Bunker Shots

[Adumb]

Hey guys! I actually am in need of some advice on bunker shots. I can seem to hit the ball out of the bunker with 56 degree sandwedge, but it doesn't make it that far out. For example, my last bunker shot was out of a somewhat large greenside bunker and the ball was in the middle, I made it out but it was still on the rough before the fringe. My problem is I either hit that exact short shot, or catch it too thin and bomb it over the green, or I dig under it completely and the ball goes nowhere.

I see a lot of pga golfers take a full powerful when hitting out of the bunker, but would it be counterproductive to have a slow swing and catch the ball thinner? Let me know what you think and if you have any tips. Thanks!

[Stretch]

Try Stan Utley's bunker method.

http://www.resortliving.com/printer-...f%2Fdetail.asp

That's a bit of an incomplete summation, but if you Google it you'll also find some helpful videos on YouTube. The key thought for me, detailed in his book but not in the article, is set up as he describes and then just "slap the sand" nice and hard. At first it will feel like you'll hit it way too far, but you'll be surprised at how consistently and delicately the ball comes out.

Failing that, just play by Stan's rules!



(I think that's tongue-in-cheek, but who knows?)

[stebed]

Best tip I have ever had on bunker play is green side shots, short back swing and accelerate through, longer shots longer back swing but keep accelerating through the ball.
You might also want to try a 54º from the sand to gain a little distance.

[Tifosinumerouno]

I think Based on your question, your biggest concern is distance control. There is alot of technique information out there, but I hadn't found much on the internetthe discussed distances. Finally, in a short game lesson from my pro, he gave me a great piece of advice... Think of how long you would swing if you were chipping the ball from a good lie, then take a practice swing of that distance, then double that length, and do a second practice shot of that doubled length. That's how hard you should hit it if you're in the sand, about twice as hard as you would in a regular chip. It has worked very well for me lately.

[zeg]

The key for me is hitting the sand a consistent distance behind the ball. I have a lot of trouble with it, but when I practice it a lot, I can get to be pretty good.

[right handed phil mickelson]

The thing that helped me a lot is to address the ball with a stance like you would pitch it (usually an open stance). Open the face a little bit, of course. Now move your stance BACK about 2 inches (so the ball is farther toward your front foot). Put about 60% of your weight on your left leg, and about 40% on your right, so you're leaning a little bit towards the ball. Now just make a swing. You'll find it's really easy to hit out of bunkers that way.

Or you can do what I've been doing lately, and just making contact with the ball and no sand. I've been averaging about 6-8 feet from the flag every time, which is pretty good for me from bunkers haha (only exception is if I have a high lip in front of me).

[jamo]

I just try to play it like a flop shot, and not think about it too much. Sand shots are one are of the game where I am not very technical.

[Leftygolfer]

I always take a little bit of sand on greenside bunkers. I play it just as Dave Pelz teaches. I just aim for a spot 2 inches behind the ball, take a nice 3/4 swing for the basic 15 yard bunker shot and be sure to stay smooth and swing to a pretty full finish. The one mistake I don't want to make is thin. Fat, I can get away with, thin is a double bogie over the other side of the green. I've actually been practicing these again, haven't in a couple of years. The real key for me is maintaining my inclination to the ground and hit the sand where I want. If I do that and make any kind of a decent move, I'm going to hit a good one.

One thing to the poster is maybe think about using different clubs for different length bunker shots. I will use 3 wedges depending on how far, how much green, the lie. My standard is the 58 but for a 25 yarder, I might drop to my 53 depending on how much green I have.

[Adumb]

Good advice. Haha I liked the "Grayhawk" rules, although I don't play by those anymore. Actually, I used to use a pitching wedge from the sand for longer distance, but now I'm trying to see if I can hit better with a sandwedge.

One more question. Whenever you hit off the ground it's good to make a divot where the ball is and in front of the ball as well. Does this apply in the sand? Thanks for the help!

[zeg]

The usual approach for greenside bunkers is to hit sand an inch or so *before* the ball, and never to actually make ball contact with the club, instead letting it ride out on a blast of sand. This will be more reliable should you hit slightly thin or slightly fat. You should dislodge a lot of sand, but not dig too deep. So you should have a "divot" (more like a crater) that starts just back of where the ball sat.

In a fairway bunker, when you're trying to hit a long shot, the rules are different and you'd play more like a regular shot, hitting ball-first if the lie allows it.

[Paradox]

how far is your follow through on bunker swings? I bet that you indavertently finish too low and this will cause a lot of shorter shots. Finish about head high on your average bunker shots and go lower for shorter. Anything longer than your basic explosion will require a different kind of contact so no need to worry about those distances.

[CalBoomer]

I just try to play it like a flop shot, and not think about it too much. Sand shots are one are of the game where I am not very technical.

This is really outstanding advice--if you know how to hit a flop shot. There is a great You Tube video by Mickelson on this. The basics: very open club face, ball slightly forward of normal, slight forward weight press, hands ahead of club face, sense of hitting down on ball (slightly). The only difference from the true flop shot is to accentuate the follow through and not let the club head die in the sand. And this works really well on the wet cement we find in many "sand" traps. So, like the man said, it's a flop shot from the sand.

[Adumb]

I'll have to try/work on the flop approach. I actually hit a pretty good flop shot and the good greenside bunker shots that I've hit felt a lot like that. However, I will say I usually do have a big follow through. It seems that when I take a large backswing I have the tendency to dig under it. Today I hit a fairway bunker that was 100 yrds from the green and hit it with a 9 iron (normally I'd hit PW for that distance) and put it on the green. It seems those bunkers never give me trouble, but yea I'll definitely have to work more on greenside bunkers. Thanks for the help guys!

[saevel25]

Just open the clubface, and hit behind the ball. I am shocked amateurs are not good at bunker shots they hit alot of fat shots..

[danieldrieberg]

I just try to play it like a flop shot, and not think about it too much. Sand shots are one are of the game where I am not very technical.

+1 on the flop.--My #1 choice executed with a flared open 60* wedge.

If I need the ball to run I visualize putting the ball and a good handful of sand up un the green. Squared 56* wedge. That means "no flipping the club". Drive the sand and ball forward!!!!!. Usually the "thinned shot" in the bunnker is a result of trying to help the ball up therefore flipping and thinning the ball.

[BostonSully]

The key for me is hitting the sand a consistent distance behind the ball. I have a lot of trouble with it, but when I practice it a lot, I can get to be pretty good.

For my handicap I dont have a problem with bunkers at all really. I learned this trick allthough it is a bit of a sin it is good.

Ground your club behind the ball about 1/4-1/2in making a straight line in the sand. Then swing at that line and follow through under the ball. Now im comfortable with hitting that spot and i dont need the line anymore so I dont use it when I am in the sand. You also need to follow through 100% I feel that giving up on bunker shots causes you to decelerate and then the ball only goes 5ft lol.

[ks8829]

I would watch several videos on bunkers and try them out and see what works for you. what I do is make sure that I put my weight forward, my shoulders are parallal with the lie and sometimes take more than a 56 to get out on longer shots.

Once you get the technique its easier to get out of bunker then some rough, more predictable.

[O.B. Right]

Just open the clubface, and hit behind the ball. I am shocked amateurs are not good at bunker shots they hit alot of fat shots..

Me, too. I hit a lot of fat shots on the course and I am very good from the sand. I wish all my chips could be from sand. I can't give any advice other than I don't really think about it too much and just try to hit it a little fat, which I am really good at :)