chrisd
Major Champion
I almost always use my 58* lob wedge from bunkers
If I can hit a full shot from a bunker, I'll use whatever club will give me the required distance (up to 3-wood), but if I have to splash the ball out I've always used a sand wedge and opened the face to get whatever height I need. Recently, I thought I'd try a lob wedge. Definitely not a good choice as the ball moved about a foot and stayed in the bunker.
As it was just a late-evening practice round I chucked a few balls into the bunker and tried to get them out with the lob wedge, just in case it was poor technique first time around.
The only way I could get the ball out was to catch it cleanly - not the easiest shot, so in future I'll stick to the sand wedge.
Are any of you using lob wedges in bunkers?
There are many different techniques used for bunker shots. At my club, the different pros teach differently - some use the conventional open face, open stance method, but some use a square stance, square face, but hands behind the clubbed to use the bounce. The lob wedge is suggested for the latter method.
I'm another that opens the face up, way more than most I play with.
My mate was struggling out of bunkers at the weekend and I said to open the face. He opened it about enough to play a 10yd fade, whereas I open it so much I could almost balance a golf ball on it.
Lay the club almost flat, aim your feet 20-30° left, ball level with left foot, hands back, and slap the bottom of the club (not the leading edge) into the sand behind the ball.
Might not be the way it's taught, but it's what I do.
Every time if it's green side and within 20 yds and I hit the sand hard not picking the ball. You might be struggling because you don't have enough bounce on your LW. This is the issue with the LW: either lots of bounce so good in bunkers/rough but poor off tight lies, or small bounce so good off tight lies but poor in bunkers/rough. The choice is yours.