Hello all.

About a year ago, I got back into golf after a long hiatus, and while I've improved(down to around 25 index from 30 in Jan 2021) I still have a lot of work to do. My full swing shots have improved quite a bit, but my non full swing shots are pretty horrible, and my sand shots are very bad(played yesterday.... had to pitch over a bunker... ended up chunking it right into said bunker and then took 3 shots to get out of the bunker, so embarrassing).

I'm curious if you have a go-to routine for shorter shots, and specifically a fool proof bunker escape plan. I'm not trying to get up and down from the sand.. just knowing that I have a way to get out of a bunker in 1 shot would be huge for my game right now. I'm almost to the point of just putting it out backwards, but knowing me I would just chunk it back to the bunker, haha.

HELP!!

Thanks in advance for any tips.

It's hard to say what your doing wrong in a bunker without seeing you,

but I used to and a lot of people I play with struggle with the same thing and when I see them hit their shots they are just not giving themselves a chance with just the set up.

Now I don't know if this is standard way to do this but it works for me. I have a wider stance and more open and needs bent a little more so I'm lower. I open the face (Not by a lot mind) and have the club a little lower than usual. My weight is probably 65-70% on my left side (Right handed golfer) and it stays there all through the shot. I "think" I have a bit of a steeper swing I don't know for sure though.

Mostly always use your highest lofted club well at least to begin with.

Here are some things I see from my playing partners.

1. They don't stay in posture and when coming into the ball they try and help it up, Lean back ending up in a big chunk or a blade, Why I try and feel the weight stays on my lead side throughout the shot.

2. They get to timid with the shot, They'll come into the ball and not hit it hard enough. If you're doing a bunker shot correctly you should be taking some sand just before the ball so you need to stay committed and hit it hard. Just think the harder you hit it the higher it will go and a lot of bunkers you'll need to have this because you need to get over the lip.

If you get time to practice just dedicate a slot of time to practice these bunkers shots. It's mostly always confidence why they above 2 points happen. They just don't trust the loft of the club to get them out,




For shorter shorts and this is a bit ironic because my short game is a shambles at the moment but I play by feel, I'll do practice swings until I feel I know it's right then just step in and try and repeat the action. You can try the wedge matrix though this is basically 1/2 swing, 3/4 swing and a full swing, With all your wedges. So if you have 3 wedges you have 9 different shots you can play.

For general advice I'd say get the ball on the deck as quick as possible and take the relevant club. Today I had about a 70 yard shot to a back pin, With about 40 feet of green and 30 feet of it being uphill. I took out my 48 degree wedge and normally I'd be pretty confident with this shot, but I didn't catch it right not bad just not perfect and checked up into the up slope and left me with a putt of about 25 feet. I then played 3 balls with a 9 iron and played the same kind of shot, being a 9 iron I had a shorter swing meaning better control and could just run it up the green. All 3 balls were inside like 12 feet.

Good stuff, thanks a lot! I definitely think that it's a confidence issue, not only committing to actually swinging(my mind always thinks short shot so swing less but I know that's not good) but also confidence in having a set up and swing that I trust when I step into a bunker.

Thanks again.

Take this with a grain of salt, because I don’t think it’s proper:

I struggled for a very, very long time with sand shots trying to do it the “right” way. I watched tons of videos, practiced a bunch, and even got a lesson. Something about the mechanics I just couldn’t get. One day just messing around I found success doing what I do now: I dig in deep with a wide stance, hover the club head behind the ball approximately the length of a dollar bill, take a 3/4 swing, and mentally try to scoop the sand. I don’t try or think about opening my stance, opening the club face, or changing the swing too much, or any of the other mechanics that every video talks about. For me, this approach leads to a very consistent out. The biggest “problem” is i don’t have much control over distance, but I prefer being on the green somewhere to bring in the trap again, or sailing over the green (often into another trap).

Interesting, I'm definitely open to try it! Do you have a club you prefer? I have a 52, 56 and 60, I usually use a 56 only because it's designated a "sand wedge" but obv open to whatever works!

Thanks!

I'd say almost always go with your 60, You probably wouldn't even need to open it that much if at all. Just commit to the swing and don't really care if it flies over the green at least you'll be out of the trap.

I should add I'm a 10 HC so like Porter take my advice with a pinch of salt. I remember one of the better players gave me some advice on wet bunkers vs dry ones and took it on board and now I probably prefer playing out of wet bunkers.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?ref=...g%20harrington

I'll leave this here it's a facebook video so hopefully you can see it. It's Padraig Harrington giving some bunker tips.

Thank you! I'm currently sitting at a 25(started as a 30 last year so at least I'm improving!) so I would definitely love to be a 10 handicap. If it's good enough for you guys it's definitely worth a shot for me

Take care, thanks again.

Sweet, thanks! Plus I get the added bonus of listening to PH's awesome accent, haha.

Going to grunch all above suggestions, they could be good, they could be bad.

First off, sand play is easy. Very easy. It's just that most golfers don't understand the mechanics of the shot and what the club is supposed to do.

On a greenside bunker shot the club never touches the ball. Rather the club enters the sand 2 inches or so behind the ball, displaces the sand as it goes under the ball, and the ball flies out softly on a cushion of sand.

So look at the sole of your highest lofted wedge, it is designed to cut through the sand. But to do so properly you have to open the face so the sole of the club cuts through properly. Get in a practice bunker, open the face about 30 degrees (if you have to ask if it's open enough, it's probably not), and take swings doing nothing but throwing the sole of the club into the sand and watching it take out a strip of sand. Get used to the feel. Get used to the sound. Do this aggressively because that's the type of swing you have to use to get the ball up and out of the bunker properly.

Setup is basic, fairly wide stance so your lower body is very stable, weight about 60% on your front foot, alignment slightly open, ball position slightly forward of middle. And once the ball is there just open the face of the club so that the sole can do the work once you throw it aggressively into the sand. If done correctly, the ball comes up and out of the bunker softly even though you've taken a very aggressive swing. That's because the sand is moving the ball, not your club.

Most golfers don't use the bounce of the club properly because they don't open the face. If the face is square it causes the leading edge to dig and you either leave it in the bunker or skull it over the green. Bunker play is all about using the bounce of the club and making an aggressive swing. That's it. Throw the sole of the club into the sand so it makes that thump sound.

I don't know how many times in person I've taken a golfer that has no idea how to hit a bunker shot, and within 5 minutes they are hitting them perfectly. It's just a matter of understanding how it's done and having enough clubhead speed to make the bounce work as it should.

what BO said

IMO whats important as well is the bounce of your club.
I see many players only using theirs SandWedge

with fluffy sand U should use club with higher bounce
with firmer sand (wet) U should use less bounce