Bunkers

[Vikingman]

The last few weeks I've been striking the ball pretty much as well as I've ever done but I am really struggling with escaping from bunkers. Its now that bad its soul destroying and its killing my enjoyment of the game. I can be in a green side bunker in two but end up carding a seven or eight. The worse its got, the more bunkers I seem to end up in. My handicap is rocketing with these big numbers scattered across the card and its getting worse if anything. I've gone from someone who wasn't too bothered about ending up in bunkers (I wasn't brilliant but I could get them out) to someone who's heart sinks as his ball disappears into one. No matter what I do the result is always the same, I just blade the ball into the bank, on the odd occasion they come out its usually thinned at 100mph. I've watched video's, took advice off playing partners (trying to sort a lesson out) but whatever I'm doing is wrong because the result is always the same. Has anyone else ever experienced this?

 

[Orikoru]

Buy one of these: https://www.callawaygolf.com/golf-clubs/wedges/wedges-2019-sure-out-2.html

Honestly, I was amazed at how much easier it makes it. No messing about opening the face or whatever, with this thing as long as you keep the speed up and hit the sand behind the ball, it will pop out every time. I've even put some to one or two feet from greenside bunkers the last few weeks, from situations I used to take two shots to get out. It's an unreal piece of kit.

 

[Bdill93]

Do you practise bunker shots?

Cant see why youd get worse unless you've developed a bad habit or the bunkers have become extremely poorly sanded?

 

[Vikingman]

Do you practise bunker shots?

Cant see why youd get worse unless you've developed a bad habit or the bunkers have become extremely poorly sanded?

There's no practice bunker at my club so I can't really practice them. This has only come on since we came out of the last lockdown. I'm obviously doing something wrong but the mental side of it isn't doing me any favours either.

 

[timd77]

I was similar to you for a while last year. Was previously always quite confident but then had a couple of disasters which got into my head, to the point it felt like I had some sort of bunker yips. In the end I practiced my way out of it. It’s definitely a confidence thing because you have to play the shot differently to normal shots, your body’s telling you ‘woah, this isn’t normal’ and so the only way is to train out of it. There are lots of different methods, just a case of finding one that works for you and committing.

 

[Bdill93]

There's no practice bunker at my club so I can't really practice them. This has only come on since we came out of the last lockdown. I'm obviously doing something wrong but the mental side of it isn't doing me any favours either.

Can you go out in an evening, find a bunker on the course and drop some balls to practise? There really is only one solution and its practise

 

[ger147]

There's no practice bunker at my club so I can't really practice them. This has only come on since we came out of the last lockdown. I'm obviously doing something wrong but the mental side of it isn't doing me any favours either.

You need to find out what you are doing wrong. Practicing what you are doing wrong over and over again won't help as practice makes permanent.

As you have already tried your PP's with no luck, I would book a lesson.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Do you (OP) understand 'bounce'? My bunker play was very variable until I understood bounce. With that knowledge under my belt I have been able to practice actually using it - and my bunker play has improved hugely.

 

[Vikingman]

Do you (OP) understand 'bounce'? My bunker play was very variable until I understood bounce. With that knowledge under my belt I have been able to practice actually using it - and my bunker play has improved hugely.

Probably not as well as I should. I just used to get the ball out o.k, now I don't.

 

[Kennysarmy]

I think a video of you attempting to get out of a bunker would help us give advice.

Without it you may as well get on YouTube and search for "how to play bunker shots".

 

[Lord Tyrion]

You need to find out what you are doing wrong. Practicing what you are doing wrong over and over again won't help as practice makes permanent.

As you have already tried your PP's with no luck, I would book a lesson.

^^^^^^ This

We could give you 20 different tips that all work for us but a pro can see you in action, see what has gone wrong, hopefully put you right in no time. I know it is a cop out answer but sadly on this occasion it is the right one.

Alternatively we could each give you a bunker tip and you can spend this season going through each one until you reach the magic solution for you

 

[Curls]

I think a lot of YouTube videos are only applicable if you’re playing in the lovely fluffy white sand of a top course and/or stateside. Bobmac sorted this conundrum out for me by demonstrating how to get out of the variable size, variable depth, wet builders sand you sometimes get this side of the pond. I’m sure he’ll be along shortly but in summary don’t try to do what the pros are doing in their pampered fluffy paradise. It won’t work. Steep is good, use the bounce by all means but acceleration is key, no matter how far the ball is going you want a full flow through. If you manage to get on some evening get yourself into a bunker and draw a line in the sand. Then practice striking that line. Can you hit it every time? Then experiment with taking more or less sand but always with that full follow through. Soon you’ll start to hear the thud the bounce makes with the sand and that was the key for me, it’s a slap sound you can replicate and for some people that’s a better cue than technique

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Probably not as well as I should. I just used to get the ball out o.k, now I don't.

Having confidence that the bounce of a club will bring it out of the sand and should stop the club 'digging' into the sand has been key to me. That understanding has enabled me to open the clubface ('exposing' the sole of the clubhead) and accelerate the club into the sand behind the ball - knowing that the bounce will bring the clubhead out and the ball will come out on the sand forced up by the clubhead (assuming that there is decent amount of uncompacted sand under my ball).

At first I was fearful of thinning the ball - but the more I tried it and I didn't the more confident I have become about getting out - not always fantastically accurately - but it's now only an exceptionally difficult position in a bunker that will find me failing to get out.

 

[Vikingman]

Thanks to every one who has offered advice, I know that practice is the key but as others have said, I need to practice the right technique. As soon as the pro is available I will book myself in. What does puzzle me though is how the hell as this crept into my game. Twelve months ago I could get out of pot bunkers, now I couldn't escape a sand pit. And mentally its destroying me.

 

[ger147]

Thanks to every one who has offered advice, I know that practice is the key but as others have said, I need to practice the right technique. As soon as the pro is available I will book myself in. What does puzzle me though is how the hell as this crept into my game. Twelve months ago I could get out of pot bunkers, now I couldn't escape a sand pit. And mentally its destroying me.

As soon as you don't think you're getting out, you're never getting out. Bunker shots are the worst shot to have to play with no confidence IMO.

Confidence is key but you won't get that back without help.

 

[MarkT]

Buy one of these: https://www.callawaygolf.com/golf-clubs/wedges/wedges-2019-sure-out-2.html

Honestly, I was amazed at how much easier it makes it. No messing about opening the face or whatever, with this thing as long as you keep the speed up and hit the sand behind the ball, it will pop out every time. I've even put some to one or two feet from greenside bunkers the last few weeks, from situations I used to take two shots to get out. It's an unreal piece of kit.

this is comfortably the best club I’ve ever owned, used to lose more balls from sand than anywhere else but this has transformed things. Is also good from around the greens. I’ve got the 64 which sounds ludicrous but isn’t

 

[HampshireHog]

Most people I see struggling in green side bunkers do one or more of the following.

Don’t take the club far enough back
Come in too steep and too hard
Hit an already lofted club with too open a face
Don’t adjust the point of contact with the sand based on bunker condition
Don’t follow through

All easily resolvable, obviously there is a massive difference between getting it out and being a good bunker player, a bit of coaching can’t hurt.

 

[sweaty sock]

Can you play a flop shot or a close facsimile of one when not in a bunker?

If yes then do that everytime your in one. Hey presto.

Also remember that the PGA tour average very close to 3 shots to get down from greenside bunkers, so if you can debelop a shot to just get it on the green, statistically you're going to be doing great!

 

[clubchamp98]

Thanks to every one who has offered advice, I know that practice is the key but as others have said, I need to practice the right technique. As soon as the pro is available I will book myself in. What does puzzle me though is how the hell as this crept into my game. Twelve months ago I could get out of pot bunkers, now I couldn't escape a sand pit. And mentally its destroying me.

Lockdown!!
First thing to go is your feel shots.
Best advice I got was the £10 shot.
Imagine your ball right in the middle of the £10 note.
Draw a tenner size box around the ball with a tee / finger.
You must remove all of the sand inside the area of the note.
Square face not to steep but the key is taking all the sand.
Great drill but I appreciate it’s not east without a practice bunker.

 

[BiMGuy]

Saves typing.

There is also a video for getting out of wet bunkers.