Can't get out of bunkers

[garyinderry]

Now a days bunker shots are , how close can I get it. Not am I going to air mail the green or slam this into the face.

These are all the wet bunker technique toned down a bit for the better conditions.

 

[garyinderry]

 

[garyinderry]

 

[garyinderry]

No fear in any bunker now.

 

[Orikoru]

Hitting 2 or 3 bunker shots while out playing isn't the way to learn a new technique. You need to take a few minutes in a practice bunker to feel out the new positions and movements.
If you are still blading them you obviously havnt got the technique right yet. A final missing bit.
Without seeing what you are doing I'd guess you have lowered the hands but they are too far back of the ball as you have the ball forward in your stance. You can use a tiny bit of shaft lean to assist getting in under the ball which you have yet to do.

The sand at my home club is thick heavy sand. Like builders sand. I can get into it. You can too.

The thing with all bunker shots is you have to assess the lie. When it's like concrete you need to over exaggerate all the things in ur set up and technique. Really steep, really dig, shaft lean, weight well left etc. Half hearted doesn't work with that lie.
The better the lie the more u can ease off on those things.

Like everything it doesn't happen in two swings. It needs a little work and perseverance. Trial and error till it clicks.

Issue is I'm never going to have the time to devote to practising bunkers - and the one practise bunker our place is pretty poor anyway. I just need a way to chop it out and take a bogey or even a double if it saves me blobbing the hole.

I think there's an argument to say different techniques suit different people with different swings. Over the years I have never been able to get out of a bunker with the face open, even in nice fluffy summer sand let alone rock hard winter sand. It just doesn't work for me and never has. I just don't think I have the swing for it. That's the reason there's been a SureOut in my bag for three years - you play that square and just swipe and hope for the best.

Like any golf shot as well, low-point is obviously important - no matter what technique you're using. Thins and fats have always been an issue for me with iron striking, stands to reason that it makes bunker shots inconsistent as well.

 

[bobmac]

Looking back at the 'shallow days', you can see where the club was brushing the sand about a foot behind the ball.
The more recent vids show the point of entry much nearer the ball

 

[garyinderry]

Looking back at the 'shallow days', you can see where the club was brushing the sand about a foot behind the ball.
The more recent vids show the point of entry much nearer the ball

I had no idea what I was doing back then. The shallow idea was something I'd seen an American coach talking about. Obviously I hadn't factored in he was playing off soft fluffy sand and not the stuff I'd normally find in Ireland.

Bunkers used to be complete pot luck. Sometimes I'd get lucky but more often than not it ended up ruining a round. Now I can keep rounds going by saving par and at the very least pop it out and make bogey. The card wreaking disasters have all but disappeared.

 

[garyinderry]

Issue is I'm never going to have the time to devote to practising bunkers - and the one practise bunker our place is pretty poor anyway. I just need a way to chop it out and take a bogey or even a double if it saves me blobbing the hole.

I think there's an argument to say different techniques suit different people with different swings. Over the years I have never been able to get out of a bunker with the face open, even in nice fluffy summer sand let alone rock hard winter sand. It just doesn't work for me and never has. I just don't think I have the swing for it. That's the reason there's been a SureOut in my bag for three years - you play that square and just swipe and hope for the best.

Like any golf shot as well, low-point is obviously important - no matter what technique you're using. Thins and fats have always been an issue for me with iron striking, stands to reason that it makes bunker shots inconsistent as well.

I'm not saying you need to spend hour after hour in the practice bunker. A half an hour here and there trying things and tweaking them will do you the world of good.
If you ever play 9 holes by yourself one day, hitting 5 bunker shots on every hole "is practice".
A few years ago I identified bunkers as a real weakness in my game. With the help from Bob and other tips from YouTube I've tuned it into a strength quite quickly. Wasn't overnight but once I worked out how to get into the sand and not fall back the rest came fairly quickly. A few years have gone by and I don't have to worry about these shots.
I'd say it was a couple of sessions in the sand. A few games where I'd throw extra balls in for more reps. Then any time I was faced with the shot on the course I was confident of a good result. Over time I've learnt how to deal with differnt lies and conditions.
My only regret was not learning this sooner. If we are going to play this game we are going to have to deal with bunker shots. It's worth learning.

 

[garyinderry]

Here's Dan using the technique to get out of a plugged lie.

 

[Beezerk]

Played on Sunday. Went in a greenside bunker on the 7th, sand like cement as usual. I opened the face, regripped, weight forward, ball forward in stance, big swing and hit down hard - everything people have said you're meant to do. The club bounced off the sand and knifed the ball into the top lip. Did it all again, hit it even harder, same result. Then I just angrily smashed it clean out and 60 yards over the green.

I honestly just give up. I do everything you're supposed to do and it doesn't bloody work. Unless the sand in our bunkers is harder than anywhere else in the country - which I doubt - then I've got no idea why I can't do it.

I'm going back to the SureOut I reckon. At least it pretty much always works on the second attempt.

Mate, I’m not a great bunker player at all but…in tight packed sand I just pretend I’m on a muddy path or something and nip the ball out with a regular chipping motion. Weight may be slightly more forward but I do that when I’m chipping anyway. No need to go at it full tilt unless you’re sure you’ve got lots of soft sand to work with.
Thank me after you try this out at the weekend

 

[Orikoru]

Mate, I’m not a great bunker player at all but…in tight packed sand I just pretend I’m on a muddy path or something and nip the ball out with a regular chipping motion. Weight may be slightly more forward but I do that when I’m chipping anyway. No need to go at it full tilt unless you’re sure you’ve got lots of soft sand to work with.
Thank me after you try this out at the weekend

I have tried that as well, normally end up hitting it fat and chipping it about 18 inches. I think there's so many ways to try and play it that decision making is part of the problem.

 

[CountLippe]

Practice Dan Grieve's release 2 & 3 chipping techniques. They get you proficient at controling low point for different types of shot which can then be simply transferred to sand. Learning the technique on the chipping green (or your garden) allows quicker reps than the parctice bunker.