Greenside bunker question

[Brickman]

Does anyone experience hitting sand shots that hardly get off the sand and hit the inside of the bunker?  I am experiencing this bladed shot and don't know why so I'm open to suggestions.  I worked on it today and I seem to be much better off hitting a normal pitch like shot out of the bunker as opposed to opening the face, exposing the bounce, etc.  Interested in any thoughts.   

[smfoley]

The best advice you can follow is to slightly open the face and truly commit to a fairly full swing, hitting about an inch behind the ball. Most people run into trouble because they have a hard time mentally committing to taking that large of a swing all for the ball to go a few yards in the air. However, this is actually what helps you to get the needed height on the ball to get it out of the bunker. 

[scotth]

What @smfoley said.  I used to be horrible at bunker shots because I thought you had to "pick the ball clean" bladed many a shot, and sent playing partners ducking.

Once you get used to the idea of hitting behind the ball getting out of most green side bunkers is actually pretty easy.  

[Moxley]

This thread helped me .

I still tend to overhit bunker shots , but prioritise just getting out at the moment. My dad slightly bladed one the other week out of 1 greenside bunker straight into the other - always hilarious when it's somebody else. 

[Joeyvee]

I used to practice this non stop when I was a kid, and I used to pick EVERY shot out clean. Boy I wish I could still do that. 

[klineka]

My #1 thought when in a greenside bunker is to just get out of the bunker and onto the green in 1 shot. If I can get it close to the hole, then thats a bonus, but my first priority is getting it out of the bunker and onto the green. 

Like others have mentioned, I take my highest lofted club, 60 degree, and take a pretty big swing and hit just behind the ball and splash it out. It might be helpful if you have a practice area that has a bunker you can practice in. In practice, I draw a line about an inch behind the ball and I focus on hitting that line with the club and then making the full follow through. Obviously you cant do that in a round, but for practice seeing the line in the same helped me visualize where I wanted to make contact with the sand. 

During rounds now, I create that same line behind the ball in my head and try to pick out a dirt spec or piece of sand that I want to hit and then just make my swing.

[saevel25]

First it depends on the type of wedge you have. With out sufficient bounce it's gets more difficult to have the club not dig into the sand. When you chunk a few you'll start blading a few. Also, it could be your technique.

I would open the clubface up, and focus on trying to get the club to glide under the ball. Don't try to pound the sand, or pick it clean. You ideally want to strike about half an inch behind the ball.

[inthecup]

I have a pretty good sand game.  I recently took a lesson just on sand shots, it was the best money I spent on golf this year.  My goal used to be just to get out.  If a ball was heading toward a bunker I would hope it would end up in the rough.  I don't feel that way now.  I would prefer to be in the bunker.  I can get a better result over time out of the bunker.

 

I will try and summarize briefly what I was taught. 

Ball in the middle of your stance.

Slightly open your stance

Aim left of target

Open the club up (more than you think)  Unless it is a long shot I use my 58 degree wedge

Hit 2-1/2 inches behind the ball, holding the face open.  This will product a ball that will run but it is consistent.  As you get closer to the ball it produces more spin but creates more risk ie thinning it.

 

You have to judge the sand, wet sand plays firmer and the ball will go further with less effort. Fine, powdery sand requires a harder swing.  If I am in a deep bunker or I need to land it very softly I will open the 58 all the way and swing pretty hard.  The only way to get good at this is get in a bunker and hit lots of shots.  If the course is open I suggest you experiment.  When hitting a sand shot I don't look at the ball I look at the spot 2-1/2" behind it.  

 

Good luck!  Getting confident out of the sand changes the game.  Figure it out!

Edited October 5, 2017 by inthecup

[billchao]

Others have touched on the technique pretty well, so the only thing I'll add is that I play with my weight slightly favoring my lead leg.

The only time I really struggle with bunker shots is with wet firm sand. Most of the courses I play don't seem to have good drainage in the bunkers so the sand can get pretty packed (the kind where running a rake through it just draws lines). I can't get deep enough into the sand sometimes and I'll launch it over the green.

[inthecup]

Just now, billchao said:

Others have touched on the technique pretty well, so the only thing I'll add is that I play with my weight slightly favoring my lead leg.

The only time I really struggle with bunker shots is with wet firm sand. Most of the courses I play don't seem to have good drainage in the bunkers so the sand can get pretty packed (the kind where running a rake through it just draws lines). I can't get deep enough into the sand sometimes and I'll launch it over the green.

Really hard sand is difficult.  It takes commitment to swing hard and go deep!  Sometime "bad things happen".  My home course had a period where the sand got thin.  So I thin layer on top of clay.  That was difficult.  Bad things happened regularly as the club skipped off the clay.

[billchao]

1 minute ago, inthecup said:

Really hard sand is difficult.  It takes commitment to swing hard and go deep!  Sometime "bad things happen".  My home course had a period where the sand got thin.  So I thin layer on top of clay.  That was difficult.  Bad things happened regularly as the club skipped off the clay.

It's funny because I can play fried egg lies. Hard sand? No thanks. 

[allenc]

8 hours ago, saevel25 said:

First it depends on the type of wedge you have. With out sufficient bounce it's gets more difficult to have the club not dig into the sand. When you chunk a few you'll start blading a few. Also, it could be your technique.

I would open the clubface up, and focus on trying to get the club to glide under the ball. Don't try to pound the sand, or pick it clean. You ideally want to strike about half an inch behind the ball.

You think that little?  I aim about 1 inch behind which is less than the 2 inches that I often see in golf literature.  Perhaps you should first touch sand about an inch back but the club only enters the sand 1/2 inch back?

[allenc]

You can also try putting it out if the lip allows.  A couple times I’ve used a hybrid instead to get a little more pop.   Often with success, but not on this one shot I had the other week:

I was in a bunker about 30 yards from the green on a par 5.  That is a pretty tough bunker length, probably 40 yards from the pin, and I saw that the lip was smoothe at right about the correct line to the hole.  Now I didn’t necessarily think this was the best idea and I’ve never practice it, but I thought it would be possible and really fun to roll the ball super fast and let it take the jump off the lip like Evel Knievel and hopeful land on the green.

I decided to use my 3 hybrid rather than my putter since I really needed some speed.  Unfortunately the ball got way more airborne than I expected and hit the wall of the bunker hard so it didn’t roll much.  It did still end up trickling out so I was able to chip on and 2-putt for bogey .  So the lesson is... next time I think I’ll try using driver to get it rolling sooner.  

[saevel25]

15 minutes ago, allenc said:

You think that little?  I aim about 1 inch behind which is less than the 2 inches that I often see in golf literature.  Perhaps you should first touch sand about an inch back but the club only enters the sand 1/2 inch back?

I'm not entirely positive, but I know its way closer than most. It might be closer to an inch behind the ball. It's definitely not 2 inches. 

[Mr. Desmond]

Attached is a compilation of  Pete Cowan, the top Euro Tour Instructor, on bunker play. See first 6 minutes for basics, then go to 15:40 for troubling lies

 

 

Edited October 6, 2017 by Mr. Desmond

[inthecup]

I used to play the ball off my front foot.  That can work but I think it is a more difficult approach.  If you think about it that produces the opportunity to thin it which is the biggest risk to a big score.

[scotth]

35 minutes ago, inthecup said:

I used to play the ball off my front foot.  That can work but I think it is a more difficult approach.  If you think about it that produces the opportunity to thin it which is the biggest risk to a big score.

I open my stance and the blade when in bunkers, but vary where I put the ball in my stance.  If I want the ball to fly higher I leave the ball in the middle of stance.  If I want the ball to go lower, but run further on the green I play in back in my stance.

[Mr. Desmond]

3 hours ago, inthecup said:

I used to play the ball off my front foot.  That can work but I think it is a more difficult approach.  If you think about it that produces the opportunity to thin it which is the biggest risk to a big score.

The idea is to use the bounce - put ball in the middle and catch the leading edge. BUT if you put ball forward, weight forward, relax the arms, use a good tempo, feel as if the back of the sole hits the sand first, AND have the clubhead pass the hands, you get a good glide.

Typically, the thin results from being tight and poor tempo.

I've given you gold with Pete Cowen - view it about a dozen times and relax during the swing and use the tips above.

Edited October 6, 2017 by Mr. Desmond