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One-Club Wonder!

Who needs 14 clubs? Your 6-iron can do just about anything.

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Escape The Fairway Bunker

To hit a 6-iron out of a fairway bunker, you first need to be in a sandtrap that doesn't have too severe a lip. You also need a pretty clean lie.


While the 6-iron does go pretty high, it's certainly not as lofted as a sand wedge, and because you'll be pretty far away from the green, you'll need to catch it clean to get the most distance. Again, setup is key here, so implement the following components to ensure a good escape: Play the ball slightly back in your stance and place about 60% of your weight on your left side. Open your stance slightly to create a little more of a descending blow and keep your lower body quiet throughout the swing, but especially on your backswing. To ensure you don't lose too much distance, hit the ball first, then take a divot and continue swinging into a full finish.

Expect to lose about 5% to 10% with a fairway-bunker shot, so if you normally hit your 6-iron 160 yards, select it when you're 150 yards out. Also if you make really crisp contact, you'll see the results on the green. Your ball should stop on a dime.

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