Bunker shots, how do you play yours and what do you use?

Swingalot said:
9 times out of 10 it is a clean strike on the ball for me, watching the ball soar 40/50 yards past the intended landing spot. :o

Have tried to imagine the bank note under the ball and the imaginary line in front, but I struggle with the concept of swinging the club to miss the ball, which is strange as sometimes on the fairway when I swing to strike the ball I hit the turf inches in front of it :eek:

stupid game
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Get in a practice bunker, rake it and create two long parallel lines in the sand six inches apart. Without using a ball practice swings that take a divot that enters on the first line and exits on the second. keep doing this along the line until you can repeat the correct divot every time. Now do it again with a row of balls in the centre of the two lines, you will soon build confidence in hitting the ball out nicely.
 
Hmmm deep pot bunkers with soft sand.

Either my 56* or 60*. Open up the face. Swing trying to keep my body quiet.
Change position and address the ball again. Swing a little harder trying to keep my body quiet.
Change position address the ball again. Swing with all my might and not give a damn about keeping anything quiet.
Shout a few expletives, pick up my ball, step out of the bunker rake it, light a cig and N/R the hole.
 
Tab373 said:
I use a vokey 60 4deg bounce stance slightly open club face open and ball forward.ball comes out high and soft.can get up and down from most bunkers And if I'm going to miss the green Id rather be in the bunker than chipping.
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Do not come across many who would rather be in the bunker.

Not my strongest point normally get it out ok, 56 deg medium bonce Vokey ball forward in the stance and aim around one to two inches behind the ball. I do have a bad habit of catching the odd one clean and sending it miles
 
Very indifferently up to now but had a lesson last week that included about 20 mins in the bunkers. Have been playing my Vokey 60* (not sure of the bounce) but have a Vokey 56*/10* on order so will give that a bash when it arrives.
 
You can have a shallow angle of attack, club enters the sand about 1-2in behind the ball and goes about an inch deep. This will produce a lot of spin with a soft swing.
Only to be used in shallow bunkers with fluffy sand.
OR
Steep angle of attack, enter the sand about 3-4in behind the ball and go about 3 in deep. This shot needs a full swing.
Better for deep bunkers or hard packed sand.

Not my strongest point normally get it out ok, 56 deg medium bonce Vokey ball forward in the stance and aim around one to two inches behind the ball. I do have a bad habit of catching the odd one clean and sending it miles
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I suggest you try my second option
 
Either 56 (high bounce) or 60 (very low bounce) for me.

Ours are deep pot bunkers so depends how far to the hole/how quick I need to get the ball up.

Not sure if the whole "high bounce needed for bunkers" is a myth but I've no bother with either.
 
NWJocko said:
Either 56 (high bounce) or 60 (very low bounce) for me.

Ours are deep pot bunkers so depends how far to the hole/how quick I need to get the ball up.

Not sure if the whole "high bounce needed for bunkers" is a myth but I've no bother with either.
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isn't the high bounce theory that it explodes the ball upwards, in soft and anyway?
 
SocketRocket said:
Get in a practice bunker, rake it and create two long parallel lines in the sand six inches apart. Without using a ball practice swings that take a divot that enters on the first line and exits on the second. keep doing this along the line until you can repeat the correct divot every time. Now do it again with a row of balls in the centre of the two lines, you will soon build confidence in hitting the ball out nicely.
Click to expand...

Thanks for that, I will certainly give that a go next time I'm passing the range/course. :thup:
 
Moved from a traditional SW to a 58 Cleveland in the Bunker and having far more success. Think it's down to the narrower Sole on the Cleveland, as my TM SW is quite chunky.

Noob though so might be completely wrong!
 
SocketRocket said:
Get in a practice bunker, rake it and create two long parallel lines in the sand six inches apart. Without using a ball practice swings that take a divot that enters on the first line and exits on the second. keep doing this along the line until you can repeat the correct divot every time. Now do it again with a row of balls in the centre of the two lines, you will soon build confidence in hitting the ball out nicely.
Click to expand...

This is how I 'practiced' my bunker shots over ten years ago. Still haven't really progressed much from 'getting out' to 'getting close' though!

@Bobmac A 3" deep gouge in a 'hard-packed' bunker would take more effort than I could muster for a 250yd Drive! That's where my low bounce 60* gets used - to pick the ball off the surface.
Agree about the Deep Bunker play though. Heard a Pro suggest to a player that was struggling to get out of medium depth ones, even with a full swing.... 'Got to hit down to get the ball up!'!
 
58/10 for green side. 53/8 for those pesky bunkers further out.

I've adopted the Luke Donald style of bunker play. Having watched some of his videos, like this one https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yI-E4ksTuG4 I actually really enjoy the bunker shots now, sometimes preferring to be in the bunker than behind or beside it.

Whenever I practice bunker play, I draw 10 square boxes about the size of a a beer mat and place the golf ball in the middle of them. I aim to hit the line behind the ball and imagine the club coming out on the front line. It Helps to keep the divot shallow and create the bed of sand the ball should come out on.

Really has improved my sand game.
 
I play on a parkside course and so these deep pot bunkers aren't an issue and most are quite easy to escape from. The problem I have when practicing is the practice bunker tends to have hardish and compact sand where the ones on the course are being renovated and more sand added which gives a completely different feel. I tend to stand square and have my hands level or fractionally back of the ball and make a steepish swing and ensure I accelerate and use the bounce
 
Can usually get the ball out of consistent soft sand.

My problems tend to be when the sand is damp or there's only a thin layer of it.

Been reduced to just trying to chip it out recently.
 
I think biggest problem people have is not practicing them. You may 1 or bunker ***** a round normally, but that is the only time anyone plays them. No practice equals a lack of understanding on how to play from one IMO so you will always struggle.
 
bobmac said:
You can have a shallow angle of attack, club enters the sand about 1-2in behind the ball and goes about an inch deep. This will produce a lot of spin with a soft swing.
Only to be used in shallow bunkers with fluffy sand.
OR
Steep angle of attack, enter the sand about 3-4in behind the ball and go about 3 in deep. This shot needs a full swing.
Better for deep bunkers or hard packed sand.



I suggest you try my second option
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Cheers Bob, where in the stance would you have the ball?
 
NorfolkShaun said:
Cheers Bob, where in the stance would you have the ball?
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Depends on the length of the shot and depth of the bunker but generally for the fluffy sand, the heel or instep of your front foot and for the harder sand, back towards the middle a couple of inches
For the harder sand you may need to aim straight and have the face square if you have a high bounce SW
 
I use the club designed for the job 97% of the time, hard sand might be the PW opened roughly 25*
 
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