I cant use my SW in bunkers!

KeefG

KeefG

Journeyman Pro
Joined
May 28, 2007
Messages
2,360
Location
Nottingham
www.maywoodgolfclub.com
Bear with me.....

Played my local track again tonight and after yesterdays high jinx the course bit back a bit.

Started badly to be fair, I thought i'd listen to my ipod on the way round for the 1st time, smacked my tee shot off the 1st tee straight down the middle, then put my ipod on and made a complete hash of the simplest of 7I approach shots, then made a hash of a PW approach shot into a greenside bunker so got rid of the ipod. Took 2 to get out and 2 putted for a 7. Then went par, bogey, par, and then drove the par 4 green again that I eagled on Tuesday and made birdie.

And then the real bad stuff happened, I put my next tee shot OOB (as I did on Tuesday), put my 2nd tee shot in the crap, duffed my chip out, got into a bunker and took 2 to get out and eventually holed out for an 8, then bogied a par 3, then took a 9 on a par 4 after being in a greenside bunker for 2 and taking 5 shots to get out and eventually going out in 50 :mad:

I had to sit down for 5 minutes then and clear my head...

I then went round the back nine +4 over par and 5 under for my handicap, that went double (2 bunker shots), bogey (2 bunker shots), par, bogey and 5 par's in a row to finish, the 18th being especially pleasing as I put my tee shot in the crap on the wrong side of some trees down the left and put my approach with a utility wood with a lovely fade from about 200yds to 10ft and 2 putted for par and came back home in 40 which is 3 shots better than I ever have done the back 9. :D

When I came off I was properly disgusted with my bunker play after giving away 8 shots that I really shouldnt have in bunkers so I went into the small practice bunker with 3 balls and my SW and proceeded to duff about 50% of my shots. I never used to have any bother getting out of bunkers at all until the last 3-4 weeks for some reason and I've noticed a lot of marks on the shank.

I put the SW back and got my 60* wedge and proceeded to try that, and out of 15 shots I didnt duff a single one!!!!

Why cant I use my SW for what it is intended for?
 
could be one of many reasons. Are you quitting on the shot? Are you taking too much sand? Are you using the bounce on the SW correctly?
 
Are you quitting on the shot?
Definately not, I pick a shot, practice the swing, commit to it and go for it.

Are you taking too much sand?
I dont think so, I marked the position of the ball with a tee peg in the practice bunker and i'm hitting the ball between 1 & 2 inches behind and i'm not taking too much of a crater.

Are you using the bounce on the SW correctly?
I have no idea whatsoever what you mean! lol
 
I've been having sand trouble. The practice bunker and several on the course have been redone and so there is a deep payer of sand and I'm finding it hard to get the right depth. I'm either picking it clean (heads up 40 yards away) or taking too much sand and leaving it in.

My technique is pretty sound and I'm happy the bounce is sliding through the sand as every time I play from the same splash mark i.e. less sand I get it out perfectly
 
I know the exact reason Keith :D I went through a similar thing a while ago.

I found as my bunker technique improved and I began opening my face / stance to 'cut' across the ball as such my G10 SW was too bulky with a soul too wide to allow it to glide through the sand with an open face. The sleeker grind on my 60* wedge and also on your speciality wedge will allow you to open the face and play the shot without taking too much sand / without the soul plunging into the ground before the leading edge can get under it if that makes sense.

For that reason until I can afford to change my standard SW to a specialist wedge (whilst also adding a gap wedge :D ) I always use my 60* to avoid the issues mentioned above.
 
I was going to say that!

Your Mizzy Sw from your set, while ok, is not ideal. Get yourself a MPT Mizzy 56 degree with about 10-14 degree bounce. The sole is better designed for the bunker shot. A Vokey,Cally,Ping,Cleveland etc of the same spec will get you out if your technique is sound.

The bounce is the angle between the ground and the sole of the club at address. For sand shots you generally need a fair bit of bounce to stop the club digging in - the club, literally, bounces through the sand taking the ball with it.
 
Are you quitting on the shot?
Definately not, I pick a shot, practice the swing, commit to it and go for it.

Are you taking too much sand?
I dont think so, I marked the position of the ball with a tee peg in the practice bunker and i'm hitting the ball between 1 & 2 inches behind and i'm not taking too much of a crater.

Are you using the bounce on the SW correctly?
I have no idea whatsoever what you mean! lol
Click to expand...

Bounce is the angle that the bottom of your SW makes with the ground. You'll notice that if you lay the SW on the floor square to the target, the bottom edge willbe slightly off the ground? This 'bounce' helps the SW skip through the sand. If you open the clubface, you increase the bounce.

The correct way to play a bunker shot is to aim you body left of the target, aim the club face at the target, and swing along the line of your feet. This will allow the SW to skip through the sand and will pop the ball out. Check out this vid on Youtube - he is teh pro at my club and explains things pretty well i think:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63uWIpnYt-k&feature=channel_page

also, here is a good website explaining bounce and wedges:
http://www.learnaboutgolf.com/equipment/wedge.html
 
The correct way to play a bunker shot is to aim you body left of the target, aim the club face at the target, and swing along the line of your feet. This will allow the SW to skip through the sand and will pop the ball out. Just search on Youtube for bunker shots and you'll find some help!
Click to expand...

Thats exactly how I do it, I saw a video clip on some website where henrik Stenson advised how to play bunker shots and I try to emulate what he does. I used to have great success but lately i'm not.

Ta for the link though!
 
I to and fro with my SW success.

One day, I'll hit em all perfectly, another day, I get all fat or thin....

My "aim" (now and for as long as I can remember) is just to practice ONE shot with one length swing and hitting the ground consistently just behind the ball. If I chuck a dozen in the practice bunker and pop them all out, I'll sometimes put them in again and mess around with opening up the face and hitting them more gently. Mostly, if I get them out, that's good enough for me.

Find a technique that works and just stick to it, and practice as often as possible.
 
im never consistent with getting out of the bunker,

but the problem is where iv been playing dont have a practise bunker, however the club im playing at now does, i just havent had a chance to get there to pratise
 
For what it is worth - I have been using my lob wedge (60 degree) out of all bunkers for over a year now - with good success. It does not matter what club you use as long as it does the job. I find I can get out and nearer much easier with my LW vs the SW of the same set.

Do not worry - do what you have to to make the best score - use an umbrella if you have to to, it does not matter.
 
Bounce is the angle that the bottom of your SW makes with the ground. You'll notice that if you lay the SW on the floor square to the target, the bottom edge willbe slightly off the ground? This 'bounce' helps the SW skip through the sand. If you open the clubface, you increase the bounce.

The correct way to play a bunker shot is to aim you body left of the target, aim the club face at the target, and swing along the line of your feet. This will allow the SW to skip through the sand and will pop the ball out. Check out this vid on Youtube - he is teh pro at my club and explains things pretty well i think:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63uWIpnYt-k&feature=channel_page

also, here is a good website explaining bounce and wedges:
http://www.learnaboutgolf.com/equipment/wedge.html
Click to expand...

Excellent post mate. I could listen to that guy all day!!.

I was going to say just aim 6 inches behind the ball and rip through it, but it really depends how much bounce you have on your club.

In the video the pro hits about 5 inches behind the ball but he is using 8° of bounce. If he was using 10 he might have thinned it, if he was using 6 then the club might have dug in too much. One thing is for sure though...take some sand! :)
 
All the above information seems very good but before you do anything drastic just check you ball position on your bunker shots.

With a normal bunker shot the ball needs to be almost level with the toes on your open left foot. It is so easy for this to slip back and cause the kind of problems you have described.

I am only saying as you seem to say your technique works sometimes and not others
 
All the above information seems very good but before you do anything drastic just check you ball position on your bunker shots.

With a normal bunker shot the ball needs to be almost level with the toes on your open left foot. It is so easy for this to slip back and cause the kind of problems you have described.

I am only saying as you seem to say your technique works sometimes and not others
Click to expand...

Interesting stuff, I was always told to have the ball near enough in the middle of my stance!! From my PW to LW are further towards the back of my stance (right foot) when playing off grass/fairway etc, but the SW should be slightly further forward but only to the middle.

So the ball at address should be pretty much the same as I address for my driver and just inside the left foot?
 
My teaching pro got me to move it way forward in my stance until it was opposite my left toe - further forward than a driver and to focus on keeping my buttons on my golf shirt in front of the ball to stop the weight tilting back (cause of thins and fats as the weight). I was getting much more consistant results and worked it out that my ball position had started to drift back again.
 
Don't worry Keef it might have been the Beech boys putting you off on your Ipod ;)

Took me 6 on Friday to get out of one bunker as I was quiting, I felt like crying... I didnt though and ended with a 9!!
 
Its so frustrating isnt it?

I very nearly, for the first time ever, walked off after the 8th as I was sooooooooo mad with myself but decided not to quit on it and carry on.

Stupid bloody game
 
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