I need bunker help

[rhodes81]

All of a sudden I cannot hit out of greenside bunkers. The bunkers at my home course are pretty firm and the usual splash shots are useless. I used to not mind being in them and had gotten pretty good at sand saves, but now i'm lucky to get out. I know all the proper advice (open the face, open your stance, etc...) but what I want to know is what do you do when your sand game has left you (other than avoiding them like the plague)? What are the swingthoughts you use to get things back on track? I would love to practice bunker shots, but I never have time. Is there a good drill that doesn't involve a bunker?

[Paradox]

if the bunkers are pretty firm, I play them like my normal pitch shots. I know it won't be hardpan(hopefully) and I am not gonna get much sand to soften the blow. If the lip is high and the sand is firm, well its a tough one for me.

[Ash1974]

I feel your pain, dropped about 6 shots yesterday in bunkers that had wet firm sand in them.
I used to be good at just taking them of the top (square face and straight back putter like stroke with a strong follow through) but every time I tried that yesterday I still caught the top of the damp sand and thinned them over the back of the green

I am just gonna use my 60 from now on and full swing and take as much sand as I can, I would rather get them out and leave them short than blade them all over the shop!

[TourSpoon]

I just went through a similar episode and when I slowed down it all came back. I was rushing my backswing and swinging through too hard. I started by practicing a few shots with the ultra slow take-away and put a move on the sand that normally would send the ball about twice as far as what I wanted it to go. I also make sure to keep my eye on the sand where I want my club to enter. The feel started coming back and I have hit some good bunker shots since then. Probably took about a 100 balls to work it out.

[double_j]

I'm suffering the same thing here in the Northeast US - the weather here has wreaked havoc on most of our courses (very heavy rain followed by scorching hot, etc.). Most of the bunkers are dried up and crispy. Play it like a normal chip shot, maybe switch to something with less bounce if you can.

If your struggles aren't a function of course conditions, then one 20 minute practice session is usually sufficient to get your bunker swing back. It's tough to really regroove it as you play since (ideally) you'll only be playing a handful of outs per round and the 'fear' of a real bunker shot doesn't put your head in the right place to figure it out.

[rhodes81]

Thanks for the advice. Is there anyway to practice without hitting bunker shots? I live 30 minutes from my course and its hard to get there during the week. I only get to play on Sunday afternoons and my practice time at the course is virtually non-existent.

[ks8829]

go to a sand fill playground and practice, without kids ................perferred.