How to hit Sand/Bunker Shots

[mvmac]

[dchoye]

Been getting better from the sand this past month. My technique is 1) squat down and have my handle point somewhere between my belly button and zipper 2) dig my feet in and I like my hands so the vs point midsection and not too far pass my right thigh or hip 3) like to keep the blade open for standard floater type sand shot. If I want some roll I will square up the blade and put my hands closer together. Handle points to a bit right of midline. Vs parallel more weight on my forward foot

[CarlSpackler]

Interesting. Do you see a difference in a fried egg than you do a buried lie? To me, buried is plugged where fried egg would have pushed a ring of sand around itself and is slightly plugged in the middle. I usually close the clubface and bury the club in the sand behind the ball in either situation. This works great if the pin is on the other side of the green and uphill but not when short sided. I'll definitely have to practice the open cf technique.

I came across this thread looking for one on how to play a bunker shot where lip of the bunker is over the top of my head. I'm going to potentially face some of these this weekend. Thoughts?

[boogielicious]

@CarlSpackler

I hope that @mvmac will chime in or better, post a video!

I find the plugged shots easier than fried egg in terms of the decision on how to play them.  I just dig them out with my 58 expecting the club to bury in the sand.  Distance control is hard, but I do get the ball out of the bunker.  When I try a normal bunker shot with this lie, it will come out low and usually not get out.

The fried egg is tough, but I open up the face more and try to play it as a normal bunker shot with the ball at my left heel.  I am not great at bunker distance control, but I have gotten better at getting them out consistently.

[Gboroman]

Help with wet and firm sand, please!

I've been reading through this thread to try to get some help.  I (used to) consider myself a pretty good sand player.  However, the course I play has recently had wet and firm sand and I've really struggled.  They have two 18 hole courses and the Champions course has a different more fluffy consistency.  I have no problem, there.  The other course, though, has elevated greens and deep greenside bunkers.  The sand has been very firm at the bottom where the water collects and fluffier, but wet on the side slopes of the bunker.  Unfortunately, the practice area is more like the Champions course, so I haven't been able to practice and try different things out of this wet firm sand other than on the actual course during play.

I'm not sure if my problem is technique, equipment or both.  I'm needing to get some elevation to get out of the deep bunkers, but I either leave it in the bunker or make contact with the ball (after hitting the sand) and it flies over the green.  I try to play my bunker shots like Gary Player or Chi Chi Rodriquez (I think):

Wide stance getting a little lower

Ball Forward

Alignment well left of target

Open face just left of target

Handle back toward center

Increase upward angle on takeaway (early wrist hinge)

Increased angle on downswing trying to thump sand and strike the match

Hit 2-3" behind the ball

3/4 follow through

Wedges:

56 Cleveland 14 degree bounce

50 Ping G15 U Wedge 11 degree bounce

45 Ping G15 PW 10 degree bounce

I've tried various shots with my U Gap wedge and even my PW because I suspect I have too much bounce for these types of shots out of wet and firm sand.  But, I'm getting similar results.  Any ideas?

[Hardballs]

Too much bounce my friend! Playing in the uk I have this problem often due to the volatile weather, for green side bunkers I have 58/14 for the soft fluffy sand, and a 62/6 for wet compact sand, too much bounce will "bounce" off hard sand, usually causing a bladed shot, a lower bounce will chop into the sand and get the ball out much softer, must remember to put a full swing on it though!

[Gboroman]

Too much bounce my friend! Playing in the uk I have this problem often due to the volatile weather, for green side bunkers I have 58/14 for the soft fluffy sand, and a 62/6 for wet compact sand, too much bounce will "bounce" off hard sand, usually causing a bladed shot, a lower bounce will chop into the sand and get the ball out much softer, must remember to put a full swing on it though!

Thanks HB.  That's what I suspected.  I've been thinking about trading my 2H for a 60.  Maybe I'll get a 60/8 or a 60/7.  I wish my G15's didn't have so much bounce, but I understand it's there for "game improvement."

[Hardballs]

Thanks HB.  That's what I suspected.  I've been thinking about trading my 2H for a 60.  Maybe I'll get a 60/8 or a 60/7.  I wish my G15's didn't have so much bounce, but I understand it's there for "game improvement."

Yup! I don't have enough room to carry both wedges so I choose which one depending on conditions, thing is, the low bounce one is pathetic in fluffy sand, but very usefull for up and downs over green side bunkers!

[iacas]

Thanks HB.  That's what I suspected.  I've been thinking about trading my 2H for a 60.  Maybe I'll get a 60/8 or a 60/7.  I wish my G15's didn't have so much bounce, but I understand it's there for "game improvement."

I can hit pitch shots off hardpan with a wedge that has 22° of bounce.

In other words, if your club is "bouncing" off "firm sand" (there's really no such thing, it's relative, but it's never going to be firmer than hardpan or a dry fairway), then your technique is what's bad. Bounce/glide gives you options. Remove it and you remove options.

You're probably hitting too far behind the ball.

[Torres9]

The strangest thing for me I noticed, was that when I first began golf many years ago, I feared bunkers, and played poorly from them, eventually I learned better technique and was pretty good, but for some reason I still dreaded bunkers. When I became a good golfer, my perspective completely changed and I actually think hitting from bunkers is very easy granted the sand is consistent and bunker is maintained properly. Green side Sand shots are fun actually.

[Hardballs]

I too enjoy bunker shots now I have the correct wedges/bounce that work for my swing, [quote name="iacas" url="/t/54554/how-to-hit-sand-bunker-shots/90#post_1107308"] I can hit pitch shots off hardpan with a wedge that has 22° of bounce. [/quote] I reckon I could eventually if I had a facility to practice in every day, which I unfortunately never will, so I had to choose the bounce for my swing, rather than the swing for my bounce, it works pretty well for me though! Apart from the fact I have to choose which high lofted wedge I take depending on the weather!

[David in FL]

I too enjoy bunker shots now I have the correct wedges/bounce that work for my swing, I reckon I could eventually if I had a facility to practice in every day, which I unfortunately never will, so I had to choose the bounce for my swing, rather than the swing for my bounce, it works pretty well for me though! Apart from the fact I have to choose which high lofted wedge I take depending on the weather!

You have different wedges based on the weather ? :-\

[DrvFrShow]

Around here, the difference in weather can mean very heavy sand in April, May, to sort of soft sand in July... to feeling like soft sand as you walk on it and getting a surprise of a big ol' rock underneath the 1/2" deep sand when you hit your ball at one course. And that @#!!! hurts -

[Hardballs]

You have different wedges based on the weather ? :-\

Sure! We'll more season actually, I find a huge difference in the wet compact sand of winter to the soft dry fluffy sand of summer, I always have my 56/8 which I like for full shots or pitches, but then I choose between my 58 high bounce or 62 low bounce depending on conditions! Although I can see the advantage of just having one and learning different techniques, it's just I prefer to play than practise

[David in FL]

Sure! We'll more season actually, I find a huge difference in the wet compact sand of winter to the soft dry fluffy sand of summer, I always have my 56/8 which I like for full shots or pitches, but then I choose between my 58 high bounce or 62 low bounce depending on conditions! Although I can see the advantage of just having one and learning different techniques, it's just I prefer to play than practise

You really don't need a different technique, just the right one. As @iacas said, the wettest, firmest sand in a bunker is still softer than the ground in the fairway and areas of hard pan. Learning to properly use bounce is a skill well worth the effort.

[Hardballs]

You really don't need a different technique, just the right one. As @iacas said, the wettest, firmest sand in a bunker is still softer than the ground in the fairway and areas of hard pan. Learning to properly use bounce is a skill well worth the effort.

When I started playing again a few years ago I only had one sw, a ridiculously high bounce game improver that I could not hit from turf, it put me right off high bounce wedges until last year when I became a little bit more knowledgeable and discovered how good they are in soft sand compared to the lower bounce wedges I've become used to, (here in the uk bunkers are only soft sand a few months of the year) but the last few years I've soley worked on my driver and iron swing and managed to just get by ok with my short wedge play, but I have to agree with you, as I only just get by and my short game is the weakest part of my game due to me neglecting it for so long, I'll be taking a few lessons this year and will be dedicating half of that time to the short game as I know it's costing me several strokes per round! And I'm pretty sure my game golf stats are going to prove this, the instructor at my club is a game golf fan so every 6/7 rounds I'll be going to him with the stats and take a lesson based on those!

[Lihu]

[quote name="David in FL" url="/t/54554/how-to-hit-sand-bunker-shots/120#post_1107471"] You really don't need a different technique, just the right one. As @iacas said, the wettest, firmest sand in a bunker is still softer than the ground in the fairway and areas of hard pan. Learning to properly use bounce is a skill well worth the effort.

When I started playing again a few years ago I only had one sw, a ridiculously high bounce game improver that I could not hit from turf, it put me right off high bounce wedges until last year when I became a little bit more knowledgeable and discovered how good they are in soft sand compared to the lower bounce wedges I've become used to, (here in the uk bunkers are only soft sand a few months of the year) but the last few years I've soley worked on my driver and iron swing and managed to just get by ok with my short wedge play, but I have to agree with you, as I only just get by and my short game is the weakest part of my game due to me neglecting it for so long, I'll be taking a few lessons this year and will be dedicating half of that time to the short game as I know it's costing me several strokes per round! And I'm pretty sure my game golf stats are going to prove this, the instructor at my club is a game golf fan so every 6/7 rounds I'll be going to him with the stats and take a lesson based on those![/quote] Florida has all different bunker conditions even within the course of one round. David can probably talk to using one correct technique for all conditions.

[mvmac]

I'm not sure if my problem is technique, equipment or both.  I'm needing to get some elevation to get out of the deep bunkers, but I either leave it in the bunker or make contact with the ball (after hitting the sand) and it flies over the green.  I try to play my bunker shots like Gary Player or Chi Chi Rodriquez (I think):

Wide stance getting a little lower

Ball Forward

Alignment well left of target

Open face just left of target

Handle back toward center

Increase upward angle on takeaway (early wrist hinge)

Increased angle on downswing trying to thump sand and strike the match

Hit 2-3" behind the ball

3/4 follow through

I'd recommend starting a swing thread and posting a video of yourself hitting bunker or pitch shots. More than likely it's a problem with the technique. Just from your description, your angle of attack may be too steep. Ideally you want the club head to swing and "splash" the sand, your aren't striking down into the sand.