Should I book a lesson?

[chrisd]

A big competition today after yesterday's torrential rain, I pinged a great drive down the 1st and,trying to draw the ball, I dropped the ball 10 feet from the pin into a flattened, wet, compacted bunker for two. Ten shots later, and visiting a different bunker en route I finally sunk the putt.

Does anyone here practice these shots from this kind of bunker? And, if so, how best do I play the shot??

 

[kid2]

A big competition today after yesterday's torrential rain, I pinged a great drive down the 1st and,trying to draw the ball, I dropped the ball 10 feet from the pin into a flattened, wet, compacted bunker for two. Ten shots later, and visiting a different bunker en route I finally sunk the putt.

Does anyone here practice these shots from this kind of bunker? And, if so, how best do I play the shot??

It wouldnt be my forte Chris..... I came across this video a while back and its been good..... No i just concentrate on getting out... Im not too worried about sticking it to a flag.....


[video=youtube;zBvC48vzBMg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBvC48vzBMg[/video]

 

[mashleyR7]

What did you go on to shoot? I played yesterday, well 10 holes before walking in before the green and clubhouse flooded.
I've been struggling with bunkers, so this video will help me. I'll try it out Tuesday night.

 

[Foxholer]

A big competition today after yesterday's torrential rain, I pinged a great drive down the 1st and,trying to draw the ball, I dropped the ball 10 feet from the pin into a flattened, wet, compacted bunker for two. Ten shots later, and visiting a different bunker en route I finally sunk the putt.

Does anyone here practice these shots from this kind of bunker? And, if so, how best do I play the shot??

The requirements are the same in that you have to get the ball coming out on a bed of sand.

It's just that you have to hit an awful lot harder to achieve this.

If the sand is really hard-packed (concrete like) then play it like off a bare lie.

Forget about where the pin is. Out is all that matters!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I agree with the video. For me it is al about committing especially in wet sand. I still aim to hit behind the ball and trust the club and the follow through to do the work.

 

[AmandaJR]

I play it more with the leading edge than bounce and accept it will run out further...

 

[chrisd]

It wouldnt be my forte Chris..... I came across this video a while back and its been good..... No i just concentrate on getting out... Im not too worried about sticking it to a flag.....


Thanks for the video, I hope that next time I'm still in bed when its that wet!

[video=youtube;zBvC48vzBMg]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zBvC48vzBMg[/video]

What did you go on to shoot? I played yesterday, well 10 holes before walking in before the green and clubhouse flooded.
I've been struggling with bunkers, so this video will help me. I'll try it out Tuesday night.

I shot a horrendous 52 on the front nine and a more respectable 40 on the back 9. Was 1 under gross on the back 9 after the 14th and missed 2 easy birdie putts in that! Hadn't played for nearly 2weeks and quite happy with my game overall!

 

[kid2]

I shot a horrendous 52 on the front nine and a more respectable 40 on the back 9. Was 1 under gross on the back 9 after the 14th and missed 2 easy birdie putts in that! Hadn't played for nearly 2weeks and quite happy with my game overall!

Put the front 9 down to rust...:thup:

 

[One Planer]

I play it more with the leading edge than bounce and accept it will run out further...

Pretty much what I do.

If the bunker lip is low, Ill leave the face square, trust the loft and make sure I keep accelerating through impact.

If the bunker lip is quite steep, I'll open the face but concentrate on banging the back of the club head into the sand, again making sure I don't quit on the shot through impact. Either that or play it like its plugged and dig it out

I also make sure I dig my feet into the sand to give a solid base.

 

[chrisd]

To be fair I answered before I watched the video. The problem today was that whilst normally I have no real problem with bunker play the bunkers that wern't full of water had sand that was compacted and very splodgy, but with hardly any depth and a high'ish lip and the pin 10ft away. All in all a place where you didn't want to be!

There is another bunker just across from the one I was in and when I did the normal shot out it just ran across the green and into that bunker. I should have probably plyed away from the pin with a larger target area

 

[Spark.]

Feet at 45 to target, club face facing target. Ball off back toe. 2" infront and 2" after, flatten your swing path. Make sure to FOLLOW THROUGH, Never dig the club at the ball.

 

[kid2]

To be fair I answered before I watched the video. The problem today was that whilst normally I have no real problem with bunker play the bunkers that wern't full of water had sand that was compacted and very splodgy, but with hardly any depth and a high'ish lip and the pin 10ft away. All in all a place where you didn't want to be!

There is another bunker just across from the one I was in and when I did the normal shot out it just ran across the green and into that bunker. I should have probably plyed away from the pin with a larger target area

Thats what iv been doing Chris... Aim for the fat part and take the medicine... Easier said than done though if the confidence is up and your playing half decent.....

With compacted sand and splodgy maybe even try a 52 degree wedge or a PW.... It'll dig in a bit quicker maybe.... One worth practicing though... Get out when the course is quiet and get into a few bunkers and see how you fair out...With enough tinkering you should find something that works....

 

[ScienceBoy]

I heard recently that you should be using the bounce to throw the ball out on a cushion of sand. I tried it in practice and it worked a treat, very similar to how I now play chip shots.

I don't go in for the wide open stance etc out of bunkers, I use the loft of the club to get the ball out instead. My pro told me I was one of the best bunker players at the club!

 

[JustOne]

That bunker shot video is HORRIBLE. 90% of golfers won't get out of a bunker that way, he only just got it over the top of the lip with his sand wedge as it is and he's a PRO, barely kept it on the green and was 1 groove away from thinning it either into the face of the bunker or into the trees behind the green!

If you're going to use any method like that you HAVE to bend your knees, a lot, so that you hit the sand behind the ball, and it's hard to bend your knees enough and then make a decent swing - because when you bend your knees you CAN'T MOVE so the swing becomes all arms and then you're into realms of fatting, thinning, flicking and practically snap hooking.

The majority of people don't get out of bunkers literally because they don't bend their knees (with an open stance so the left hip is already out of the way) or they don't swing hard enough. No one (of moderate handicap) is ever going to swing hard enough using the 'Crossfield method' when they know they might simply fly the green.

My 2 cents

Open stance, ball in the middle (so you don't get steep and dig with the leading edge and so you don't get shallow and knife it!) bend your knees - a lot, and swing down the line of your toes.

Remember, even pros duff bunker shots so don't let one or two bad ones suddenly make you want to quit the game.

 

[chrisd]

With compacted sand and splodgy maybe even try a 52 degree wedge or a PW.... It'll dig in a bit quicker maybe.... One worth practicing though... Get out when the course is quiet and get into a few bunkers and see how you fair out...With enough tinkering you should find something that works....

The problem is that the bunkers are rarely that wet, compacted, splodgy, with no depth of sand and a high lip and no green to work with - which makes practising the shot nigh on impossible. As I posted earlier I am normally quite ok out of bunkers having practised the method that Pete Cowan advocates here, it works for me.

http://youtu.be/OAZjDJosaL4