green-side bunker shot club selection

Freddie - I am working on my green side sand play using Dave Pelz's short game bible as a my teaching aid. I open the stance, ball off inside of lead foot, and open my wedge up significantly. Nice smooth dead hands swing This seems to work well in my practice thus far.

I haven't seen much discussion on the firm/soft sand bunker and how it affects club selection. Please confirm my logic;
For a firm sand bunker, chose a wedge that has less bounce and a narrower sole (to prevent the club from "bouncing" off the surface. For a soft sand shot I will go with more bounce and more sole width to keep the club floating through the sand and not digging as much. In either case, I would open up the club face to get the same effective loft.

I also presume this same logic applies for a shallow vs deep lies, all in soft sand conditions; shallow lie; use big bounce and wide sole. Deeper lie; less bounce and narrower sole.

Great question....I love the greenside bunker and the imagination one can use getting out.

For standard extraction you are correct, low bounce for firm sand and higher bounce for soft sand. But there is another option and that is a neutral bounce that can be played from all types of sand. Let say 10* in neutral, this is what I play. I can use my 56* from every type of sand non to man except for true dried out hard pan. I open or close my wedge based on the shot I have to hit. High soft spinners, I open the face. Chunk and run I play square. Out and release I will open the face a bit, it all depends on the shot needed and the type of sand I am playing from.

Hope this helps, let me know if you need any further explanation

Tadashi70 said:

Great question....I love the greenside bunker and the imagination one can use getting out.

For standard extraction you are correct, low bounce for firm sand and higher bounce for soft sand. But there is another option and that is a neutral bounce that can be played from all types of sand. Let say 10* in neutral, this is what I play. I can use my 56* from every type of sand non to man except for true dried out hard pan. I open or close my wedge based on the shot I have to hit. High soft spinners, I open the face. Chunk and run I play square. Out and release I will open the face a bit, it all depends on the shot needed and the type of sand I am playing from.

Hope this helps, let me know if you need any further explanation

Click to expand...

Is the focus on the bounce? Does grind have an impact on the decision?

OITW said:

Is the focus on the bounce? Does grind have an impact on the decision?

Click to expand...

I have never given to much thought to the grind and I am focused on the bounce or the lie I might have. Grinds are great because they give us so many options, but I find that most shouldn't worry so much about the grinds and more about the bounce. Most buy on looks or word of mouth. A select few will know exactly what they need and how to use it.

You did answer the question and confirm my thoughts. I'm trying to dial in my bunker play and more often than not w tihe the courses I play the sand firmness is the biggest variable. I typically pull my 56 with 10* of bounce, but am starting to evaluate the lie more and will pull my 60 with 12* of bounce and a fairly generous sole for the few times I find soft sand.

now only if I had some bunkers to practice from.......