What shot should be the first learn after full?

[Piz]

I vote for the bunker shot.  There is no easier shot to get the balance of and, once you get the hang of it, the sand (with exceptions) holds no terrors.  I learned to play out of bunkers while working at a driving range.  At least once a week, somebody had to go out and either pick up, or otherwise remove, the balls that had settled in the target traps.  I'd grab any wedge handy and whack them out, one-handed and windmill fashion, to where the ball-picker could retrieve them.  Since then...I think of sand shots as an opportunity.

[Grizvok]

23 minutes ago, Piz said:

I vote for the bunker shot.  There is no easier shot to get the balance of and, once you get the hang of it, the sand (with exceptions) holds no terrors.  I learned to play out of bunkers while working at a driving range.  At least once a week, somebody had to go out and either pick up, or otherwise remove, the balls that had settled in the target traps.  I'd grab any wedge handy and whack them out, one-handed and windmill fashion, to where the ball-picker could retrieve them.  Since then...I think of sand shots as an opportunity.

I think that's a pretty tough sell to be honest. I mean I'm sure being able to hit out of a bunker is important but the question posited is what kind of shot is going to have the biggest reward after the full swing, and I think chipping/pitching/putting beat out a bunker shot by a mile in terms of how often you'll play them and then how drastically a consistent one of those shots will affect your score.

[Piz]

3 minutes ago, Grizvok said:

I think that's a pretty tough sell to be honest. I mean I'm sure being able to hit out of a bunker is important but the question posited is what kind of shot is going to have the biggest reward after the full swing, and I think chipping/pitching/putting beat out a bunker shot by a mile in terms of how often you'll play them and then how drastically a consistent one of those shots will affect your score.

A bunker shot, which many find intimidating, will teach you a lot about using the bounce, being positive, the relationship between face angle and effective loft, angle of attack, etc...all of which can be used when chipping, pitching, or shaping a shot.  Not saying it is the only way to go...but it was a revelation to me.

[Joeyvee]

On 7/21/2017 at 7:04 PM, Piz said:

I vote for the bunker shot.  There is no easier shot to get the balance of and, once you get the hang of it, the sand (with exceptions) holds no terrors.  I learned to play out of bunkers while working at a driving range.  At least once a week, somebody had to go out and either pick up, or otherwise remove, the balls that had settled in the target traps.  I'd grab any wedge handy and whack them out, one-handed and windmill fashion, to where the ball-picker could retrieve them.  Since then...I think of sand shots as an opportunity.

I used to caddy at WGC and used to hit hundreds of sand trap shots over the course of a week. I used to pick the ball clean out and get it to where I could get a decent put in easily, but that was when I was a kid. 

My swing has changed, and the ranges near me don't have the same sand traps on them that Winged Foot had :( I am not a CC member anywhere either this year.