Greenside bunker play tips if you can please?

[dave s]

I'm having bunker issues.  Not getting out, per se, but getting any distance on the shots.  My wedge of choice from sand is a 58* / 11 bounce.  It hits high and soft with backspin but I can only seem to fly the ball about 30' from a greenside bunker.

I use a middle of stance or just slightly forward, take good full swing, hit 2" behind ball.  The result is the ball gets up in a hurry and out of the bunker but only flies about 30' with 70% swing power.  Many times I don't reach the putting surface.  I cannot remember the last time I got one TO the hole, or heaven forbid, PAST the hole.

Am I keeping the club too open?  Square it up some?

Do I have the wrong tool (58* wedge too lofted possibly) for the job?  I have a 54* wedge but with less bounce.

Am I just not swinging hard enough to produce 20 yards of carry?

Suggestions please and thank you.

dave

[Ernest Jones]

Have you tried Stan Utley's method? I can get a lot of carry with it.

[BirdieNumNums]

If your intention in a greenside bunker is to carry it further than 30' I'd say you're playing on some big greens.  However, if this is what you're wanting to do then simply change to a lower lofted club like your 54º or even a PW. When you hit behind a ball in a bunker, doesn't matter if you swing 150% you're still only going to get so much carry.  If you're not having problems getting the ball out and you're getting 30' of carry then you're doing things right. Don't swing harder, use a different club.

[tyrion86]

Originally Posted by BirdieNumNums

If your intention in a greenside bunker is to carry it further than 30' I'd say you're playing on some big greens.  However, if this is what you're wanting to do then simply change to a lower lofted club like your 54º or even a PW. When you hit behind a ball in a bunker, doesn't matter if you swing 150% you're still only going to get so much carry.  If you're not having problems getting the ball out and you're getting 30' of carry then you're doing things right. Don't swing harder, use a different club.

this!

with my 56 y can´t carry more than 20 yrds with open face, so when i want to do 30 or 50 i just get the PW or the 9 and open the face to get some bounce

[ChuckDee]

Instead of 2", try an 1" behind the ball.  Face open and be sure to follow through.  Best advice I ever got from my Father.

[ChuckDee]

AND aim left of your target!

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by BirdieNumNums

If your intention in a greenside bunker is to carry it further than 30' I'd say you're playing on some big greens.  However, if this is what you're wanting to do then simply change to a lower lofted club like your 54º or even a PW. When you hit behind a ball in a bunker, doesn't matter if you swing 150% you're still only going to get so much carry.  If you're not having problems getting the ball out and you're getting 30' of carry then you're doing things right. Don't swing harder, use a different club.

Yup, same here.  If I want to hit it high and soft and hope for minimal roll out, I'll go with the 59.  If I need to hit it any further, I'll go with the 54.  Last weekend I had a 35-40 yard bunker shot and I used my 45 PW - with the same technique as the others - and it worked like a charm.

When you get really really good (I'm saying scratch or better), then maybe you can start experimenting with different types of shots out of the sand.  But until then, in my opinion, we should all try and make this game as simple as possible.  Having basically one bunker shot and adjusting distances by using different clubs seems the simplest way to get the ball out of the sand (main priority) and somewhere on the green leaving us a chance for par (secondary).

[dave s]

Thanks for the good comments.  Guess I'm using the wrong tool.  I'll practice some with the 54* and even go down to the 50* if I have to to start getting the ball to the hole and past.

dave

[Golfingdad]

Originally Posted by dave s

Thanks for the good comments.  Guess I'm using the wrong tool.  I'll practice some with the 54* and even go down to the 50* if I have to to start getting the ball to the hole and past.

dave

I'm a little concerned that you say your 54 has LESS bounce than you 58, which has 11.  If it doesn't seem to work out, I'd consider looking into a 54 with more bounce.  (Mine has 13, and I'd like even more if it was available)

[mdl]

Agree with the above advice.  Just want to point out that you've got a good problem.  Much more often than not when I play with players who seem to play with something around an 18 handicap they haven't learned good enough technique to have your problem and instead struggle to get the ball high and soft at all and struggle to get the ball out of bunkers with any serious lip and struggle to keep the ball from going way past the hole or even stay on the green when they clear the lip.

With a 58˚, 30' high and soft with a 3/4 swing is a good outcome.

[saevel25]

Check out the pitching videos on the forum here. There great for getting the ball out of the sand because they use the bounce.

[dave s]

Originally Posted by Golfingdad

I'm a little concerned that you say your 54 has LESS bounce than you 58, which has 11.  If it doesn't seem to work out, I'd consider looking into a 54 with more bounce.  (Mine has 13, and I'd like even more if it was available)

Yes, my 54* is only 8 degrees of bounce.  Works fine on a 90-100 yard shot into the green and good enough on chips from tight lies, but my 58/11 is definitely the 'go-to' for sand or rough around the greens.

Think my 54/8 would dig too much for bunker play?  Thanks for your comments on that question.

dave