9 iron in a bunker...thoughts?

[0ldblu3]

I was at a par 3 course and went over to my ball with a 9 iron and putter to make what I thought was going to be a chip, but found the ball in a bunker.  It was a longish bunker shot (15 yards) so I thought that I'd take it with the 9i.  I opened up the face and took a nice thump type of swing and the ball popped up and out as pretty as could be.

There wasn't anyone behind me so I went and got some more balls and hit 9i bunker shots for a little while, it was quite a revelation. Lifting them high and soft worked, so did knocking them lower and running them at the hole.  I did not get them to check up like I can sometimes with a 53 degree wedge (I don't have a traditional 56 degree sand wedge).

I don't think that bunker shots with a 9i is a "go to" play, but for that sand and my swing that day it felt really good.  Thoughts?

[David in FL]

You can ( and should) play many different clubs out of a bunker, depending on lie, sand consistency, and how much run you'd like to get out of the shot. Relying only on an opened sand wedge is very limiting. Practice those shots like you did and you'll open up a whole range of good options for yourself. Good on ya!

[GaijinGolfer]

If theres no lip, that can be a great play because you can make a shorter swing and still get the ball there.  The shorter the swing, the less things that can go wrong.

[dak4n6]

Absolutely valid. I saw a tips piece during some tournament on tv in which the guy advises exactly that - for longer bunker shots, use other irons exactly as you would your sand wedge. He then used an opened 9i to hit a 30 yd shot. I tried it a short while thereafter on a similar shot and it worked like a charm. Only thing I noticed was it came out a little more right than a corresponding wedge shot, and with less spin. But definitely easier than trying to jack up a sand wedge that far.

[TourSpoon]

Seve could hit a bunker shot with a 3 iron. I was watching Gary Player hit 7 iron bunker shots about 30 yards and getting them to run out to 6 feet. It is a totally valid play but not really seen to often from the modern players.

[WUTiger]

For a long time, the way to get a fried egg (ball embedded in sand) out of a bunker was to take a 9i, toe it in, and hit down on the ball. The 9i dug through the sand (less flange than SW) and usually popped the ball out.

This season, a frequent bunker tip seems to be to take a PW or a 9i for longer bunker shots around the green. If you're 40 yards from the pin, a lower lofted club will get you more distance and still allow you to swing smoothly.

This of course borrows from Dave Pelz in Short Game Bible . He has a whole table in Chap. 9 giving the 9 O'Clock Swing explosion distances you can expect using different clubs from the bunker.

You're in good company, oldblue3 . Let us know when you open your golf school!

[Diece]

you get very little spin but sometimes its better that way, it's a good shot to have.

[GaijinGolfer]

Originally Posted by Diece

you get very little spin but sometimes its better that way, it's a good shot to have.

On most bunker shots you dont get much spin anyways.