How do I play this?
That one is actually not as bad as many I've seen. Several possibilities exist for this lie (or worse), but my favorites:
1) Consider taking an unplayable lie. If you fail to get that ball out of the bunker, you have a high chance of putting yourself in a position where a double or triple (or worse) is all but guaranteed. If you take an unplayable lie and drop in the bunker, you give yourself a chance to get up and down if you're a decent bunker player.
2) Open the face of your most lofted wedge, swing hard and bury the club just under the ball. Obviously, there will be no follow-through. With good luck, it will pop out of the bunker. With decent luck it will pop out of the buried lie and back into the bunker where you can play it. With bad luck (or perhaps typical luck) it will not move or go deeper.
1) Consider taking an unplayable lie. If you fail to get that ball out of the bunker, you have a high chance of putting yourself in a position where a double or triple (or worse) is all but guaranteed. If you take an unplayable lie and drop in the bunker, you give yourself a chance to get up and down if you're a decent bunker player.
2) Open the face of your most lofted wedge, swing hard and bury the club just under the ball. Obviously, there will be no follow-through. With good luck, it will pop out of the bunker. With decent luck it will pop out of the buried lie and back into the bunker where you can play it. With bad luck (or perhaps typical luck) it will not move or go deeper.
theoverswinger
New member
It depends on how you want to get out. It you're going perpendicular against the lip, get a wedge with some meaty bounce underneath, and use the blade underneath the ball, and dig that wedge into the sand. The ball will pop out around 15 yards and land softly.
If you're going at an angle that is almost parallel to the fairway, get a hybrid, choke on it, and hit down again. This ball will be more unpredictable. It may fly or punch out, depending on how hard the sand is.
In both cases, you need to hit the ball first before you hit the sand.
If you're going at an angle that is almost parallel to the fairway, get a hybrid, choke on it, and hit down again. This ball will be more unpredictable. It may fly or punch out, depending on how hard the sand is.
In both cases, you need to hit the ball first before you hit the sand.
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2011
- Messages
- 2,365
- Reaction score
- 643
- Location
- Glendale, Arizona, United States
- Handicap
- 11.8
Either stand above the bunker and try to play it out to the right(assuming you're right handed) and get it on the green from there.
Or take an unplayable lie which will still be dropped in the bunker, but with a much better lie.
Or take an unplayable lie which will still be dropped in the bunker, but with a much better lie.
Paging Dean. Seem to recall him having a similar lie last Summer at True Blue. I think he whacked it out, let it roll back down into a more favorable part of the bunker, and then played out.
- Thread starter
- #6
I'm guessing this is NOT the way to do it 
:
https://youtu.be/kqalni83CX0
And yes, I flew the green on attempt 2, the video cuts out right before I say "I Quit", as this was my final hole for the day and had a tough round.
Hope I made someone chuckle!
Cheers, Mark
Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk
:https://youtu.be/kqalni83CX0
And yes, I flew the green on attempt 2, the video cuts out right before I say "I Quit", as this was my final hole for the day and had a tough round.
Hope I made someone chuckle!
Cheers, Mark
Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk
- Joined
- Nov 8, 2011
- Messages
- 2,365
- Reaction score
- 643
- Location
- Glendale, Arizona, United States
- Handicap
- 11.8
I'm guessing this is NOT the way to do it
https://youtu.be/kqalni83CX0
And yes, I flew the green on attempt 2, the video cuts out right before I say "I Quit", as this was my final hole for the day and had a tough round.
Hope I made someone chuckle!
Cheers, Mark
Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk
After seeing the video, I think you should swing hard and bury the club in the sand (no follow through) just below the ball.
Golf channel has been showing John Daly's Open win at St. Andrews this week. He's in a similar situation in the road hole bunker.
I thought buried lies called for ball back, stance and club square and "thump the sand" (no follow through), which cause the ball to come out low and roll.
- Thread starter
- #10
It's tough when it's also a side hill lie, which is why I think I came through with follow through trying to steer it...
Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk
I would have taken an unplayable. Dropped and popped it out.
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2011
- Messages
- 25,455
- Reaction score
- 1,662
I think it was the John Daly playing lesson where he mentioned a similar situation. He talked about closing the toe down on a high lofted wedge.
- Thread starter
- #13
On the golf channel? That dude he played with was ridiculously cringe worthy, and I don't mean his golf game. But I will go back and watch, thanks!
Sent from my SM-N910T using Tapatalk
- Joined
- Apr 3, 2011
- Messages
- 25,455
- Reaction score
- 1,662
Sorry, not playing lesson with a pro. Daly had his own short game special, Garry hosted it.
theoverswinger
New member
Yup, that was a possibility. Actually, he should swing more horizontal than down, just to get the blade of the wedge under the ball. Still, not an easy shot, especially if there's some obstruction in front of the ball.
rollin
"Just playin golf pally"
- Joined
- Aug 28, 2012
- Messages
- 12,640
- Reaction score
- 1,119
- Location
- planet earth, milky way galaxy
- Handicap
- 15.7
I think we all probably experienced that shot and even worse. I would have played it like this, or at least given a good try. A similar "uphill buried lie" lie is about between 2/3rds into the vid. But fwiw the entire vid imo is a very good one. But I would not have went for the pin, I would have given this a try but at a 90* angle so its much more doable. Not at the pin in your case because that added a whole other angle and difficulty to the shot, but at least out square at 90* for the better positions and angles for the shot and then on the green that is of course if I was successful.
that is of course if I was successful.
Last edited:
TheHeez
Well-known member
For a buried bunker lie I actually close the club face and put a normal bunker swing on the ball. The closed face allows the leading edge to direct sand away from the face and make good contact (kinda like a snow plow). The ball will come out lower but it works like a champ. Learned it from Shawn Clement videos, was reinforced by the man, Roger Cleveland.
I think people are confusing two different situations.
A standard buried lie is very different than a ball buried in a vertical position.
A standard buried lie is very different than a ball buried in a vertical position.
- Staff
- #19
honestly I'd swing it at. Take a Gap wedge or sand wedge, open the face and hit under the ball. If it doesn't get out the chances are it's going to roll back in the bunker. That should give you a better lie than just taking a drop in the bunker IMO.
- Moderator
- #20
A plugged lie higher up the face is easier to stop since you have the slope working with you. Wide open club face, swing very hard and feel you're going to leave the club head in the sand after impact.
Unplayable lie talk is just silly. You can see it, there's no roots in the way, it's just a tough shot.
Unplayable lie talk is just silly. You can see it, there's no roots in the way, it's just a tough shot.
- Staff
- #21
I feel the same way. Also judging by the picture, that sand looks pretty soft. Open the face and swing away.
The point with the unplayable lie talk is not that this shot definitely requires it. I agree that this lie isn't that bad.
The point is that even on terribly difficult lies, most golfers don't even consider that option. If your lie is bad enough to consider using an unplayable lie, there's a very good chance it will save the average golfer strokes.
As for dropping in a bunker, part of the decision process is deciding whether you can make an advantageous drop or not. To do so, you would drop it on the slope and let it roll back, rather than dropping where you want it to end and having it plug.
Jackal
Active member
I'm guessing unplayable is still a drop in the bunker?
I would take a sand wedge, and stand with one leg on top of bunker lip if possible, then whack it toward the hole. Firm, but not too hard.
Sometimes in those situations it turns out good. I might be out of the bunker, or maybe at least a better lie in the bunker.
Jack
I would take a sand wedge, and stand with one leg on top of bunker lip if possible, then whack it toward the hole. Firm, but not too hard.
Sometimes in those situations it turns out good. I might be out of the bunker, or maybe at least a better lie in the bunker.
Jack
Where do we place the ball in our stance - front, middle or back?
I've hit this shot a couple times and always approached it the same, and I always managed to get it out. Take highest lofted wedge, square to slightly open face, try to swing horizontal, and just MURDER the ball. With some luck, the ball will pop straight upwards and just edge forward, which should in theory get it over the lip.