Hard sand in bunkers

[dhills2]

Ozgolfers,

What are your best tips for playing out of bunkers with hard sand? Actually, I'm not even sure some of our bunkers have sand... feels more like rock sometimes.

I usually have my stance a little more closed than usual, hinge my wrists a little more and come down a bit steeper closer to the ball... as you can see I don't have an exact method!

Also looking to pick up some new wedges with minimal bounce or favourable sole grind... any suggestions?

Cheers,
D

[Johnny Canuck]

I get steep on my swing. Make sure I break through the crust and get under the ball. Not sure if it is technically correct, but I have found it works for me.

[Puji]

unless there is a real tall lip, I try to figure out whether I can play it like a regular shot off grass and take ball first.

There is obviously some situations where this wont work, and tends to only be an option when you have some green to work with. But I am pretty handy with my lob wedge, so most of the time I can get it somewhere where I have a reasonable putt for an up and down...

[dhills2]

I get steep on my swing. Make sure I break through the crust and get under the ball. Not sure if it is technically correct, but I have found it works for me.

This is generally what I try to do but if there has been any rain I usually have to be quite forceful on my downswing and really attack with the leading edge. Even then I remember a time my clubhead bounced off the sand as if I had concrete under my feet and bladed it about 40m past the green! I looked down at where my ball had been and you could barely tell that I'd hit the sand... can't wait until my club invest in some sand from Whitehaven Beach :)

[dhills2]

unless there is a real tall lip, I try to figure out whether I can play it like a regular shot off grass and take ball first.

There is obviously some situations where this wont work, and tends to only be an option when you have some green to work with. But I am pretty handy with my lob wedge, so most of the time I can get it somewhere where I have a reasonable putt for an up and down...

Half the time I'm not in a position to do this... the other half of the time I don't have the talent.

[Johnny Canuck]

This is generally what I try to do but if there has been any rain I usually have to be quite forceful on my downswing and really attack with the leading edge. Even then I remember a time my clubhead bounced off the sand as if I had concrete under my feet and bladed it about 40m past the green! I looked down at where my ball had been and you could barely tell that I'd hit the sand... can't wait until my club invest in some sand from Whitehaven Beach :) our bunkers got so hard this year that I switched to a 62* wedge so that I didn't have to open it up as much and add bounce..

[markTHEblake]

play it exactly the same as any other bunker shot, except dont hit it as hard.

I am not good enough to have a different technique for every grade of sand.

[Daves]

Lower bounce wedges do help. I used to use a 60* LW with 6* of bounce when our bunkers got pretty ordinary a few years ago. Enables you to be able to dig a bit more. You really have to smack the sand/ground though.

[dhills2]

play it exactly the same as any other bunker shot, except dont hit it as hard.

I am not good enough to have a different technique for every grade of sand.

If I stick to my normal technique then the bounce hits the sand, bounces (as it should) & then the leading edge goes straight into the side of the ball. Essentially some of our bunkers are almost like playing off a bare lie on the fairway. I guess if I think about it that way... Puji's method makes sense.

[dave1]

Our bunkers are hard compacted sand.

I swing slightly quicker - normal open face

[dhills2]

Sounds like I'll get a 62/6 or similar and just keep doing what I'm doing... bit steeper, quicker and just behind the ball. My next problem is controlling myself so that I only use that club for that particular scenario instead of playing high risk shots (for me as a chopper) around the green :)

[Veefore]

Two of the best bunker players at my club both play a fairly basic "chip shot" out of the bunkers and the harder the sand gets the better they get.

Otherwise there is JC's method. I don't think anyone swings as hard into a bunker as he does and it works well for him.

[Dotty]

Ben Hogan Sure Out - 6* of bounce and a couple of square cm of flange.

http://www.callawaygolfpreowned.com/ben-hogan-sure-out-wedges/hogan-sure-out-wedge-shaft-2005,default,pd.html

[djw91]

I found myself in the same hard sand situation one morning after rain not too long back. I was only playing casually with a mate, managed to pull out my putter and ride the ball up the lip. popped up nicely onto the green and rolled a few feet within the flag for an easy put.

[dhills2]

I found myself in the same hard sand situation one morning after rain not too long back. I was only playing casually with a mate, managed to pull out my putter and ride the ball up the lip. popped up nicely onto the green and rolled a few feet within the flag for an easy put.

There's probably only a couple of bunkers on our course where you could use this approach. I'm certainly not against it if the ball can get out.

Dot - I've seen a few blokes swear by them!

[LarryLong]

Dotty - wouldn't the extra flange make your club more likely to bounce up and into the ball if you get it wrong? I'm guessing you just play a neat chip with that?

I prefer JC's method, but my bunker play has been poor in recent times. Keep trying to play soft shots and not hitting it far enough instead of swinging hard like I always used to. Going to go with hard and steep on Saturday.

[Dotty]

Dotty - wouldn't the extra flange make your club more likely to bounce up and into the ball if you get it wrong? I'm guessing you just play a neat chip with that?
The low bounce makes is slide along the hard sand, provided you keep hitting down on the ball, usually with the hands ahead of the ball. (The extra flange prevents it digging in normal and soft sand.)

I haven't used mine for a couple of months, but it is about to do back in the bag (after drinking the matching wedge set koolaid).

It's the crap bunker players equivalent to a belly putter.

[sms316]

Hard, shallow sand is infinitely better to play out of than soft fluffy sand.

[virge666]

Hard, shallow sand is infinitely better to play out of than soft fluffy sand.

Plus 1. Way easier to judge distance and spin. To be honest, it doesn't get much easier than this.

[sms316]

Exactly. Anyone with a half decent technique will prefer shallow sand.

[markTHEblake]

If I stick to my normal technique then the bounce hits the sand, bounces (as it should) & then the leading edge goes straight into the side of the ball..

The question is about hard sand, not hitting off a pool table. It does not really matter how hard the sand is, the sole is still going to take a scoop of sand out from under the ball, but just not as much.

[Johnny Canuck]

We get some bunkers that is like hitting off the pool table. Ususlly, you don't find out until it is too late. You dig your feet in, it feels fine, swing, goodbye ball.

[Steve57]

Don't open the face like you usually do in a bunker.
Still hit it like a normal bunker shot, just with a square face.

[Toolish]

Sounds like you are talking about bunkers with no sand rather than hard sand. Different scenario.

No sand you really have to try to play it more like a normal greenside shot rather than a bunker shot. Descending blow and all that. Exactly what shot you play depends on the scenario.

Hard shallow sand just a normal bunker shot but hit a bit clsoer to the ball.

[Hamo84]

High lofted wedge with low bounce does the trick for me.

I played a round at Mawson Lakes over here about three months ago and had a hole out from a greenside bunker by just playing a regular chip and letting it release to the hole.