December 8, 2015 Posted by Matt

If the conditions are in your favor, you may be able to putt out of a bunker.  If there is no lip on the bunker and the sand meets the grass on a level plane, then a putt would travel nicely.  If there is a lip on the bunker do not attempt the shot.

The lie needs to be decent (not buried).  Make sure the sand is firm or wet.  Do not putt the ball if the sand is soft or fluffy, as it will not roll through this type of texture.

Address the ball as you normally would with a putter on the green.  Your weight should be centered over both feet and with your regular putting grip.  Play the ball back in your stance, which will help prevent you from touching the sand through impact.  Unlike a typical bunker shot, the key is to catch all ball and no sand.  Think about striking the upper half of the golf ball with the putterface.

The ball might pop up slightly when it hits the grass which will slow down the ball a bit.  Since you’ll also be striking the putt slightly off-center, don’t be afraid to hit this shot harder than normal.

With a little practice, you will find that this shot is easier to hit and you’ll be more accurate than hitting a full sandwedge.

Be forewarned, if you try this shot without a good lie, firm sand and no lip on the bunker, be ready to hit a second shot from the spot because it’s going to take you two shots to hit it out!