Bunker Shots.........Easy or Difficult?

After MPB's extracting the urine about my comment on The Fear thread I thought I would do a scientific poll which will prove my point.
State your handicap after comment.

Me
Easy -14

Easy-8

Nightmare - 20.

Easy +1

Doon, i was only having a bit of fun as your 'once you've got the technique right it's easy' comment tickled me owing to the fact that surely that's the case for everything and it's getting the technique that is possibly harder or easier on different shots

I'm not sure how this 'poll' will prove your point in any way but i'll play along....

Difficult - 17

Depends.. Easy if im further back in trap but find it difficult if im up against the face. Just hit it out the bunker too low. Handicap 5.

There are a few factors to consider.
1. How far is the bunker from the green
2. How deep is the face.

It depends what you mean by easy. Easy to get the ball out or easy to get close to the pin?

I've gone through a few spells with bunker shots (h/c 22)

A few years ago I really struggled with them then felt like I'd got it cracked - confidence was up (which I'm sure is nearly as important as technique). Then I joined my current club and for a top notch course in terms of condition, the bunkers let it down a little (too little sand and not very consistent). Confidence (and ability to get out of them) dropped like a stone and only recently am I starting to get that confidence back.

I just can't seem to bring myself to get enough sand when the lie is so thin and end up trying to chip the ball out which never works unless it's a very low lip. How are you supposed to play the shot over a medium sized face when the sand is so thin?

Like any element of the short game the key is commitment and a long follow through, if you quit on it or decelerate and stab the ball you've got no chance. Also I see a lot of people try and play it like a pitch with a closed or hooded face, you've really got to lay the club face open.

I play the shot as if the ball isn't even there and generally get quite good results.
Saying that the European tour average is only about 55% for a sand save, so I don't think anyone can say it's an easy shot. Easy to execute and get out of the bunker, but not always easy to get near to the pin.

easy 8- only shot i can allwasy play well- but then i also love a flop shot, in winter i also occasionally play a bunker type flop shot- really aggressive shot- rip through the turf and intentionally duff the ball in certain situations- it creates a shot with little spin- alot easier to play in damp conditions

'Standard' greenside bunker shot? Generally easy. Hcp - 3.

Generally Easy 14 -

mystiroakey wrote: intentionally duff the ball in certain situations- it creates a shot with little spin- alot easier to play in damp conditions

I've added that shot to my locker, too. The chunk, I refer to it as.

Mercurio wrote:

mystiroakey wrote: intentionally duff the ball in certain situations- it creates a shot with little spin- alot easier to play in damp conditions

I've added that shot to my locker, too. The chunk, I refer to it as.

Oh yeah, whenever I duff a chip it's always intentional

Never had an issue with bunkers

Easy - hcp 5

i'd certainly rather be in a bunker than playing over one. our clubs bunkers last season were a disgrace, nowhere near enough sand. they topped them up a bit at the beginning of the year and they are consequently far easier to play from.

getting the ball out - easy. getting it out and close - depends on the amount of practice. (6)

note, i think this is an occasion where the club makes a huge difference. previous to last season i was carrying a 56 purespin wedge, and a 62 progen wedge. the purespin was great for little pitches, but useless out of a bunker due to the clubhead shape and bounce. i used to always use the 62, which also had limited bounce and was only really any use when trying a full on airdrop - and no use when more than a trickle of sand. last year i picked up a vokey 56 with 11 deg bounce. massive difference in ease of bunker shots from previous equipment.

raycastleunited wrote:

Mercurio wrote:

mystiroakey wrote: intentionally duff the ball in certain situations- it creates a shot with little spin- alot easier to play in damp conditions

I've added that shot to my locker, too. The chunk, I refer to it as.

Oh yeah, whenever I duff a chip it's always intentional

how do you explain that its 20 yards short of the hole then?

Easy-3

bam bam i play bunker shots with a 60 degree or a 58 degree(58 lots of bounce), 60 virtually none.

the 60 is great from wet sand.however Our bunkers are pretty poor sometimes and have hardly any sand so bounce is needed.

basically i think the key is guys practise and more practise- if you cant play them- spend hours practising the shot- the shot is so basic in essence- its just open the face,hit behind the ball and commiting- thats it.

mystiroakey wrote:bam bam i play bunker shots with a 60 degree or a 58 degree(58 lots of bounce), 60 virtually none.

the 60 is great from wet sand.however Our bunkers are pretty poor sometimes and have hardly any sand so bounce is needed.

That's interesting. If there's lots of sand the bounce is required to stop the leading edge digging in. So when I am in a bunker with hardly any sand I switch to the low bounce 60 degree option... complete opposite to you.

Similarly to you, I have a 56 degree with lots of bounce, which I use for standard greenside bunker shots, and a 60 degree with low bounce (great for chipping over bunkers from tight lies!).

mystiroakey wrote:basically i think the key is guys practise and more practise- if you cant play them- spend hours practising the shot- the shot is so basic in essence- its just open the face,hit behind the ball and commiting- thats it.

Couldn't agree more, turn your weakness into a strength on the practice ground by forcing yourself to address the issue and keep repeating until it becomes 2nd nature

its one of the shots that theoritically anyone can play to a half decent level with practise- not everyone can hit the ball far- but with practise you should be able to have confidence with bunker shots.

Greenside Bunkers (if they're well maintained) - easy.

Fairway Bunkers (well maintained or not) I'm useless - I can always get out but I might as well use a putter considering the distance I get.

Reading what I've just written Eureka - It must be because I'm using the same blinking technique for both



H/C 10

Fairway bunkers providing they haven't got a huge lip or a deep face can be played quite easily if you use arms only and very little movement from below the waist. It often results in almost thinning it out, but you end up with the same distance as you would from off the fairway.

id usually rather be in a greenside buker than in the rough.
im not great at fairway bunkers but ive definitlet improved this season

EASY
HC 5

super_realist wrote:Fairway bunkers providing they haven't got a huge lip or a deep face can be played quite easily if you use arms only and very little movement from below the waist. It often results in almost thinning it out, but you end up with the same distance as you would from off the fairway.

Cheers S_R........this makes sense; I'll give this a try next time I'm in a f/w bunker.

Do all your courses have the right number of bunkers? There are about 50 on my course, I'd actually like to see a load more put in. Not necessarily in play but I think if they are the right shape/size they can improve the aesthetics of the course.

My course certainly doesn't need them from a difficulty point of view but I'd certainly like to see some added.

at my club there are hardly any long or level- to many at the front- and if i am striking the ball well never in them.

but in all fairness id rather be in a bunker(good lie) than rough most of the time

In all honesty I'd like to see a few more stretegically placed at our place, more long of the hole though as with exception of a few holes where long = dead due to trees etc, there are not enough hazards past the hole

drive4show wrote:Do all your courses have the right number of bunkers? There are about 50 on my course, I'd actually like to see a load more put in. Not necessarily in play but I think if they are the right shape/size they can improve the aesthetics of the course.

My course certainly doesn't need them from a difficulty point of view but I'd certainly like to see some added.

I think it depends on the nature of the course and the other hazards / features that frame each hole.

Apparently my course originally used to have loads more bunkers. At some point in the past the management removed many of them as a cost cutting exercise, but since then some of them have been re-introduced. As I'm not a long term member I don't know the extent of this bunker cull and subsequent re-breeding, but I guess it costs money to maintain a bunker so superfluous bunkers are to be avoided. My course was originally more of an open heathland course so bunkers were needed to improve aesthetics and provide definition, however 100 years later the fairways are lined with mature trees and its now more of a parkland course so maybe the bunkers are no longer required.

has anyone ever played royal ashdown forest- great course- not a single bunker on it..

Difficult - 6

Easy HC2

(however, fairway bunkers at my new course have been giving me a little bit of trouble lately)

mystiroakey wrote:has anyone ever played royal ashdown forest- great course- not a single bunker on it..

I've played the Old Course a few times.

A great course - the only negative aspect is the disappointing finishing hole.

mystiroakey wrote:has anyone ever played royal ashdown forest- great course- not a single bunker on it..

Wimbledon Common is the same. Oddly i shot my lowest ever score there.......no idea why.........

Yadsendew wrote:

super_realist wrote:Fairway bunkers providing they haven't got a huge lip or a deep face can be played quite easily if you use arms only and very little movement from below the waist. It often results in almost thinning it out, but you end up with the same distance as you would from off the fairway.

Cheers S_R........this makes sense; I'll give this a try next time I'm in a f/w bunker.

I'd echo S_R with this Yads. You need to avoid movement below waist like the plague; if your feet slip you'll likely hit it heavy and get your lovely 'putter' distance or thin it into the lip. I usually take plenty of club as well so that I don't have to muller it to get the distance which also helps keep my legs quieter.

Easy - but I'm hopelessly inconsistent at them
H'cap - 8

Easy on greenside bunkers but difficuldt to hit greens from fairway bunkers

Hcap 14

Providing they aren't a bloody fried egg then easy

HCP 3

Easy HC 5

Once you have a solid technique the margin of error is much more than a normal chip where you must hit the ball just before the ground.

MustPuttBetter wrote:

mystiroakey wrote:has anyone ever played royal ashdown forest- great course- not a single bunker on it..

Wimbledon Common is the same. Oddly i shot my lowest ever score there.......no idea why.........

You used a womble as a caddy?

Or

You wore a pinkish jumper instead of red.

I didn't but I wish I had! Can you do that??

The womble thing, not the jumper (I wore a cagoul which was miles too big!)

Fairway Bunkers : play very thin & get good disctance.

Once smashed 4 IRON on the 18th at St James,s Perth onto the green, much to sheer annoyance of my playing partner.

Greenside Bunkers : get out of them, but no control of where or how close they go on the green.

Play off 12.

if it's an easy bunker shot- then it's easy
if it's a difficult bunker shot- then it's difficult

In general I am quite strong out of bunkers, and in many cases I would nearly prefer to be in a greenside bunker than outside (but perhaps this is also a reflection on my chipping skills which seem to have deserted me this year!)

sorry- handicap 5

MPB

Perhaps Royal Wombleton need to change their colours.
I suspect few folk would have red in their golf clothing cupboard.

Doon the Water wrote:MPB

Perhaps Royal Wombleton need to change their colours.
I suspect few folk would have red in their golf clothing cupboard.

Doon, they have a tasty range of red cagouls which you must pay to hire.
The colour choice isn't down to them. It's the rules of the local authority who run the common