What to take out of a bunker

[jack1]

Some of my mates now swear by the 60 as oppose to the 56. I am now using both, to nill effect!

 

[USER1999]

56 is designed with sand in mind. 60, less so. I would take the 56 if you are not an expert at bunker shots, unless there is very very little sand, when I would use the 60.

Fine advice from someone who has neither in their bag.

 

[Spoff]

I find the best way out of the bunker is to use the 'Huey Lewis technique' as recently demonstrated from the Road Hole Bunker during the Dunhill Links.

 

[freddielong]

Its not the club its good technique that gets you out of bunkers, if you get that right you will be able to get out with anything.

 

[drawboy]

If you read the mags they always advise the splash shot, open up the face,swing steeply with an out to in swing path and don't quit on the shot. Yeah right! if you play at one of the top 100 courses you may just get away with that shot. Try it on a regular course where the sand is compacted hard pan with a 16th of an inch of sand and stones 'cos the green keepers cannot be bothered to airate the sand and watch the bounce of the wedge send your ball 1" off the ground 60 yrds through the green.

 

[Screwback]

I think the 56 is meant to be the best. It has something to do with the bounce it think.

 

[alan_h]

If you read the mags they always advise the splash shot, open up the face,swing steeply with an out to in swing path and don't quit on the shot. Yeah right! if you play at one of the top 100 courses you may just get away with that shot. Try it on a regular course where the sand is compacted hard pan with a 16th of an inch of sand and stones 'cos the green keepers cannot be bothered to airate the sand and watch the bounce of the wedge send your ball 1" off the ground 60 yrds through the green.

Agree with that. Greenside bunkers are fairly straightforward if you have the basic technique and the bunkers are well maintained. Always fancy myself to have a good chance of getting up and down. Use my 56 or 60 depending on the length of the shot.

Problems are that on some courses (including mine) the bunkers are an absolute joke. Anywhere on the green will do from a dog's paw print. Read the chapter on bunker play in Dave Pelz's Short Game Bible and you'll never fear a bunker again - assuming it's in good condition that is.

 

[CliveW]

It all depends on the lie, depth of bunker and distance from the green. I have played anything from a 5 wood to a 58 degree wedge.

 

[Herbie]

You can only progress with bunker shots and effective club selection and understand their effect if you first have a good bunker shot technique. Everyone duff's bunker shots but you can tell easily if its a unlucky or rare error, just as easily as you can tell if its simply a technique fault. If its technique at fault, it doesnt really matter what you use as you will always let yourself down.

Standard sw in the hands of most golfers is all you will ever need, once you become competent or even expert with that club, then you will genuinely reep benefits from other choices, but until you master a technique you will only fool yourself.

 

[DMC]

Its all to do with,how the ball is lying,how far do you want it to go,do you need a high flying soft landing shot etc. Greenside i use my 60,have used almost every other club from farther away.

 

[EaseNgrace]

I always use a 60 deg around the greens and bunker shots are one of my strong points, I would rather be in the greenside bunker than left with a simple chip and run. I would say i've got up and down from my last 12 or more bunker shots with the 60.

 

[bobmac]

You can only progress with bunker shots and effective club selection and understand their effect if you first have a good bunker shot technique. Everyone duff's bunker shots but you can tell easily if its a unlucky or rare error, just as easily as you can tell if its simply a technique fault. If its technique at fault, it doesnt really matter what you use as you will always let yourself down.

Standard sw in the hands of most golfers is all you will ever need, once you become competent or even expert with that club, then you will genuinely reep benefits from other choices, but until you master a technique you will only fool yourself.

 

[WGC2]

If you read the mags they always advise the splash shot, open up the face,swing steeply with an out to in swing path and don't quit on the shot. Yeah right! if you play at one of the top 100 courses you may just get away with that shot. Try it on a regular course where the sand is compacted hard pan with a 16th of an inch of sand and stones 'cos the green keepers cannot be bothered to airate the sand and watch the bounce of the wedge send your ball 1" off the ground 60 yrds through the green.

Totally agree!!
Green keepers put more good sand on the fairway than in the bunkers at our course. The result is bad bunkers and sandy fairways which still end up drowned when its wet.

I would say a lob wedge if the pin is close and you haven't much green to work with. If you have to get it that bit further or the bunker isn't too deep then use a sand wedge.

 

[matt01]

i use a 56 to get out(sometimes)but the SW that came with the clubs the bounce was to big was not able to use it,so i got a 56 with smaller bounce and seams to work ?

 

[brendy]

The best way to tackle bunker shots is to practice them until you are confident that you can get the ball out and within 10 feet on the majority of shots.
We have a practice bunker with a slightly downhill green and I swear it has improved my bunkershots massively. I am quite confident of giving myself a chance of an up and down out of all but the steepest and burried bunkershots. Pity the rest of my game is more inconsistant.

I would advise anyone who hates bunkers is to learn to find it a challenge rather than a chore. If you can see that the ball is sat on hard compacted sand, sometimes anywhere on the green is better than left in the bunker or 20 yards through the green in an attempt to knock the ball stiff to a difficult flag.
If the sand is fluffy you can afford to hit it a little harder. Regardless, dont be scared to break your wrists on the shot and whatever you do, DONT grip the SW then open the loft and swing, it needs to be open then gripped otherwise the ball is going nowhere.

 

[Ethan]

I use the 56, but would consider a 60 if very close to the flag. Or perhaps if buried.

 

[didsbury_duffer]

Preferably a small layer of sand and a little white round thing !!

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I use the middle ground and carry a 58 which I use. I can open it up for the shorter higher shots or use it conventionally and find it reacts in the same way as a 56. I do carry a 56 and 60 in the drier summer months (the 60 tends to dig in too much in wet soil and cost me too many shots) and think the 60 is a trickier beast to master out of bunkers. With the bounce (6 degree on mine) you do have to be more precise especially in damp sand.

 

[KeefG]

My weapon of choice from the sand these days is my 60*, I went back to my SW a while ago but I just cant get to grips with it for what it was designed!

I actually used my 7I out of a greenside bunker the other day, It was a completely flat bunker, I was 12" from the front lip and had an uphill run to the pin, first time i've ever tried it but I hit a nice little bump n run out of the sand....worked a treat!

My advice is find something you're confident, or fairly confident, with and stick with it.

 

[Herbie]

Its all to do with,how the ball is lying,how far do you want it to go,do you need a high flying soft landing shot etc. Greenside i use my 60,have used almost every other club from farther away.

But you cannot achieve any of what you say without a effective technique for bunker play, in that if you dont know how to hit the ball with any club chosen,in various lies, then you cannot achieve the successes you mention. . Vast majority of bunker cock ups or bunker shy play is due to a failed swing, relative to the shot required.