A lot of confusion exists about the proper way to play a long bunker shot. First of all, it is extremely difficult because you have to carry the ball a long way and still stop it on the green. I want to share my thoughts with you about a shot that has worked at very critical times during golf tournaments. It is played much more like a normal wedge shot. I keep the clubface fairly square. I play the ball in the middle of my stance and like every other bunker shot it is going to be a full swing, but I want to take very little sand with this. The important element of this shot is that you accelerate very gradually, it is not the major acceleration of the other bunker shots, it is a slow, smooth acceleration, so you do not get the ball thin nor do you leave it in the bunker. Now that is how you win golf tournaments!