Hard sand in bunkers

[drf7155]

I'm a 7 handicap and consider my self a very good sand player. Just joined a private club with hard sand. I'm used to the fluffy soft kind that I can get underneath. Have played 1 rd at new club and my 60 degree Cleveland is bouncing hard off sand is ball is flying out of bunker. I'm in trouble !!! Suggestions ????

[GolfLug]

A super low bounce wedge maybe??

[Grass Destruction]

We have league at a course with really hard sand and I usually play it like a chip shot from a tight fairway lie. Ball back in my stance, slightly open stance to the ball. 

 

HTH!

[3jacker]

I hate hard sand.

But it is a hazard, and not supposed to cater to my wishes... so...

I have a 8* bounce 58* that I use for this.  Less bounce for hard sand, more for soft.

[tosob]

I set up with and open stance but a square club face, like I'm going to hit a pitch. I hit the shot just like a regular sand shot but let the club dig.I always finish and don't decelerate. I use a 50 degree wedge with very little bounce. Ball pops out nice and soft.

[billchao]

It's been raining a lot lately so all the bunkers are hard packed. I've been playing out of them similar to how others have mentioned, like a lofted chip shot.

[colin007]

If there's no lip, you can actually putt those out, almost like a ski jump method

Some bunkers near me are like concrete

[DaveP043]

When we played the Newport Cup in Phoenix, the sand in the bunkers was really firm.  I went to my lower-bounce 60* wedge, tried to take a shallower bit of sand than I normally do, with a little slower swing, since I thought the ball would jump out quickly.  That didn't work too well.  In the end I simply took my normal sand wedge (56-12), made sure to really thump the sand with the bottom of the wedge, with a little more clubhead speed than I'd have thought necessary.  It definitely worked better.  Not great, but I was heading the right direction with that.  I think the important part was the "thump", and more speed rather than less.

[easyjay39402]

It has rained just about every day this summer and our traps are like wet concrete. Even my 60/8 can’t get under the ball up and out of greenside bunkers. My strategy is now avoid the bunkers at all cost. Otherwise, I am certain to make my ESC limit 😕

[boogielicious]

I don't know if it is me, but I seem to do better in hard sand. I treat it like a normal pitch shot. For soft sand, I lower my hands, raise my right shoulder, etc. For hard sand, I just stand like I do for pitch shots as is the Quickie Pitching Video.

[saevel25]

I just play it like a normal pitch shot. I rather have very hard bunkers versus ones with a ton of sand.

[colin007]

Are y'all taking about *firm* sand? Or literally rock hard "sand" where you can't even make scrape marks in it with a rake if you wanted to?

[boogielicious]

8 hours ago, colin007 said:

Are y'all taking about *firm* sand? Or literally rock hard "sand" where you can't even make scrape marks in it with a rake if you wanted to?

Very firm sand, like after it has rained then dried a bit. I had this yesterday and worked on it at a local Par 3. I missed a couple using the sand method below. The club was bouncing off the harder sand. So I went with just a pitch style swing from the Quickie Pitching thread and it worked better. I practice pitching off hard pan when I can.

 

[Groucho Valentine]

Im not really a fan of hard bunkers. I know alot of people love them, though. I prefer to release my sand shots (i read them like putts) and i tend to get too much spin out of hard sand. Its like they land and just stop there. Its just not how my eye and feel works on those shots. 

[colin007]

I think we need to make a distinction between hard/firm sand and sand that has turned essentially into concrete. 

[boogielicious]

1 hour ago, colin007 said:

I think we need to make a distinction between hard/firm sand and sand that has turned essentially into concrete. 

How about one we call, "wicked firm sand" and the other "hard as frickin' concrete sand"?

I think the approach is essentially the same for me. If I need to carry the lip, I will do more of a pitch swing to get height. If it is a low lip next to the green, I may chip with a putting motion.

 

[colin007]

53 minutes ago, boogielicious said:

How about one we call, "wicked firm sand" and the other "hard as frickin' concrete sand"?

I think the approach is essentially the same for me. If I need to carry the lip, I will do more of a pitch swing to get height. If it is a low lip next to the green, I may chip with a putting motion.

 

If it's very firm, I'm still trying to skim a little behind the ball, if there's even a little give to the sand.

The hard as concrete stuff, I'm trying to use the pitching method that can be used off a cart path. No guarantees on success rate

[dogburger]

Joined a Club ten years ago with really difficult bunkers ,little light sand on top then concrete ,well hard sand underneath . The result was the bounce on my SW was too much and I had real difficulty in getting out let alone getting out to where I wanted to be .

After years of frustration and wrecked cards due to extra shots (sometimes 4/5) in the bunkers I played against  one of the older members in a comp and was amazed with his effortless and consistent bunker play . After he had handed me my arse on a plate I asked him his secret . " Oh you have to use a lob wedge in these  bunkers  " he said " Didn't anyone tell you ?"