If you had to rate golf shots on degree of difficulty, personally, I would think fairway bunkers is a top five. There?s no question about it. I?m going to share with you a golf swing technique to help you with this shot.

One of the main reasons some of you struggle with fairway bunkers is when you have a long fairway shot, a Par 5, you?ve hit the fairway bunker in 1 shot and now you want to reach the green in 2, so, you pull out your trusty fairway wood.

There?s a problem with that. The sole on the bottom of a fairway wood, a metal wood, is a lot wider than that of an iron; let?s say the 8 iron. The sole on the 8 iron is about, maybe a fifth or a fourth as wide as a 3 wood. This is what happens if you try to hit a fairway wood from a fairway bunker shot.

What you do is, as you start to swing down, the sole of the golf club catches the ground and makes the wood skid. A lot of times you?ll take a little too much sand and hit it 10 feet, or you?ll top it.

Fairway woods, metal woods, were not designed to be hit out of fairway bunkers. The reason is, if you take a normal golf swing and if you catch a little sand you won?t go far, or you?ll top it. That?s what your golf swing is designed to do is to run level with the ground.

Let me share with you a great golf swing technique that will help you in the future when you're in the fairway bunker.

Using an 8 iron, if you play this golf ball in the middle of your stance and put a little weight on your left leg and put the handle of the golf club over towards your left side and swing your arms up and down, the ball will go near 125 yards.

The next time you're in the fairway bunker, if you're looking for 125 yards, try this golf swing technique and use a lofted club, a 7, 8, 6 iron. Put the ball in the middle of your stance, put a little weight to your left leg, swing your arms up and down, and feel the chop down on it for a 125-yard golf shot out of the bunker.

Try that tip.

Copyright 2006 David Nevogt