Three Tips for Hitting Darts Out of Fairway Bunkers

Fairway bunkers don’t just test your swing; they test your nerve. One wrong move and you’re laying up short, scrambling to save par. 

The thing about fairway bunkers is they’re equal parts mental and mechanical. Standing over the ball, you can almost hear the voice in your head debating play it safe or go for it. It’s this blend of risk, reward, and precision that makes the shot so tricky. But with the right approach, these sandy traps can become launch pads for one of the most satisfying shots in golf. And by breaking the shot into three focused keys, we can tackle the exact hurdles that make these lies so challenging.

1. Getting Your Ball Position Right

Getting your ball position right can totally change your fairway bunker game it’s often the difference between a clean shot and a chunked one. Because sand is softer than grass, placing the ball too far forward usually means you’ll hit the sand first. That kills your distance and makes your next shot harder than it needs to be.

And what’s the ideal spot? Keep the ball in the center or just a touch back of center in your stance. This setup helps the club meet the ball just before the swing bottoms out, making it easier to catch it clean.

When you nail your ball position, you’re much more likely to get the ball flying confidently out of the bunker. It’s a simple adjustment that goes a long way in turning a tricky lie into a solid, controlled shot. Try keeping a bit more weight on your lead foot and narrowing your stance slightly. This setup helps maintain your center of gravity and promotes the kind of stable, compact motion you need to cleanly pick the ball off the sand

2.  Choosing the Right Club

Choosing the right club can completely change how you attack fairway bunkers, and lofted hybrids are often the game-changer you didn’t expect. When the bunker lip is high or the lie’s tough, grabbing a 5-hybrid gives you the perfect combo of height and distance without hacking at the sand like crazy. But a word of caution—if your ball is sitting down or the bunker lip is towering, don’t force a hybrid. That’s when a wedge or 7-iron becomes your best bet for just getting out and playing smart.

Keeping the face slightly open (depending on the club and lie) helps increase loft without needing to add swing speed—especially important in softer sand

These clubs send the ball up and over the lip with ease, and their wider sole keeps you from digging in too much, which means cleaner contact and far fewer chunky shots. Players like Xander Schauffele, Sam Burns, Jordan Spieth, and others often carry hybrids such as the Callaway Apex UW, Titleist TSi2, or PING Anser hybrid in their bags. Put in some practice with hybrids from the sand, and you’ll add a reliable, confidence-boosting tool to your bag. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll wonder how you ever played fairway bunkers without one.

3. The Power of a Controlled Swing

Blasting at full speed from a fairway bunker usually spells trouble. But the smarter move here is to ease back into a smooth three‑quarter swing. It keeps you balanced, makes cleaner contact, and avoids the kind of wild misses that bury you deeper in the hole.

Keep your tempo smooth and don’t be afraid to commit to a full finish. Deceleration causes fat shots, but a confident follow-through helps preserve your rhythm and improves contact—even from tricky sand.

With a shorter backswing, the focus shifts to striking the ball solidly rather than chasing every yard. You’ve already got the right club in hand, and now it’s all about control.

Fairway bunkers aren’t just a test of skill; they demand composure. Different players do have their own style of tackling the bunker shots but overall, reading the lie, setting your plan, and committing to each move can turn a difficult stretch of sand into just another step toward the green.