The Bunker Setup Mistake That Wrecks Contact From The Sand

Most bladed and chunked bunker shots start before the club ever moves, according to David Armitage, who broke down the setup fault in the first episode of Top 100 Teacher Sessions.

What is the mistake?

Armitage says recreational golfers correctly get their weight forward in the bunker stance, but then tilt the upper body backward to compensate. That backward tilt moves the swing's low point behind the ball, leading to the two most common bunker misses: a bladed shot that skips across the green, or a chunk that leaves the ball in the sand.

What is the fix?

Instead of leaning back, Armitage keeps the sternum forward and adds a little extra flex in the lead knee — a setup position he says he always noticed in Seve Ballesteros. For a standard greenside bunker shot, he plays the ball just in front of the middle of his stance, with the sternum directly above or slightly ahead of it. That position controls where the low point falls and helps the clubhead enter the sand in the right spot.

Keeping the sternum forward, not the shoulders back, is what controls the swing's low point in the sand.

The drill

Set up with a square stance and the face opened before taking your grip. From there, build a wide stance with a low handle, then move your chin, sternum and belt buckle over the ball, or just in front of it. Rehearsing that sequence — stance, grip, then the forward move of the upper body — grooves the setup so it becomes automatic under pressure.