Greenside bunker technique

[FanofHogan]

I have made tremendous leaps and bounds over the past several months on my long game. Yet, I still am a horrible bunker player. I am just cuirous to hear about the various techniques employeed by the members here. The way I attempt to do it is that Line up in the desired direction of where I want to hit the ball. Then adjust my stance so that I am open to the target line and swing the club along my new feet line. For the life of me, I still leave most balls in the bunker. I simply take too much sand and wind up burying the clubhead in the sand. Any suggestions?

[rwh]

I have made tremendous leaps and bounds over the past several months on my long game. Yet, I still am a horrible bunker player. I am just cuirous to hear about the various techniques employeed by the members here. The way I attempt to do it is that Line up in the desired direction of where I want to hit the ball. Then adjust my stance so that I am open to the target line and swing the club along my new feet line. For the life of me, I still leave most balls in the bunker. I simply take too much sand and wind up burying the clubhead in the sand. Any suggestions?

Sounds like you may not be using the "bounce" of the Sand Wedge. Experiment with how much you need to open the clubface until the bounce won't let you dig so deep.

[Yoda]

Originally Posted by FanofHogan

I have made tremendous leaps and bounds over the past several months on my long game. Yet, I still am a horrible bunker player. I am just cuirous to hear about the various techniques employeed by the members here. The way I attempt to do it is that Line up in the desired direction of where I want to hit the ball. Then adjust my stance so that I am open to the target line and swing the club along my new feet line. For the life of me, I still leave most balls in the bunker. I simply take too much sand and wind up burying the clubhead in the sand. Any suggestions?

Sounds like you may not be using the "bounce" of the Sand Wedge. Experiment with how much you need to open the clubface until the bounce won't let you dig so deep.

As rwh suggests, FanofHogan, open up that Blade. Then, without a Ball, practice using only your Right Arm. Give that Club some real Right Forearm ZIP! through the Sand. Slap the Sand with the Bounce of the Club keeping your Right Wrist Bent and feeling the #3 Pressure Point (Right Forefinger). Then, start clipping Balls out of the Bunker using the exact same Motion. Finally, add the Left Hand, but continue to let your Right Forearm do all the Work. And work it will...

Like Magic!

We'll get some video up on this for you soon.

[rchang72]

As rwh suggests, FanofHogan, open up that Blade. Then, without a Ball, practice using only your Right Arm. Give that Club some real Right Forearm ZIP! through the Sand. Slap the Sand with the Bounce of the Club keeping your Right Wrist Bent and feeling the #3 Pressure Point (Right Forefinger).

Would you change your aiming point in this procecure? Aim a few inches aft of where you would otherwise aim?

[FanofHogan]

I actually took some video of a practice session in the bunker this past week. Two thoughts of my own. One, it appeared to me that compared to seeing some bunker play instructional video and just seeing a few pros from the weekly tournament, I am standing with my feet open too mcuh to the target. I open the blade up a bunch but still just wind up burying the club head in the sand and sending the ball into the lip of the bunker if that far. The second observation is that it looks like once I hit the sand with the club head, I quit on the shot. I am not real sure if I just am decelerating so much or if it is a fact that my stance is too open that further magnifies that or not. I think the chief culprit is that I fear sending the ball 100 yards over the green although I cant a sandwedge out of a clean lie that far even. All in my head I guess.

[FanofHogan]

Just an update. I think I have figured out my woes in the bunker. I was standing very much open to the target so I closed my stance down a little bit so that it wasnt quite so open. Then I started swinging not so steep on the angle of attack. I shallowed out my swing a little bit and was able to zip quite a few balls out of the bunker and towards my intended target. A lot more practice and I will feel much more confident.

[Ian Clark]

FanofHogan, when I teach this shot to my students, I encourage a square stance, with an open face, and hit the sand in the direction of the target,as the ball goes where the sand goes. Sounds to me that you were getting way too steep, by trying to get too much across the ball, swinging across the line of your feet. You must get the clubface open though, and the ball should start behaving!
Good Luck

[FanofHogan]

Ian, first of thank you for responding. I agree. My stance was way too open. Also, I was immediately picking the club straight up and returning it in much the same manner which just resulted in pluging the head of the wedge in the sand with the ball going maybe just a few feet. With the more square stance and the shallower angle of attack, it appears for now that club head simply glides across the sand and cuts just under the ball.

[jim_0068]

People would be surprised who easy bunker play really is once you have the basics:

square to SLIGHTLY open stance, square to SLIGHTLY open clubface, DIG THE FEET to be BELOW the ball and just swing the club and DON'T QUIT.

Ball will get out and start ROLLING which is much more consistent shot to play. Can i spin it outta the bunker, you betcha but is it more reliable? No? But is good for certain shots.

[nicklin]

The basic problem in bunkers is that the player becomes scared of the shot,this usually causes the player to rush.thus the loading of the club is not done correctly if at all.this usually results in quitting,which will lead to any number of bad shots.if the player thinks that opening stance or opening the club face more or less is going to solve long term problems in the sand or anywhere else then you may as well take advice from books and mags,or tv.just go back to basics,load the club,release it,and make sure you uncock and roll the wrists.like with any shots quitting and steering are the major enemies of the the golf swing.its no different in the bunker.