Greenside bunker question

[inthecup]

I'll stick with what I am doing.  I use the bounce, I can't see how putting the ball forward would help me get better results.  I have done it in the past and got erratic results.

There is more than one way to be successful.

[iacas]

1 hour ago, inthecup said:

I'll stick with what I am doing.  I use the bounce, I can't see how putting the ball forward would help me get better results.  I have done it in the past and got erratic results.

The ball forward is fairly important. The ball forward lets you:

• Take a shallower divot and thus less sand.
• Hit with more loft for a higher, softer flight.
• Gives you more time for the shaft to line up.
• Hit behind the ball without trying to make the clubhead go down prematurely.

With the ball even in the middle of your stance, golfers tend to:

• Take too much sand.
• Hit down too steeply.
• Not use the glide so the club sticks in the sand.
• Have too little loft.
• Have little to no spin.
• Hit the ball too low.

[Kalnoky]

17 hours ago, allenc said:

You can also try putting it out if the lip allows

Here in the Pacific Northwest where the sand is often wet and packed hard I will putt out. I learned this trick from watching the golf channel.

@Brickman I also struggle with the bunker shot. The bunker shot is the hardest shot for me by far. It's not even close.. I cannot mentally bring myself to hit behind the ball. And I find it very hard to find a practice bunker that can simulate the wide range of bunker conditions on an actual golf course. If I have to use a wedge/bounce combination to get out it almost always takes me two tries, and even then it'll just barely get over the lip. 

 

[Mr. Desmond]

2 hours ago, inthecup said:

I'll stick with what I am doing.  I use the bounce, I can't see how putting the ball forward would help me get better results.  I have done it in the past and got erratic results.

There is more than one way to be successful.

I will defer to Erik.

[inthecup]

2 hours ago, iacas said:

The ball forward is fairly important. The ball forward lets you:

• Take a shallower divot and thus less sand.
• Hit with more loft for a higher, softer flight.
• Gives you more time for the shaft to line up.
• Hit behind the ball without trying to make the clubhead go down prematurely.

With the ball even in the middle of your stance, golfers tend to:

• Take too much sand.
• Hit down too steeply.
• Not use the glide so the club sticks in the sand.
• Have too little loft.
• Have little to no spin.
• Hit the ball too low.

I will visit the practice bunker and experiment.  All the things you say I can’t do with my technique I can, but I will move the ball forward and see what happens.  

[iacas]

Just now, inthecup said:

I will visit the practice bunker and experiment.  All the things you say I can’t do with my technique I can, but I will move the ball forward and see what happens.  

I'd wager your weight is back, and you still likely take too much sand or do some other things, but since you don't know how much the right amount of sand is, you don't really know.

I could be wrong, but I'd bet a good bit that you're either doing some of those things or making some other compensations.

[billchao]

@iacas, what adjustments should be made in wet sand? Should I be playing it as an explosion shot or more like just a pitch from hardpan?

[iacas]

2 hours ago, billchao said:

@iacas, what adjustments should be made in wet sand? Should I be playing it as an explosion shot or more like just a pitch from hardpan?

Almost none. Just how hard you swing, etc.

[billchao]

1 minute ago, iacas said:

Almost none. Just how hard you swing, etc.

Hmm. I may be misinterpreting how I miss these types of shots, then. I just assumed I was blading them, but maybe I'm just hitting them too hard.

[iacas]

6 minutes ago, billchao said:

Hmm. I may be misinterpreting how I miss these types of shots, then. I just assumed I was blading them, but maybe I'm just hitting them too hard.

If you're blading them, maybe you're hitting too far behind the ball and taking too much sand and then catching the ball with the leading edge as the club is coming out of the sand.

It's just pitching with a wider stance, lower hands, the ball further forward, and more bent knees.

[billchao]

2 minutes ago, iacas said:

If you're blading them, maybe you're hitting too far behind the ball and taking too much sand and then catching the ball with the leading edge as the club is coming out of the sand.

It's just pitching with a wider stance, lower hands, the ball further forward, and more bent knees.

I only really have a problem in firm sand. I think I don't get deep enough because the sand is packed and I think as a result I catch the ball with the leading edge.

That's why I was wondering if I could play it more like a pitch and square with the clubface, allow the leading edge dig to dig in a little more? Eh who am I kidding, I don't expose the leading edge on a standard pitch either. I might just be overthinking it because I'm sitting on my couch trying to recall past shots.

Like I said, maybe I'm also swinging too hard because I'm better out of fluffy sand.

[phillyk]

21 hours ago, iacas said:

 

• Take a shallower divot and thus less sand.

This is the key when I teach bunker shots, but it definitely takes a bit of practice to do well.  The next step after that is how far behind the ball you hit and how big a swing to control distance.

15 hours ago, billchao said:

I only really have a problem in firm sand. I think I don't get deep enough because the sand is packed and I think as a result I catch the ball with the leading edge.

That's why I was wondering if I could play it more like a pitch and square with the clubface, allow the leading edge dig to dig in a little more? Eh who am I kidding, I don't expose the leading edge on a standard pitch either. I might just be overthinking it because I'm sitting on my couch trying to recall past shots.

Like I said, maybe I'm also swinging too hard because I'm better out of fluffy sand.

I play in hard sand half the year like @Kalnoky and the other half has decent bunkers.  I use the same set up and swing, but the outcome is slightly different.  The swing on hard sand will make the ball go slightly further and launch lower.  I've learned to use the 60 more for hard sand and the 56 for softer sand, but same swing.  But, sure, if your hitting on hardpan and there is no sand, then go for the normal pitch like shot, but that can still be scary.