explosion shot. Try starting with a slightly open club face and stance with the ball positioned opposite your front heel.

Allow your wrists to hinge quickly as you make your backswing and concentrate on having the club enter the sand a couple of inches or so behind the ball.

Keep in mind, for firmer sand you need to enter the club into the sand about an inch from the ball.

As the club moves through the sand try to keep the face open all the way to the finish. I like to make it feel like my right palm is facing the sky at the end of the swing.

If you are trying to hit from a fairway bunker try these tips. If you think of this shot being similar to a knockdown shot it will help you in your execution and preparation.

We want to strike down on the ball to create clean contact. Try to keep your leg action to a minimum, and feel like you're going to swing a little more upright than normal.

Play the ball slightly farther back in your stance than you would normally and make a more compact swing with a shorter follow-through.

Since we are de-lofting the clubs by playing the ball farther back in our stance, remember to take a higher lofted club than normal to make sure you get the ball over the lip of the bunker.

Jon Gomez is a teaching professional and the New Player Development Director at River Ridge Golf Course in Oxnard. He can be reached at 320-2668. If you are having a problem with your game and would like Jon to give you some advice on how to fix it, e-mail your question to him at bbuttitta@venturacountystar.com. Jon will answer your question and also try to get another local teaching professional in your area to suggest a solution. Please include your name and the city you live in with your e-mail.

Answer from Dan Martin, PGA professional at Rustic Canyon Golf Course:

There are some basics that you can focus on to improve your bunker play.

I'm assuming you tend to have difficulty getting the ball out of the bunker. Here are a few things to focus on that I think will help:

Improve clubhead acceleration.

If the club is slowing down, you won't impart enough energy to blast the sand and ball out of the bunker. To improve acceleration, make practice swings full and firm enough to blast sand out of the bunker and onto the green.

If the sand isn't flying out of the bunker, you aren't getting enough energy on the shot. Once you have practiced without a ball, then it's time to put the ball in the way.

Make sure the ball is at least 2 inches in front of where your club tends to impact the sand. Use the same accelerating motion you used to blast sand out of the bunker in the drill.

If you do the same thing, then the ball and sand will easily fly out of the bunker and onto the green.

Use the bounce.

Once you have mastered blasting sand out of the bunker, then you can make it easier if you are effectively using the bounce of the club.

Bounce is the degree to which the trailing edge of the club is below the leading edge of the club and is what really helps the clubhead slide easily through the sand under the ball.

Next time you practice bunker shots, make sure the clubhead is open when you grip the club in your set-up, take a practice swing through the sand and then make sure the club face is pointing more toward the sky in your finish.

If the club stays open throughout the whole swing, then you will be using bounce effectively because an open club face always increases the bounce of the club.

If the club face closes prior to the impact with the sand, then the club will dig down into the sand, robbing the club of its speed. This usually results in a "chunky" bunker shot that might not get the ball out.

Dan Martin is a PGA professional who has been teaching golf for over 10 years. He specializes in developing competitive junior golfers and preparing them for collegiate golf. He can be reached at 530-0221.