How to hit bunker shots? (Bad bunkers)

[James_Black]

The bunkers at my local course are rock hard. If I try to do the normal technique it just ends up with the club digging iin.

does anybody else have to play bunkers like this?
If so how do you hit out of them?

[Zeph]

When they are wet, they are very difficult at my local courses. I take less sand the harder the sand is. If I take too much sand, the club will lose all the speed and dig into the sand. A shallow swing and taking less sand usually works.

[canadianpro]

Usually if the bunkers are "Hard" the bounce of the club "bounces off the hardpan" resulting in thin, bladed shots. If you are "digging in" you probably are not finishing the swing. If you can, try a few shots with the clubface closed (it can be closed a lot" this will result in the club digging in and it will pop the ball out with very little spin...it will run a long way. It used to be called "The ice cream scoop".....it works well on plugged balls too.

[Zeph]

Yeah, I also rather play a wedge with less bounce to avoid bouncing it on the surface of the sand. Hands in front of the ball, ball position middle to further forward.

[jamo]

I try to play it more like a flop shot than an explosion shot.

[Boyder]

One of my local courses has several bunkers like this, especially late in the season. I was taught to tackle this situation by using less loft (maybe go to an 8 or 9 iron in place of the SW) and use more of a chip action. With some practice, it works rather well.

[Greg]

One course i play at has a par 3 with very shallow bunkers that are also rock hard. Once I actually used a putter and this worked quite well, i was able to save par.

[James_Black]

One of my local courses has several bunkers like this, especially late in the season. I was taught to tackle this situation by using less loft (maybe go to an 8 or 9 iron in place of the SW) and use more of a chip action. With some practice, it works rather well.

Seems like a good idea.

[jambrose]

I usually approach these as if I was trying to pitch from a spot that is hard surfaced like a spot that has been walked on a lot, is matted down, and hard. I turn it almost it into a regular pitch shot instead of a normal bunker shot. I have found that it is near impossible to put spin on it too, so adjust to where you need to land the ball as well.

[Gioguy21]

On shots with a hard pan bunker I use both shots mentioned. Pending lie. If I'm at the bottom of the bunker and it's rock I'll use more of a flop-esque kind of stroke to use the bounce to slide it under and pop it up, and if it's on a side lie or or up/downhill I'll 'chip' it more than pop it. The flop-esque gives me the spin I'm looking for but the other lies give me hardly if any...usually none.

[Chief Broom]

If at all possible I'll putt. Obviously there can't be much of a lip on the bunker (and defintely no overhang), but you'd be surprised what you can do with the old Texas wedge. Also don't be afraid to lay up by putting out of the bunker to an area that gives you a better chance to chip it close. Everyone always fixates on the green and the hole when there are a lot of times where simply getting out of the bunker safely is the best play. If you blade the shot into the front of the bunker or catch the ball first and send it 100yds over the green you'll definitely wish you'd taken the safe play by putting out away from the green but to an area that leaves you an easy chip towards the hole.

[Shanks A Million]

The bunkers at my local course are rock hard. If I try to do the normal technique it just ends up with the club digging iin.

Oh man, these are the best kind. Where I practice is notorious for these rock hard bunkers. Ask any pro what bunkers they like best, and they'll say hard packed sand every time. There's 2 good options. One, you just grab a high lofted wedge, I use a 60, and open it way up, then swing a big over the top flop shot and

slam it down into the hard ground, and it should pop right up. Second, use a lower lofted club with low bounce, like a pitching wedge, and chip it out. What's best about the hard sand, is the fairway bunkers. They let you pick the ball off cleanly with ease. I played at Disney, and they had the white fluffy sand, and I drove a bunker on a par 5. I grabbed my 3 iron, jumped in, and fatted the damn thing, it didn't even leave the bunker. I couldn't believe it, I ended up pitching out and making double. When I've driven par 5 bunkers where I practice, I just grab a long iron, and pick the ball out.

[James_Black]

Oh man, these are the best kind. Where I practice is notorious for these rock hard bunkers. Ask any pro what bunkers they like best, and they'll say hard packed sand every time. There's 2 good options. One, you just grab a high lofted wedge, I use a 60, and open it way up, then swing a big over the top flop shot and

My problem is that I was trying the "hit the sand a inch behind the ball" thing I'd hit bad shots all the time. I'll try the 60* shots and the PW shots thanks

[Meddle]

Sand wedge, normal swing, but instead of aiming 1.5 inches behind the ball i'll aim maybe 0.5 inches behind, and take a half swing instead of 3/4. It's easy because you use the same swing, just aim in a different place. Of course, i'm a 20 handicap and don't have a whole lot of different shots down, so this works well for me, really consistent.

[davbrucas]

If it is just packed sand...more like dirt, I will ust close the face and make the same explosion shot. This will get the ball out, sans spin of course.