[Kim Hyunjun's Photo Lesson] Im Sungjae's Explosion Bunker Shot "60-Degree Wedge Power"

Stance at 11 o'clock, face at 1 o'clock direction, wrist bent during backswing forming a 'V' shape with club and arm, contact point 1 inch behind the ball

Im Sungjae is executing a powerful 'Explosion Bunker Shot'.

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] 'Par for the win.'

Im Sung-jae (22, CJ Logistics) is truly a 'master' of bunker shots. On the final day of the Honda Classic on the PGA Tour last March, his third shot landed in a greenside bunker on the 18th hole (par 5), but with a precise play that barely grazed the hole, he easily saved par. Throughout all four rounds at the notoriously difficult PGA National Golf Club in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida (par 70, 7,125 yards), his spectacular short game showed its power.

He can aim directly for the hole from the bunker. It is interesting that Im Sung-jae replaces his 60-degree wedge every three tournaments. Due to his extensive practice, the grooves wear out quickly. Among the three wedges?52, 56, and 60 degrees?he especially favors the 60-degree wedge. At the Arnold Palmer Invitational, he leveraged his scrambling ability of 66.67% (7th place) to finish 3rd and immediately rose to 1st place in the playoff (PO) points ranking.

Professional players actually prefer bunkers over deep rough. Compared to the unpredictable rough, bunkers are relatively straightforward. Depending on the remaining distance, players decide the swing size and can produce various trajectories by opening or closing the clubface. Moreover, Im Sung-jae’s main weapon is the so-called 'explosion bunker shot' that blasts the sand. The secret, of course, is endless practice. He said, "If I don’t hold a golf club even for a day, I feel empty."

Amateur golfers must first eliminate the anxious mindset of worrying about missed shots in advance. The 'keyword' is ultimately solid fundamentals. Let’s review the pre-shot routine once again. Bury both feet deeply in the sand to stabilize the stance, and aim at a point one inch behind the ball while making contact. If the pin is at 12 o’clock, the stance is at 11 o’clock, and the clubface is slightly open toward 1 o’clock. In the backswing, imagine bending the wrists to form a 'V' shape between the club and the left arm.

This is to allow the bounce of the sand wedge (the thick part at the bottom of the clubface) to hit the sand behind the ball and dig downward. The correct motion is when the shaft end (grip) points toward the ground. Even if the swing size is small, finish the swing completely. Remember that the softer the sand, the stronger the contact should be. On slopes, fixing the lower body is most important. On downhill lies, it is instinctive to stand up abruptly during the impact process.