The Line Drill in Bunkers: Point-of-Entry Practice for Sand Shots

If you want good results on bunker shots around the green, you need a consistent point-of-entry. That means being able to repeat, bunker shot after bunker shot, where your club enters the sand relative to your golf ball — having the club enter the sand at the same point on every shot during the forward swing. That's where the Line Drill comes in.

The Line Drill is one of the most commonly taught drills in all of golf instruction, and certainly for bunker practice. It is sometimes called the Point of Entry Drill, or the Low Point Drill because it helps golfers work on finding a consistent bottoming-out point, or low point, on bunker swings.

And the Line Drill is about as simple as golf drills get. Make a line in the sand. Practice hitting the sand at that line:

1. First, draw a line in the sand about six feet long.
2. About one to two inches in front of that line, take your clubhead and make some indentations in the sand six inches apart to replicate some imaginary golf balls.
3. Then, using good bunker technique, start making swings down that line.

The objective with this drill is to have your club enter the sand on the line you've drawn, which is one to two inches behind the "balls." Practicing this drill can help you achieve consistency on your point of entry with greenside sand shots.

Once you are getting good at consistently hitting that line using only the imaginary balls, throw some real balls down and work your way down the line again. And then, when you are out on the golf course playing a round and find yourself in the sand, you can visualize that line behind your golf ball and take confidence from the practice you've put in. Watch the video above for a demonstration of the Line Drill. (You can find many other videos on YouTube, including some variations.)