Bunkers - How Do You Play This Shot?

[DrvFrShow]

I'm tired of this. Every single video I see on Youtube about playing a bunker shot has the ball on a flat lie, fried egg, of near the front lip of the bunker. Yes, I can get out of those.

The one I always seem to get is the ball below my feet on and on the steep downslope from the rear of the greenside bunker. This is usually one of the bunkers off to the left or right maybe pin high where you get the picture, the ball is in the outer part of the bunker. The lie sucks. Not only is the footing bad, but it's downhill and I've got to get it out in one shot. I end up there maybe once or twice a round. 

Then there's the side hill lie in the bunker with the ball below my feet.

Both of these always end in disaster. 

Our practice bunkers don't have such lies available. How does one get of this mess other than not getting into it in the first place?

Edited August 12, 2020 by DrvFrShow

[ScottF]

I’d turn and find a different direction, you are comfortable with to hit the ball and get it out of the bunker. It’s going to cost you a stroke, but  it could cost more to hit a bad stroke and leave the ball in the bunker.

[boogielicious]

1 hour ago, DrvFrShow said:

I'm tired of this. Every single video I see on Youtube about playing a bunker shot has the ball on a flat lie, fried egg, of near the front lip of the bunker. Yes, I can get out of those.

The one I always seem to get is the ball below my feet on and on the steep downslope from the rear of the greenside bunker. This is usually one of the bunkers off to the left or right maybe pin high where you get the picture, the ball is in the outer part of the bunker. The lie sucks. Not only is the footing bad, but it's downhill and I've got to get it out in one shot. I end up there maybe once or twice a round. 

Then there's the side hill lie in the bunker with the ball below my feet.

Both of these always end in disaster. 

Our practice bunkers don't have such lies available. How does one get of this mess other than not getting into it in the first place?

My approach is to aim where I will not create a worse situation. It’s a tough shot even for the professional. Pick a direction and get the ball out to a decent lie. The direction may be away from the pin. But you will have a chance for an up and down from the better lie.

[Golfingdad]

Agree with both previous answers.  Use your imagination and pick a line that creates a less difficult shot.  You so t have to aim right at the hole, just get it on the green, or more immediately, just get it out of the bunker.

[DrvFrShow]

One happened on the 13th hole. The "way out" was a shot that would have put me in real thick rough or if I caught it a little too firm would have put me out of bounds, and the other way would have gone into another bunker, so I took the 2 stroke unplayable lie in a bunker penalty and dropped behind the bunker, pitched on and one putted. Yeah, these shots are just horrid. 

Normally, I try to get it out, nothing fancy. 

[boogielicious]

3 hours ago, DrvFrShow said:

One happened on the 13th hole. The "way out" was a shot that would have put me in real thick rough or if I caught it a little too firm would have put me out of bounds, and the other way would have gone into another bunker, so I took the 2 stroke unplayable lie in a bunker penalty and dropped behind the bunker, pitched on and one putted. Yeah, these shots are just horrid. 

Normally, I try to get it out, nothing fancy. 

Sometimes the way out may be backwards toward the fairway. If you think about shot zones, that may be the best place, no grey or black area.

[Patch]

I get those types of bunker lies every so often. I don't even screw with them as far as advancing the ball towards the hole. Hell, even most  the pros can't handle that shot. 

No, I either punch out backwards from the hole, or maybe sideways. Depends on where my next best lie is.

I figure I'm going to lose a stroke anyway, so why not take an easier shot to a known, better lie. 

[colin007]

What's a "practice" bunker?

[klineka]

20 hours ago, DrvFrShow said:

I end up there maybe once or twice a round.

If you're ending up in one of those lies once or twice a round then you probably need to improve your game planning/understand your shot zones better.

There have been some times where half of my shot zone is off the green to the left to completely take a bunker on the right out of play. 

[DrvFrShow]

According to German military strategist Helmuth von Moltke. "No battle plan survives contact with the enemy."

These have been in places where something went awry during the swing. i.e. I can carry the bunker on the right so I'll aim to the right side of the green and somehow pull or hook the ball and it ends up in the bunker on the left. That's me mis-swinging the club. Not mis-planning the shot. I'm working on that issue. It's a weight shift or lack thereof in the transition.

[TourSpoon]

I had one today. Sand then ball and luckily ended up on the back fringe. Its gonna be a managed bogey in most cases as the severe downhill bunker shot is just a tough one to pull off.