How to hit Sand/Bunker Shots

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by boogielicious

Thanks Mike!!

You're welcome, great to hear and keep it up.

[The Recreational Golfer]

One day I told my grandson (12 years old), who was having NO luck in the bunker, to open the clubface and swing like he was trying to slide the club underneath the ball without hitting it. The ball flew out gentle as you please, bounced twice, and stopped. Nothing to it. You should have seen the look on his face. It was such a good shot it almost scared him.

[EverythingGolf]

Originally Posted by The Recreational Golfer

One day I told my grandson (12 years old), who was having NO luck in the bunker, to open the clubface and swing like he was trying to slide the club underneath the ball without hitting it. The ball flew out gentle as you please, bounced twice, and stopped. Nothing to it. You should have seen the look on his face. It was such a good shot it almost scared him.

To many people are afraid of the bunker shot. You described it to him perfectly.

[saevel25]

Yep, thats what i think about, just slide the club underneath the ball.

The way i play a bunker shot, The ball is inbetween my left foot and the center of my body. I open the clubface, the grip of my club is inline with the clubhead. I then just take my swing and really make sure i slide that clubhead under the ball.

[falcon]

any tips for when the sand is really of the heavy type?   good courses use better quality sand, and i don't usually have any trouble getting out of them.  but what do you do when the sand is really heavy?   i'm convinced that you can't play the shot the same way.

[poser]

I have a question.  So my sand game is great when playing out of wet sand and ehh ok on the other types.  Why you think that is?

[the19thhole]

Played at the weekend and the sand in the bunkers was very heavy (compact) and wet after a few days rain. What would be the best technique for getting out of this situation as I couldn't slide the club under the ball through the sand? Would it better to hit more softly and try and pick the ball clean off the sand.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by poser

I have a question.  So my sand game is great when playing out of wet sand and ehh ok on the other types.  Why you think that is?

How much bounce do you have? Is it safe to say that the wet sand plays a lot firmer than the dry sand, which is probably fluffier?

[Jakester23]

Some bunker discussion going on and I wanted to start this thread to give my take and show myself hitting some shots.  Also as a reference in the future.

Hit 3 bunker shots here, standard, long and buried.  Here's what I do:

Standard

1. Feet turned out, knees bowed out.  Lower COG(center of gravity) lower.  Weight forward

2. Stance a little open

3. Arms soft, bent

4. Club face open 10-20*, hands slightly forward or neutral

5. Elbows stay on the body so that the hands stay close to the body as the clubhead swings

6. "Thump" the ground with the bottom of the club

7. Clubhead overtakes the hands on the followthrough

Long

Only difference is the club face is square, and my shoulder moves forward on the downswing.  Upper COG more forward on the downswing.  Ball will roll more and fly farther.

Buried

1. Clubface as open as possible.

2. Tilt left, try to get the right shoulder higher than the left at set-up

3. Clubhead ascend faster

4. Leave the clubhead in the sand

Ball comes out soft, rather than hot

I was at the course today messing around and threw down 4 balls in the bunker and tried this method.  It works way better than the old way I used to attempt to hit bunker shots. I have one question though how do you control distance? I was doing pretty good on shots maybe 15-20 yards but I wasn't able to figure it out on shorter shots maybe 5-10 yards. I would mostly airmail the flag or Id decelerate and leave it in the bunker. I was thinking after I left that hole I was wondering if its better to shorten the back swing or to try to hit further behind the ball? Any help would be great.

[mvmac]

I have one question though how do you control distance? I was doing pretty good on shots maybe 15-20 yards but I wasn't able to figure it out on shorter shots maybe 5-10 yards. I would mostly airmail the flag or Id decelerate and leave it in the bunker. I was thinking after I left that hole I was wondering if its better to shorten the back swing or to try to hit further behind the ball? Any help would be great.

Few things you can do

- Go to a club with more loft and make the same swing

- Lower and back the handle up at address

- Make a shorter backswing but still use your pivot and play the shot with speed.

[Jakester23]

I was using my 58 so more loft is out. Ill definitely give the lowing the handle a try. I like the technique a lot thank you.

[boogielicious]

I was using my 58 so more loft is out. Ill definitely give the lowing the handle a try. I like the technique a lot thank you.

Where was your ball position?  If you play it more forward, you will get a higher shot.  I my Evolvr sand lessons, @mvmac had me play the ball at my left heel.  I found if I moved it another ball forward, I could get it to go higher, shorter with a softer landing when I needed it to (like over the bunker lip).

[mdaugherty24]

Great post! Very helpful!

[TheKewTour]

Anyone have any tips or videos that will help get bit more spin from Bunker shots? Mine seem to roll bit too much when faced with short bunker shot and also medium shot to slight downhill green.

Just would like to get extra bit of spin on them to get little closer to hole instead of running off.

Otherwise my bunker game is pretty neat at moment, put lot practise in this area last year.

[iacas]

Anyone have any tips or videos that will help get bit more spin from Bunker shots? Mine seem to roll bit too much when faced with short bunker shot and also medium shot to slight downhill green.

Hit closer to them (optionally with more speed and more loft).

[Jakester23]

Where was your ball position?  If you play it more forward, you will get a higher shot.  I my Evolvr sand lessons, @mvmac had me play the ball at my left heel.  I found if I moved it another ball forward, I could get it to go higher, shorter with a softer landing when I needed it to (like over the bunker lip).

I was playing the ball in the middle of my stance maybe a little forward od center. Ill try moving it forward thanks for the tip.

[mvmac]

Anyone have any tips or videos that will help get bit more spin from Bunker shots? Mine seem to roll bit too much when faced with short bunker shot and also medium shot to slight downhill green.

Just to add to what Erik said. Make sure to play the shots with "speed". Meaning allow the club head to swing and "thump" the sand. You can't "thump" it if you're swinging slow.

I was playing the ball in the middle of my stance maybe a little forward od center. Ill try moving it forward thanks for the tip.

Yeah I was assuming the ball position was fine, you don't want to play it in the  middle of your stance.

[EverythingGolf]

Just to add to what Erik said. Make sure to play the shots with "speed". Meaning allow the club head to swing and "thump" the sand. You can't "thump" it if you're swinging slow.

This is one of the things I see a lot of amateurs do, they don't swing fast enough or they don't take too small of a back swing.