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Wet compacted bunkers

Germerican

Germerican

AngryYankee
Joined
Apr 18, 2013
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Location
Brentwood, NY
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23.8 USGA
Yesterday I played a miserable 7 holes. So miserable that I walked off after 7 after paying for 9.
Anyway, I found myself in a green side bunker that was compacted and with wet sand. My lie was good and I felt my stance was good. Ball forward in stance to get the lift, 60/40 weight on lead leg, 58* in hand with an open face.

First swing I got it up, hit the lip, and rolled back down in the same exact spot I originally hit it in. Second hit, lip, back down. Third hit lip and back down. It wasn't until the fourth hit did I finally get out of that mess.

How would I play this ball. Did I plan right but had a poor execution? Or was everything wrong and I set myself up for failure?
 
Don't open the face. Keep it square. The bounce of the wedge was causing the leading edge to come into the ball, not under it.
 
blugold has it. Keep the face square and play it like a standard chip shot.
 
If you are playing from a wet, compacted greenside bunker, you still need to pop that ball up and land it softly so for me, I just don't hit as far behind the ball or as steep as with soft sand. Definitely more room for error though.
 
wadesworld said:
blugold has it. Keep the face square and play it like a standard chip shot.
Click to expand...

I still try to hit behind the ball and let the sand throw the ball out. But in compact sand, I have to get the bounce out of the way.
 
Gotta square the face up. Swing just like a regular bunker shot, don't open the face as much.
 
hard or compacted sand requires less open clubface.
 
blugold said:
I still try to hit behind the ball and let the sand throw the ball out. But in compact sand, I have to get the bounce out of the way.
Click to expand...

Agreed... play it exactly the same but with the club square instead of opened up. If a fried egg/buried lie, then I make the same swing with a slightly closed face...
 
mtneerinraleigh said:
Agreed... play it exactly the same but with the club square instead of opened up. If a fried egg/buried lie, then I make the same swing with a slightly closed face...
Click to expand...

I've had some friend eggs that I've played over a lip. It has to be done with an open face. It requires a really hard swing. But it is doable.
 
And most of all, make sure you keep your speed through the follow through. That can't be stressed enough on bunker shots.
 
I guess I'm a little different on these shots.... I still open the face a little bit but I tend to take a shorter back swing and fire through the ball...hitting just a half inch to an inch behind it. I don't have much bounce on my wedges either. But it's different for all.

In reality, it's just something you should practice when you have the chance....because you might have an epiphany where it just hits you and the lightbulb turns on and you're like 'oh now I get it'. Keep at it. Don't give up!
 
AngryYankee said:
Yesterday I played a miserable 7 holes. So miserable that I walked off after 7 after paying for 9.
Anyway, I found myself in a green side bunker that was compacted and with wet sand. My lie was good and I felt my stance was good. Ball forward in stance to get the lift, 60/40 weight on lead leg, 58* in hand with an open face.

First swing I got it up, hit the lip, and rolled back down in the same exact spot I originally hit it in. Second hit, lip, back down. Third hit lip and back down. It wasn't until the fourth hit did I finally get out of that mess.

How would I play this ball. Did I plan right but had a poor execution? Or was everything wrong and I set myself up for failure?
Click to expand...
Hard bunkers are my favorite. Play the ball back to middle of your stance. 60/40 weight, open stance, club moves outside and straight up. A steep descending blow and hit right behind the ball. It will dig and bounce at the same time. Tons of spin. Fun shot!
 
Sorry bro, this false
blugold said:
Don't open the face. Keep it square. The bounce of the wedge was causing the leading edge to come into the ball, not under it.
Click to expand...
 
wadesworld said:
blugold has it. Keep the face square and play it like a standard chip shot.
Click to expand...
who taught you this?

moosejaa said:
If you are playing from a wet, compacted greenside bunker, you still need to pop that ball up and land it softly so for me, I just don't hit as far behind the ball or as steep as with soft sand. Definitely more room for error though.
Click to expand...
steep is needed on hard compact sand.

Spivey said:
Gotta square the face up. Swing just like a regular bunker shot, don't open the face as much.
Click to expand...
why do you think the face shouldn't be open as much? Who taught you this?

emart2173 said:
hard or compacted sand requires less open clubface.
Click to expand...
same as regular bunker shot but steeper angle of attack
 
looks like more than 1 person just learned something today.
 
Kong knows.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Everytime a bunker thread pops up I listen intently. Thanks Freddie, will add this to the quiver.
 
blugold said:
I've had some friend eggs that I've played over a lip. It has to be done with an open face. It requires a really hard swing. But it is doable.
Click to expand...

Good point... wasn't thinking about a big lip... you really have to blast down behind the ball for sure
 
Tadashi70 said:
Sorry bro, this false
Click to expand...

really...hmm...I was always taught to keep the face square so the bounce is out of the way and swing down behind the ball to throw the sand.
 
blugold said:
really...hmm...I was always taught to keep the face square so the bounce is out of the way and swing down behind the ball to throw the sand.
Click to expand...
I would never play a green side bunker shot with a square face no matter what the sand was like. The bouce doesn't not go away with a square face, especially with today's wedges.

Open that face, dig those feet, open that face and make a steep blow directly behind the ball with good follow through. The distance of the shot will dictate the amount of back swing which will control the length of the shot.
 
Tadashi70 said:
I would never play a green side bunker shot with a square face no matter what the sand was like. The bouce doesn't not go away with a square face, especially with today's wedges.

Open that face, dig those feet, open that face and make a steep blow directly behind the ball with good follow through. The distance of the shot will dictate the amount of back swing which will control the length of the shot.
Click to expand...
For my understanding, the only change between that at a fluffy sand bunker shot, the fluffy sand is a shallow swing?
 
I play in wet sand 9 months a year and I like to have an open face, low hands, and a steep angle.
Ball always comes out with some spin to boot.
 
ArmyGolf said:
I play in wet sand 9 months a year and I like to have an open face, low hands, and a steep angle.
Ball always comes out with some spin to boot.
Click to expand...
I perfected these shots while living in Portland. Actually tough some of my lessons in the practice bunker. No aim point freed up my students swings
 
Tadashi70 said:
steep is needed on hard compact sand.
Click to expand...

So Freddie, the one time I came in steep on hardpan the results were decent but I thought I was going to snap the clubhead and I hurt my wrist.
 
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