How to Change Bunker-Shot Distances Without Changing Your Swing

Bunker shots can quickly lead to big numbers for recreational golfers. A lack of practice and understanding leaves many weekend players in trouble when their ball finds the sand.

GOLF Top 100 Teacher David Armitage has made bunker play his specialty, aiming to make these shots less intimidating for everyday golfers. In the pilot episode of Top 100 Teacher Sessions, he explains how to vary bunker-shot distances without changing the swing.

How to vary bunker-shot distances

Once you understand the basic bunker shot, changing the distance is straightforward: simply change the club and the face position at address.

For greenside bunker shots, Armitage uses three wedges: a gap wedge, sand wedge and lob wedge. With each one, he can use a square face, a 1 o’clock face or a 2 o’clock face. That gives him nine different distance options with the same swing.

The conditions still matter, especially how firm the bunker sand is. Armitage points out that Tour players do not always create the spin themselves on these shots; sometimes the sand determines how the ball reacts.

“When they see a ball spinning, they think that the player’s making it spin, and sometimes it’s to do with the circumstances,” Armitage says.

For everyday golfers, the lesson is to focus on setup and strike quality rather than trying to manufacture spin.

GOLF Top 100 Teachers Summit

The 2026 GOLF Top 100 Teachers Summit is scheduled for Nov. 1–4 at Omni La Costa Resort & Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.