How to play when at the face of a riveted bunker

[Rooter]

Guys, found my self about 6" away from the face of riveted bunker on the weekend, it was a disaster.

Couldn't get any follow through without smashing my club into the face, how should it be played? Should i have taken an unplayable? any tips?

similar to this pic, not quite as tall, but maybe slightly steeper...

 

[chellie]

Come out sideways.

 

[Lump]

No follow through needed. This sort of shot is all about brute force.
Aim to hit the sand a couple of inches behind the ball, nice and steep and give it everything. You'll more than likely get a face full of sand for your troubles but hopefully you'll get enough 'pop' on the ball to get it out.

 

[Foxholer]

Getting out in, as few shots as possible, is the sole aim.

Sideways is also my suggestion. Calling it unplayable is another option - though it's likely to plug when dropped - and you could go backwards from there.

I have done all the above - all in the same bunker once!

But quite often, the sand is sloped up the face sufficiently to actually be helpful - as in the pic - so it's not as difficult to get out as you may first think. Getting under the ball with sufficient energy (speed) to pop the ball up is the key. I use a full swing with the lob wedge for that - with pretty good success.

 

[louise_a]

I was faced with a similar shot last week, I got right under the ball, it rose nice, but only about 3 feet, the bunker face was about 6 feet high!

I got out at the 2nd attempt when the ball hit the face and bounced out backwards.

 

[Birchy]

Keep your head down and smash the living daylights out of it

 

[patricks148]

Guys, found my self about 6" away from the face of riveted bunker on the weekend, it was a disaster.

Couldn't get any follow through without smashing my club into the face, how should it be played? Should i have taken an unplayable? any tips?

similar to this pic, not quite as tall, but maybe slightly steeper...

View attachment 11182

sounds familiar, were you at Nairn?

close the clubface and hit is as hard as you can.... sideways as well might be the best option.

 

[FairwayDodger]

sounds familiar, were you at Nairn?

close the clubface and hit is as hard as you can.... sideways as well might be the best option.

Not saying you're wrong, but I have never understood the idea of closing the clubface in this situation, does that not reduce the elevation on the ball's trajectory?

I'd have the face wide open and hit behind the ball as hard as possible and get the ball to rise as steeply as possible. As someone else said, no need to worry about the follow through... I had exactly this shot at Dornoch, plugged an inch from the face and got out.... In my mind's eye, if I'd played that with a closed face it'd never have cleared the face....?

 

[Rooter]

sounds familiar, were you at Nairn?

close the clubface and hit is as hard as you can.... sideways as well might be the best option.

think i was trying to be too soft with it then!

Thanks all for the comments,

And no Patrick, this was darn sarf at my home club, probably the only bunker of this type and ferocity on the entire course! And I find it and have an awful position in it too!

 

[patricks148]

Not saying you're wrong, but I have never understood the idea of closing the clubface in this situation, does that not reduce the elevation on the ball's trajectory?

I'd have the face wide open and hit behind the ball as hard as possible and get the ball to rise as steeply as possible. As someone else said, no need to worry about the follow through... I had exactly this shot at Dornoch, plugged an inch from the face and got out.... In my mind's eye, if I'd played that with a closed face it'd never have cleared the face....?

what you are describing is a normal bunker shot, if the ball buried, its not a normal shot. you want to dig the ball out in this instance, hence the closed face.

what i call a Nairn lie, you get often here if the ball goes in the bunker with any force.

 

[Foxholer]

what you are describing is a normal bunker shot, if the ball buried, its not a normal shot. you want to dig the ball out in this instance, hence the closed face.

what i call a Nairn lie, you get often here if the ball goes in the bunker with any force.

I'm pretty much with FD on this one - just wouldn't open the face too wide (depending on the sand) as that seriously reduces the power.

Nowhere in the OP was 'buried' or plugged mentioned.

 

[FairwayDodger]

what you are describing is a normal bunker shot, if the ball buried, its not a normal shot. you want to dig the ball out in this instance, hence the closed face.

what i call a Nairn lie, you get often here if the ball goes in the bunker with any force.

Cheers, I'm interested - will try this shot in practice. It's not currently in my repertoire! :thup:

 

[Rooter]

I'm pretty much with FD on this one - just wouldn't open the face too wide (depending on the sand) as that seriously reduces the power.

Nowhere in the OP was 'buried' or plugged mentioned.

Correct, the actual lie of the ball in the sand was perfect, not buried or plugged,nice soft sand. Should have blasted it, but was scared of smashing my club into the rivets..

 

[Deleted member 15344]

Correct, the actual lie of the ball in the sand was perfect, not buried or plugged,nice soft sand. Should have blasted it, but was scared of smashing my club into the rivets..

Yeah would have just smashed it with the face a bit open or just normal

 

[patricks148]

Cheers, I'm interested - will try this shot in practice. It's not currently in my repertoire! :thup:

i took it he was plugged in the face IE a Nairn Lie, what i described was for plugged, my mistake.

 

[FairwayDodger]

i took it he was plugged in the face IE a Nairn Lie, what i described was for plugged, my mistake.

Any tips to help me with plugged lies, gratefully received!

 

[AmandaJR]

Any tips to help me with plugged lies, gratefully received!

Within reason my favourite bunker shot as no finesse required - deloft slightly, further back in stance and smack it as hard as you can. No need to wonder "how much sand" etc as the plugged element does all that for you. Had an on course lesson once where we worked on this shot and just about emptied the bunker - great fun...

 

[SocketRocket]

I once watched a guy in that position who picked up the ball along with a handful of sand and tossed it over the top of the bunker to whoops from his mates who couldn't see him.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I once watched a guy in that position who picked up the ball along with a handful of sand and tossed it over the top of the bunker to whoops from his mates who couldn't see him.

A tried and tested method. I'm with others, give it a good bash and watch it pop up.