Sand Save %

[Big_M]

What is your SS percentage? Mine is 14.29% which seems low to me.

However, I feel like I am a decent bunker player... it is very rare for me to leave one in, and I usually at least give myself an oppotunity to make a putt. The problem is oftens times they are in the 7-10 foot range, and I only make about 20% of my putts in this range anyway.

[PiKapp23]

This is not a stat I normally track (nor scrambling), but I would bet my number is close to yours. I am not a bad bunker player in the sense I almost always get it out and on the green (fringe at worst), but usually leave myself a long putt. It's not something I practice very often because I do not end up in greenside bunkers all that often. Some of the courses I play do not have bunkers and those that do I usually really concentrate on getting over it, even if it means leaving myself with a long putt.

It would be nice if more practice facilities had 'real' bunkers to practice out of. Some of the local practice facilities haev practice bunkers but they are nothing like real greenside bunkers - usually with very hard or very little sand. When I find a nice practice bunker I almost always try to hit at least a couple shots out of them just to practice, but this only seems to happen a few times a year.

[Jenks465]

38.48%., which is 6/7% lower than I'd like. When I practice I mark out a circle 6 feet around the hole with tees and then practice getting the ball inside the circle. I give my self 1 point for a ball in the circle, 2 points if I get a ball within a putter length and 3 points if I hole one and I'll practice until I score 10 points or more with 10 balls. This really focuses my attention and means that every practice shot means something. Just an idea!

[Canuck]

Well you should be above %50 from greenside bunkers. 5 handicapers and less should be able to get up and down from the sand %50-%60 percent of the time, with various lies and conditions. The best on the tour are around %60-70% from around 10yards average. The key is to get yourself within comfortable putting range. Your sand save % will go up dramaticly if your putting within 8 feet if solid.

[TheNatural]

WHAT IS THE SAND SAVE? is this lying in green side bunker in 1,2,3 on pars 3,4,5. and saving par? if so...then im horrible...I have noticed that the most skilled players I have played with seem to show greater talent in this facet over your 15 HC and higher then in other aspect of the game...a 5hc frnd of mine says he used to hit 100 balls out of green side bunnkers 2x 3x a week until he no longer had issues. thats what it takes i guess..

[David in FL]

Not a stat I track. Best guess, maybe one in three. Sadly, as you said, I think it's as much a reflection of my putting as sand play.......

[Jenks465]

  Canuck said:

Well you should be above %50 from greenside bunkers. 5 handicapers and less should be able to get up and down from the sand %50-%60 percent of the time, with various lies and conditions. The best on the tour are around %60-70% from around 10yards average. The key is to get yourself within comfortable putting range. Your sand save % will go up dramaticly if your putting within 8 feet if solid.

50% for a 5 handicap? I've never seen anyone but plus handicap golfers and tour pros get over 45% for all sand saves for a season. Sure, for the short ones (8-15 yards) it's do-able but the 20-30 yarders bring the overall percentage down. FWIW there are currently only 87 out of 200 players on the PGA tour with sand save percentages over 50%!

[Big_M]

  Jenks465 said:

50% for a 5 handicap? I've never seen anyone but plus handicap golfers and tour pros get over 45% for all sand saves for a season. Sure, for the short ones (8-15 yards) it's do-able but the 20-30 yarders bring the overall percentage down. FWIW there are currently only 87 out of 200 players on the PGA tour with sand save percentages over 50%!

I thought that was a bit high as well... I guess it all depends on how you calculate the stat... for me, it is anytime I am in a greenside bunker, be it 5 yards or 20 yards.

[Canuck]

maybe i didnt get my point across or you didnt read it properly, however what i was saying was that the "BEST" on tour are around 50-60% from around "10 yards"...... So that means greenside bunkers. Yes when you start to get around 25 yards+ its obvious that number would change dramaticly. 5 handicap and lower i dont see how 50% from around the greens isnt a solid number. thats 5/10 shots up and down.... if you are a half decent putter and get half your shots within 8 feet i think 50% is more than do able. Just my 2cents.

[Big_M]

  Canuck said:

maybe i didnt get my point across or you didnt read it properly, however what i was saying was that the "BEST" on tour are around 50-60% from around "10 yards"...... So that means greenside bunkers. Yes when you start to get around 25 yards+ its obvious that number would change dramaticly. 5 handicap and lower i dont see how 50% from around the greens isnt a solid number. thats 5/10 shots up and down.... if you are a half decent putter and get half your shots within 8 feet i think 50% is more than do able. Just my 2cents.

Well most 5 cappers might make 50% from 8 feet (putting), and that might be on the high side. Some bunker shots will be inside 8, but some might be outside... on top of that you have the fried eggs and other bad lies... I would guess that a 5 capper who manages 50% from greenside bunkers (even if we only count pretty standard bunkers) is well above average.

my question isn't how often get you get U&D; from a good lie in normal greenside bunkers... but how often do you get U&D; from ALL greenside bunkers with ANY and EVERY lie you get. For me that percentage is 14%, and I am curious if that is a weakness in my game... For the record, from good lies in the 5-12 yard range I can usually get the ball pretty close... but I don't always find myself in such good conditions on the course.

[Canuck]

  Big_M said:

Well most 5 cappers might make 50% from 8 feet (putting), and that might be on the high side. Some bunker shots will be inside 8, but some might be outside... on top of that you have the fried eggs and other bad lies... I would guess that a 5 capper who manages 50% from greenside bunkers (even if we only count pretty standard bunkers) is well above average.

I agree with alot of what you are saying but still if you take 10 shots or even 25 shots out of green side bunkers from various lies i bet you will get 50% of them within "make able" putting range. now they say a 5 capper should be able to make a 7 footer 50% of the time and 4 footer 75% of the time. A scratch golfer should be able to make an 8 footer 50% of the time and a 5 footer 75% of the time. these numbers dont seem too be to out there. All golfers are diffrent no matter their cap but these are good goals to work towards and use as a standard.

[bogeyhitter25]

I've been in the bunker twice and both times I've made great shots and put it to about 4 or 5 feet. It's just my putter that's hurting me.