Bunkers

[Khamelion]

End of last year bunkers and me were getting on great, in that I avoided them but when in one getting out wasn't a problem. However, the last couple of rounds have seen me taking 3 or more shots to get out and on one occasion just picking the ball up and moving to the next hole.

I know there are 100's of videos out there and what will work for one person may not for another, but has anyone got a recommendation based on a bunker video you have watched that helped you sort your getting out of bunker problems.

cheers

 

[Depreston]

End of last year bunkers and me were getting on great, in that I avoided them but when in one getting out wasn't a problem. However, the last couple of rounds have seen me taking 3 or more shots to get out and on one occasion just picking the ball up and moving to the next hole.

I know there are 100's of videos out there and what will work for one person may not for another, but has anyone got a recommendation based on a bunker video you have watched that helped you sort your getting out of bunker problems.

cheers

I'm struggling with this too at the moment.... normally knife it through the green/hit the lip or just manage to get it out leaving me with a long putt

 

[r0wly86]

End of last year bunkers and me were getting on great, in that I avoided them but when in one getting out wasn't a problem. However, the last couple of rounds have seen me taking 3 or more shots to get out and on one occasion just picking the ball up and moving to the next hole.

I know there are 100's of videos out there and what will work for one person may not for another, but has anyone got a recommendation based on a bunker video you have watched that helped you sort your getting out of bunker problems.

cheers

No video, but bits of advice that have helped me over the years.

Set up - ball in the front of the stance, feel well planted if in a greenside, less so in a fairway. Open club face, pointing towards the hole, make sure you apply the grip after the face is open and not opening the face whilst gripping conventionally.

feet set up at the hole, this is different to a lot of advice where they say you should open your stance, but setting up straight will stop side spin taking the ball away from the hole.

Swing - a nice and slow swing tempo if greenside, you may be anxious and speed up a bit so practice outside of the bunker a slower tempo. I just swing normally, as in I don't try and go shallower or steeper, just a chocked grip and slower tempo.

Imagine a bank note behind your ball, and try and hit the sand where the bank not begins, £5 for a long bunker shot, £10 for a medium and £20 for a short shot.

Remember the sand takes the ball out of the bunker not your club

 

[Khamelion]

No video, but bits of advice that have helped me over the years.

Set up - ball in the front of the stance, feel well planted if in a greenside, less so in a fairway. Open club face, pointing towards the hole, make sure you apply the grip after the face is open and not opening the face whilst gripping conventionally.

feet set up at the hole, this is different to a lot of advice where they say you should open your stance, but setting up straight will stop side spin taking the ball away from the hole.

Swing - a nice and slow swing tempo if greenside, you may be anxious and speed up a bit so practice outside of the bunker a slower tempo. I just swing normally, as in I don't try and go shallower or steeper, just a chocked grip and slower tempo.

Imagine a bank note behind your ball, and try and hit the sand where the bank not begins, £5 for a long bunker shot, £10 for a medium and £20 for a short shot.

Remember the sand takes the ball out of the bunker not your club

I had been setting up with open club face and an open stance and thinking about it, when I did get the ball out when it landed it would spin off to the right quite a bit, kind of makes sense really.

What I'd not been doing was gripping the club after open the face, I'd taken my normal grip then opened the face.

 

[r0wly86]

I had been setting up with open club face and an open stance and thinking about it, when I did get the ball out when it landed it would spin off to the right quite a bit, kind of makes sense really.

What I'd not been doing was gripping the club after open the face, I'd taken my normal grip then opened the face.

yeah, for years I opened my stance which encourages and out to in swing and likewise my ball would spin right, now that I've squared up I just get that nice bit of check spin to hold the ball.

If you open the club face after gripping then you have to change your swing or you could be closing the club face back to square on your down swing, delofting the club face. By opening then gripping you can swing normally and the face will remain open

 

[Orikoru]

Is it not just that bunkers are ten times worse in the winter/wet weather? I was similar, used to be half decent at getting out of the bunkers, then through the winter I've had many holes ruined from taking 3 shots to get out. But I figured that was just because the sand had become rock hard due to coldness or being soaked. Makes it near impossible to hit under the ball, so you almost have to change how you play them and pick the ball out clean. Once it dries out (if it ever does - this year has been ridiculously bad so far) you can go back to blasting under the ball.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Padraig Harrington did a very good bunker lesson at The British Masters for Sky. I am sure it will be on the internet somewhere. He made it very simple and is worth looking for.

 

[casuk]

I just keep all my weight on my left lean in and slight tilt my shoulders to the lie, depending on the bunker a might open my 55° or neutral 60°, and I swing fast keeping the speed throughout the shot aiming about an inch back behind the ball,

 

[USER1999]

Padraig Harrington did a very good bunker lesson at The British Masters for Sky. I am sure it will be on the internet somewhere. He made it very simple and is worth looking for.

I preferred Danny Willets one. The one where you practice hitting a line in the sand. When asked what to do if you cannot hit the line consistently, he answered dont go in bunkers.

Useful drill though.

 

[bobmac]

The technique I use will get you out of the bunker irrespective of conditions.
For right handers..
Hold the grip near the bottom
Aim left, point the clubface at the flag, take your grip THEN position the ball in line with your front heal.
Try and get the club to enter the sand 3-5 inches behing the ball and go about 2-3 inches under the ball.
To achieve this you will need almost a full swing

[video=youtube;c11XYrHSEII]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c11XYrHSEII&index=22&t=0s&list=PL7Uf2W3sfv qYBJ3OUldKvQT7ZWYEmPOyW[/video]

 

[casuk]

The poulter one was quite good too, explains it to kids which more my level of learning 😀

 

[merv79]

Pete Cowen has a really good bunker lesson video on Youtube.

 

[londonlewis]

End of last year bunkers and me were getting on great, in that I avoided them but when in one getting out wasn't a problem. However, the last couple of rounds have seen me taking 3 or more shots to get out and on one occasion just picking the ball up and moving to the next hole.

I know there are 100's of videos out there and what will work for one person may not for another, but has anyone got a recommendation based on a bunker video you have watched that helped you sort your getting out of bunker problems.

cheers

Watch this. It is excellent. The whole thing is excellent.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWRcArnNyKY

Bunker bit is 1 hour 11 minutes in.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I found this one by Luke Donald to be of help - that said - current advice for playing out of our new bunkers is to play square. I will see.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvXiKPDEUdM

 

[bobmac]

Most Youtube bunker tips talk about thin divots which only works in soft fluffy sand.

When was the last time we had soft fluffy sand in the UK?

 

[garyinderry]

Most Youtube bunker tips talk about thin divots which only works in soft fluffy sand.

When was the last time we had soft fluffy sand in the UK?

True. I was trying to swing shallow through bunkers not 6 months ago. It doesn't work. Especially when they are wet. needs steepness.

Been working hard on bunkers since then and its becoming a strength now.

 

[Coffey]

Most Youtube bunker tips talk about thin divots which only works in soft fluffy sand.

When was the last time we had soft fluffy sand in the UK?

It is so true. Before I went to Portugal I was absolutely terrible at bunkers, I was just getting it out over the lip. Went to Portugal and found absolutely no issues what so ever getting out and was playing some brilliant bunker shots. Once I was back in the UK I went back to just getting it out again.

No change of technique between the trip and coming back yet the result was so so different. Have been working on steepness recently and already seeing a massive difference. Trying to take about a shoe print size of a divot with the ball being in the middle.

 

[Khamelion]

Most Youtube bunker tips talk about thin divots which only works in soft fluffy sand.

When was the last time we had soft fluffy sand in the UK?

Indeed, I had been using the shallow divot technique, but in a wet bunker of compact sand, the only thing that happens is the club bounces off the sand and you end up knifing the ball across the green at worst, or smack into the lip at best.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I preferred Danny Willets one. The one where you practice hitting a line in the sand. When asked what to do if you cannot hit the line consistently, he answered dont go in bunkers.

Useful drill though.

I think it is always good listening to pro's and bunker techniques as they are so good in bunkers. I didn't see the Willett one but I will check it out tonight, thanks for the tip. I liked the Harrington one as he kept it simple and I used a tip from it that worked for me.

 

[Big Bandito]

This one works for me!

https://youtu.be/tIZubDMQs9A