Bunkers

[AmandaJR]

Hi. We have very few bunkers at our course so I seldom land in one and get little practice on getting out of the blighters. When I play other courses I dread landing in them. I feel I know the technique and many moons ago had a lesson on our practice bunker and was quite adept at getting out and landing softly but that technique seems to have deserted me. I'm confident using my sand wedge from grassy lies and getting height and spin on the ball but never achieve the same from sand. HID says I quit on it which may well be the case but I try not to. Having taken a 9 in the County Comp last week due to a bunker I'm keen not to repeat the same when we play foursomes on Sunday (although he'll have the 2nd go at it)!!

Any tips for me to try out when I practice this week?

 

[bobmac]

It sounds as if you are a bit timid in your approach.
Give it some welly girl.
If the SW goes a few inches under the ball, lots of the power will be lost in the cushion of sand between the clubface and ball so you can be quite aggressive with the swing without the ball flying across the green.
Make sure the club enters the sand around 3-5 inches behind the ball and 2-3 inches deep under the ball and on to a full follow through.
And make sure the ball is FORWARD in your stance[video=youtube;c11XYrHSEII]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c11XYrHSEII&list=UUFeb2vdftHQESr49G8ZorhQ& index=59&feature=plcp[/video]

 

[full_throttle]

Amanda, if you subscribe to the magazine there was an article from the pro's about bunker play. Draw two lines in the bunker about 6 inches apart, place the ball between the lines, enter the sand on the line behind the ball and attempt to exit the sand on the second,

Sounds complicated but it's not really

 

[AmandaJR]

It sounds as if you are a bit timid in your approach.
Give it some welly girl.
If the SW goes a few inches under the ball, lots of the power will be lost in the cushion of sand between the clubface and ball so you can be quite aggressive with the swing without the ball flying across the green.
Make sure the club enters the sand around 3-5 inches behind the ball and 2-3 inches deep under the ball and on to a full follow through.
And make sure the ball is FORWARD in your stance[video=youtube;c11XYrHSEII]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c11XYrHSEII&list=UUFeb2vdftHQESr49G8ZorhQ& index=59&feature=plcp[/video]

Thanks Bob. What about the "bounce" element? Am I looking to hit the base of the bunker with the base of the club rather than the leading edge? I think I think this and maybe get a bit handsy/wristy?? I notice your full backswing and follow through so need to do that and not fear a thin that goes miles!

Amanda, if you subscribe to the magazine there was an article from the pro's about bunker play. Draw two lines in the bunker about 6 inches apart, place the ball between the lines, enter the sand on the line behind the ball and attempt to exit the sand on the second,

Sounds complicated but it's not really

I do subscribe but don't keep issues once read. Will try that tip tomorrow though.

 

[bobmac]

Am I looking to hit the base of the bunker with the base of the club rather than the leading edge?

If the ball is forward in your stance, the base of the SW will naturally enter the sand, especially if you open the face a touch.

 

[AmandaJR]

If the ball is forward in your stance, the base of the SW will naturally enter the sand, especially if you open the face a touch.

Thanks Bob - will give it a try tomorrow and hopefully report back some excellent results!

 

[SocketRocket]

It sounds as if you are a bit timid in your approach.
Give it some welly girl.
If the SW goes a few inches under the ball, lots of the power will be lost in the cushion of sand between the clubface and ball so you can be quite aggressive with the swing without the ball flying across the green.
Make sure the club enters the sand around 3-5 inches behind the ball and 2-3 inches deep under the ball and on to a full follow through.
And make sure the ball is FORWARD in your stance[video=youtube;c11XYrHSEII]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c11XYrHSEII&list=UUFeb2vdftHQESr49G8ZorhQ& index=59&feature=plcp[/video]

Bob,

Many bunkers I play dont have 3 inches of sand under the ball. How would you suggest these are played?

 

[thecraw]

That's such a shallow faced bunker you could almost use a putter!


:ears:

 

[Foxholer]

ake sure the club enters the sand around 3-5 inches behind the ball and 2-3 inches deep under the ball and on to a full follow through.
And make sure the ball is FORWARD in your stance

Those numbers seem quite large to me. I visit a range of bunkers and have generally taken sight on something between 1/2 and 1 and 1/2 inches behind the back of the ball (depending how far I want to fly it) in soft sand. Of course, it may be that my brain/swing adjusts in spite of where I focus.

Full follow through seems important.

And the worst thing you can do is 'help the ball out' with the club. Hitting down into the sand and having a fill follow through will allow the bounce to do its work of 'popping' the ball out.

 

[bobmac]

That's such a shallow faced bunker you could almost use a putter!


:ears:

I think you'll find the ball came out high enough to get out of most bunkers....ya bawheed

 

[bobmac]

Bob,

Many bunkers I play don't have 3 inches of sand under the ball. How would you suggest these are played?

Whatever is under the sand (clay or soil), the club will still go through it. Maybe bring the ball back in your stance a touch and force the SW down into the dirt and out again.

Those numbers seem quite large to me

If you swing shallower and hit the sand nearer the ball, more energy will reach the ball, hitting it further. As the OP wants a high soft landing shot where she can swing confidently at the ball , I stand by my numbers... IMPO

 

[white_feather]

No autumn is here and it's wet, any tips for gettting out of wet compact sand?

How should you alter your set up?

 

[AmandaJR]

Update. Played the course first and landed in the bunker on the 16th. Followed Bob's instructions and wind in so just opened my eyes to see the ball plop down softly on the green. I was shocked!! Practice bunker afterwards and not much sand in there so did airmail the green a few times which rather embarrassingly ends up with a ball in the middle of the first fairway! At least they all came out though. Did gradually start to find some control rather than hit and hope and once I controlled the length of backswing and followed through fully I started to really hit some good ones.

Without doubt David was right and I wasn't following through as it did feel different.

Bob - I have been taught to kind of cut under the ball with a slightly out to in feel for short lofted chips. It works beautifully off the grass and I noticed in the bunker where I committed to the follow through it felt kind of odd as my arms in the follow through really came across my body. Does that sound ok?