controling distance from bunkers?

[pshizz]

How do you guys do it, other than by switching clubs? I have struggled with this ever since i learned how to hit sand shots. When i try to swing less hard or going with s shorter swing i decelerate too much, and the shot looks ugly.

[whip_it_out]

I do it with shortening my swing.

I did exactly what you are doing for a while, deceleration, too. The BEST tip I ever received for sand shots was swinging farther thought than you do back. For instance, if you swing 1/2 way back, swing 2/3 the way through. Obviously it's feeling a rough estimate, but that makes it almost impossible to slow down.

Just practice, and it will come.

[wedge player]

How do you guys do it, other than by switching clubs? I have struggled with this ever since i learned how to hit sand shots. When i try to swing less hard or going with s shorter swing i decelerate too much, and the shot looks ugly.

i only use one short game club an honestly its feel which means a lot of

practice.but i guess its a mixture of backswing and power.....depends if you want to hit it high or medium.sorry no quick fix its all about practice in my humble opinion..

[bogeyhitter25]

I don't. I just take a big whack, and hope it lands somewhere on the green. I take a full swing, only I hit down about 6" behind the ball.

[Kcas77]

I don't. I just take a big whack, and hope it lands somewhere on the green. I take a full swing, only I hit down about 6" behind the ball.

That is really not helpful at all

Try making a line in the sand behind the sand where you want the club to enter the sand. Of course DO NOT do this when you are actually playing.

[uttexas]

For most bunker shots, completing the follow through is of huge importance. Always commit, and accelerate through the ball on every shot in golf.

There are exceptions to the complete follow through sand shot(severely buried lies, where you have to hit sharply down, and punch out); however, for 90% of standard bunker shots, complete the follow through.

Thus, other than changing lofts with clubs or face angle, altering the backswing length is how to do it.

There are many techniques to getting out of the sand for the standard bunker shot. Tom Watson recommends hitting about two inches behind with open stance and gliding the bounce face through the sand (this is what I do, mostly successfully, but on firm sand, I can skull it a bit)

Pelz (I don't agree with him on this) advocates opening way up (both stance and club face) and hitting as far back as four inches and gliding through. I find this way too difficult to achieve. I have the feeling that Pelz overestimates the distance of an inch.

Utley-haven't read his book cover to cover, but I think he advocates a more square alignment.

I'd be interested to read what Gary Player, Seve, and Chi Chi recommend (three of the best bunker players ever).....and of course Tiger

Watson's style is easiest for me to replicate.

[Shindig]

Question: can you control distance from the fairway, but for a partial shot? Do you know how far half a sand wedge goes for you?

I figure the distance I want the ball to go from the sand, and then I pretend I'm in the fairway and try to hit it 2.5 to 3 times as far. Except, of course, for rules differences. I have no idea where I picked up this rule of wrist. For some reason, I have a decent sand game, especially given my handicap.

[Fourputt]

How do you guys do it, other than by switching clubs? I have struggled with this ever since i learned how to hit sand shots. When i try to swing less hard or going with s shorter swing i decelerate too much, and the shot looks ugly.

Just like any other chip or pitch, I change the length of the swing. I virtually always use the same club (56° SW) from a greenside bunker. I just change how hard I swing to change the distance. Otherwise you just have one distance for each club you use... that's pretty limiting.

I just shorten my backswing for shorter shots... still focus on making a full follow through no matter what length backswing. Not following through on a bunker shot is suicide.

[goblue107501]

I never really thought about it before. For me it is just feel and guess. I think what I do is I use about the same swing every time, I just adjust the distance behind the ball I want to hit. For a shorter shot (just getting it over the lip and roll onto the green) I might hit 5-6 inches behind the ball. The same shot only all the way across the green, I will just hit a little closer to the ball and try not to go as deep.

[Lefty22]

I've read (which means I'm NOT talking from experience here) that there are essentially two methods for bunker shots:

1.) vary the amount of backswing or
2.) vary the amount of sand you try and scoop with the shot

I guess the theory is that either one of these will vary the distance the ball travels, one by changing the club speed, the other by changing the amount of force exerted on the ball due to the extra sand.

Personally I find it's easier to be consistent with the varying the backswing method. Given the different stances required for some bunker shots it seems it would be difficult to exactly gauge the amount of sand you are scooping.

After I decide 3/4, 2/3, 1/2, 1/4; I aim an inch behind the ball every time and then once I start down it's down hard and through until sand hits the green.

I don't play in super fluffy sand though so I've never had a ball buried where I couldn't see at least 1/4 of it so I can't speak to the super buried lie...

[msd3075]

Unless you are fairly consistent at getting your bunker shots out and onto the green, I suggest first just concentrating on simply getting the ball out. If you don't feel comfortable hitting a shorter bunker shot since it has a good chance of not getting out, I'd first of all concentrate on making sure your next stroke will be a putt and not another tricky bunker shot. I know people will tell me this isn't good advise, but for anyone that is shaky playing form the sand, your best chance is to above all else just get out of the sand.

[pshizz]

Unless you are fairly consistent at getting your bunker shots out and onto the green, I suggest first just concentrating on simply getting the ball out. If you don't feel comfortable hitting a shorter bunker shot since it has a good chance of not getting out, I'd first of all concentrate on making sure your next stroke will be a putt and not another tricky bunker shot. I know people will tell me this isn't good advise, but for anyone that is shaky playing form the sand, your best chance is to above all else just get out of the sand.

I am completely comfortsble hitting bunker shots, and getting them out of the bunker. What i ned to focus on to become better with my sand game is mastering the touch part.

[msd3075]

I am completely comfortsble hitting bunker shots, and getting them out of the bunker. What i ned to focus on to become better with my sand game is mastering the touch part.

The way that I was taught to hit greenside bunker shots is to open up the clubface completely, make a 3/4 to full swing, and "pancake" the clubhead into the sand on my downswing. You vary the distance you hit the ball by far back you take the club and where you draw the "line" in the sand behind the ball where the club head goes. If I'm playing fluffy sand, I'll take a full swing and hit a bit closer to the ball. If I'm playing in concrete-like sand, I'll take a shorter swing but hit further behind the ball. This method was taught to my dad by Claude Harmon. The one thing that does stay constant it that I always do a complete follow-through on every swing. This ensures to me that I accelerate through the shot. There is no magic combination or specific type that will result in a given yardage; you have to go practice it to determine what works for you.

[MiniMoe]

Success out of bunkers depends on many variables. Are you having trouble with the longer bunker shots, or the short ones? Is the sand at your course really soft and fluffy, or it is thick and hard? If the sand is fluffy, you have to change clubs to control the distance. Longer shots require hitting 9 irons. The main thing to remember out of fluffy sand is to go ahead and hit it hard and expect the ball to roll more. Firmer sand is completely different in how you approach the shot. On longer shots, you place the ball farther back in your stance and keep the face square. On shorter shots, you open the face more and play the ball more in the middle or even forward in your stance.

In the end, you have to try different techniques. Learn by trial and error the correct feel for the different shots you encounter in the sand.

[DBeane]

I would say practice and feel. I used to (and still do when I have time), camp out in practice bunkers for hours. Once your fundamentals are sound and your hitting the shot right (amount of sand, direction of the ball), then just enjoy the practice session. Then (like any shot) learn to trust your instincts on the course.

Tip:
I call this my "dump shot".

If you have a shot were you need to carry the ball maybe 1-5 feet. Set up normally. Take an abbreviated back swing and pronate or cock your left wrist back (If your hand and forearm are flat on a table, lift your hand up, leaving your forearm in place, this is the feeling you want). This will make the club head extremely steep, and you will come into ball very steep. You will have to practice to figure out what type of follow through works for you(sometimes I end up leaving the blade in the sand). The ball usually comes out with little spin so plan on some roll. This has always helped prevent me from decelerating on the more "delicate" shots were little carry is necessary.
-Beane

[Jenks465]

Success out of bunkers depends on many variables. Are you having trouble with the longer bunker shots, or the short ones? Is the sand at your course really soft and fluffy, or it is thick and hard? If the sand is fluffy, you have to change clubs to control the distance. Longer shots require hitting 9 irons. The main thing to remember out of fluffy sand is to go ahead and hit it hard and expect the ball to roll more. Firmer sand is completely different in how you approach the shot. On longer shots, you place the ball farther back in your stance and keep the face square. On shorter shots, you open the face more and play the ball more in the middle or even forward in your stance.

Perfect answer! Why not use different clubs? You do for every other shot in the game! At my home club (heavy deep fluffy sand) I use every club in the bag from 58* to a seven iron depending on situations I face. If the option of playing for a bit of run isn't available then it's square the face up and swing longer for long shots or open the face wide and fizz the clubface under the ball for the short ones! Good luck.

[Flatswinger]

My bunker play vastly improved the day I started straightening my right arm [quickly] as my downswing key. This creates an ideal arc -- very shallow -- that's perfect in a bunker.

Varying the distance is then just a matter of how fast you straighten it.

[Homer Kelly came up with this move, among other things -- it destroyed Bobby Clampett's swing -- I don't use it anywhere but in bunkers].

[mad max]

Unless you are fairly consistent at getting your bunker shots out and onto the green, I suggest first just concentrating on simply getting the ball out. If you don't feel comfortable hitting a shorter bunker shot since it has a good chance of not getting out, I'd first of all concentrate on making sure your next stroke will be a putt and not another tricky bunker shot. I know people will tell me this isn't good advise, but for anyone that is shaky playing form the sand, your best chance is to above all else just get out of the sand.

How true this is how I play but I hate when they have bunkers on opposite sides of the pin and I catch one a little thin and have to rake quickly then scurry to the to the other bunker and hit from the sand while the other golfers look at me with pity.