any advice on fairway bunker?
- Thread starter jenhaoyen
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curtisj76
New
I would hit a fat 8 iron that would leave me about 60 yards to the green then hit a lob wedge that would, hopefully land close to the hole.
And then "threeputt" for double bogey right??
Richie3Jack
New
Sadly, I'm very very good at fairway bunkers, mainly because I tend to hit into them a lot.
Play the ball a little further back in your stance and just try to hit the 'equator' of the ball. Playing the ball further back is key since it increases the likelihood of picking it clean.
Also, I take one more club. Why? The ball won't travel as far as it does when I compress it and combine that with increased backspin, it causes the ball to go about a club shorter, IMO.
3JACK
Play the ball a little further back in your stance and just try to hit the 'equator' of the ball. Playing the ball further back is key since it increases the likelihood of picking it clean.
Also, I take one more club. Why? The ball won't travel as far as it does when I compress it and combine that with increased backspin, it causes the ball to go about a club shorter, IMO.
3JACK
theodoreandon
New
Take one club more, choke up at least to the middle of the grip, dig in feet, stay super still and hit the ball first (thin). Should have a tendency to pull it a bit.
vjsinger
New
I just got back from hitting balls out of a bunker to practice getting my hands and arms in the right spot on the downswing to get rid of my throwaway/flip. I learned that the easy way to do this is put the ball back a touch, like maybe a half a ball form normal and really focus on your impact alignments. Take one more club and focus on the alignments and just hitting it solid, you'll know when you don't do it right. Make sure that lead arm rotates thru impact, i.e. lag the sweet spot, or shank city/ you hit it fat.
Jim Kobylinski
Super Moderator
The main thing that people forget is that you need to choke down on the club the same amount that you are "digging into" the sand. Otherwise you are going to have a lot of trouble with your aiming point.
Also i completely disagree with putting the ball BACK in your stance; imo you want to move it further UP in your stance to try and help ensure you are going to hit it slightly thin or "pick it clean" as they say. The further back you put it you are either going to come in too steep to hit it or you are going to swing further right due to low point being further back and block it out right.
For a fairway bunker shot, my "normal procedure" is the following:
1) Ball maybe 1/2 ball more forward than normal
2) Dig in the sand slightly and choke down on grip
3) Make a restricted backswing shoulder turn to avoid shifting in the sand too much
4) Hit the ball
From my perspective all i'm doing is essentially trying to hit a "punch style" shot out of sand. Now the procedure can change based on lip/club/shot how far you are away etc.
Also i completely disagree with putting the ball BACK in your stance; imo you want to move it further UP in your stance to try and help ensure you are going to hit it slightly thin or "pick it clean" as they say. The further back you put it you are either going to come in too steep to hit it or you are going to swing further right due to low point being further back and block it out right.
For a fairway bunker shot, my "normal procedure" is the following:
1) Ball maybe 1/2 ball more forward than normal
2) Dig in the sand slightly and choke down on grip
3) Make a restricted backswing shoulder turn to avoid shifting in the sand too much
4) Hit the ball
From my perspective all i'm doing is essentially trying to hit a "punch style" shot out of sand. Now the procedure can change based on lip/club/shot how far you are away etc.
jenhaoyen
New
What about when it's 10 yards and you try to hit a high shot.
Whenever I open my club face the ball gets bladed or..i hit it fat.
Jim Kobylinski
Super Moderator
You don't have enough "delay" in the bunker and are entering the sand way too far behind the ball. When you have the club that open instead of digging down it bounces up too soon and you blade it.
Remember this rule: The more you open the club for a bunker shot the closer to the ball you are going to have enter the sand to hit it well or else you'll blade it.
Do you know how to practice the wall of china drill?
Richie3Jack
New
I used to not be a very good fairway bunker player, but after hitting into too many of them, I wanted to figure out how to hit well out of the fairway bunker. Now, I'm a very good, if not great fairway bunker player. In fact, played last Thursday and struggled with my ballstriking, but I was -2 on 3 holes that I was in the fairway bunker, which included sticking a 5-iron to 3 feet.
What helped me the most when I finally learned how to hit it out of the fairway bunker?
Playing the ball back in my stance.
I dig my feet in very little, just enough to 'get a grip' and thus I don't choke up on the club.
But other than that it's:
1. Take one more club
2. Back in the stance
3. Hit the 'equator' of the ball.
My best guess as to why moving it back works is that you're getting the ball further away from the low point and since you're trying to hit the equator of the ball, that creates a pick it clean move.
Then again, I learned about moving the ball back from watching a Johnny Miller video and I'm not the biggest fan of his golf analysis, but this tip worked wonders for me.
3JACK
What helped me the most when I finally learned how to hit it out of the fairway bunker?
Playing the ball back in my stance.
I dig my feet in very little, just enough to 'get a grip' and thus I don't choke up on the club.
But other than that it's:
1. Take one more club
2. Back in the stance
3. Hit the 'equator' of the ball.
My best guess as to why moving it back works is that you're getting the ball further away from the low point and since you're trying to hit the equator of the ball, that creates a pick it clean move.
Then again, I learned about moving the ball back from watching a Johnny Miller video and I'm not the biggest fan of his golf analysis, but this tip worked wonders for me.
3JACK
vjsinger
New
This makes sense to me and will probably help me out alot with what Im working on(forward ball position in bunker). I will have to try it tomorrow and report back with results. As Brian would say..Hit the ball high with your body and low with your hands. Thanks Jim.
cmartingolf
New
Fairway bunkers.....
When I didn't know what I was doing, I thought you had to pick fairway bunker shots too.
People!!!! Learn how to hit the darn ball on the way to the ground (or sand in this case). Sure, you can choke up a bit so your club has the right lie angle at impact, but that's about it.
Aim your hands, feel the pressure and don't forget to rotate that sweetspot off the hosel like VJSinger mentioned.
I will go on a limb here and challenge anyone, anywhere to a fairway bunker challenge. I won't say the same about other parts of my game, but there not bad either. Fairway bunker shots simply don't bother me anymore and I actually feel (if I'm not against a lip) that I have as good a chance stuffing it as I would from a clean lie in the fairway.
I take most of my lessons to the fairway bunker at my range. TRUTH SERUM!!!
Hit the ball on the way to low point. .
Commit
Free wheel
Compress
Enjoy
When I didn't know what I was doing, I thought you had to pick fairway bunker shots too.
People!!!! Learn how to hit the darn ball on the way to the ground (or sand in this case). Sure, you can choke up a bit so your club has the right lie angle at impact, but that's about it.
Aim your hands, feel the pressure and don't forget to rotate that sweetspot off the hosel like VJSinger mentioned.
I will go on a limb here and challenge anyone, anywhere to a fairway bunker challenge. I won't say the same about other parts of my game, but there not bad either. Fairway bunker shots simply don't bother me anymore and I actually feel (if I'm not against a lip) that I have as good a chance stuffing it as I would from a clean lie in the fairway.
I take most of my lessons to the fairway bunker at my range. TRUTH SERUM!!!
Hit the ball on the way to low point. .
Commit
Free wheel
Compress
Enjoy
Richie3Jack
New
If we ever meet up sometime, we'll have to take it to the fairway bunker.
Well, I'm not a very good ballstriker, but the other parts of my game are fine.
That's my point about moving the ball back.
I can actually hit it well and still catch a decent bit of sand, but I usually try to hit the equator just to be safe. But giving lessons out of the fairway bunk is an excellent way to teach, IMO.
3JACK
Jim Kobylinski
Super Moderator
Fairway bunkers.....
When I didn't know what I was doing, I thought you had to pick fairway bunker shots too.
People!!!! Learn how to hit the darn ball on the way to the ground (or sand in this case). Sure, you can choke up a bit so your club has the right lie angle at impact, but that's about it.
Aim your hands, feel the pressure and don't forget to rotate that sweetspot off the hosel like VJSinger mentioned.
I will go on a limb here and challenge anyone, anywhere to a fairway bunker challenge. I won't say the same about other parts of my game, but there not bad either. Fairway bunker shots simply don't bother me anymore and I actually feel (if I'm not against a lip) that I have as good a chance stuffing it as I would from a clean lie in the fairway.
I take most of my lessons to the fairway bunker at my range. TRUTH SERUM!!!
Hit the ball on the way to low point. .
Commit
Free wheel
Compress
Enjoy
I'm not saying to not "hit down" on fairway bunker shot, i'm just saying hit "less down" by having the ball a bit further up to catch it much closer to low point
birdie_man
New
Fairway bunkers are great...Truth Serum indeed!
Hit different shots solid out of a FB and you are on your way.
Hit different shots solid out of a FB and you are on your way.
vjsinger
New
In training myself to have my hands further forward at impact I have found that putting the ball further forward in my stance when hitting 4irons out of a bunker is very helpful to me. I can't believe how far my hands have to be with my right shoulder going down plane. Has anyone tried to hit Drivers out of the bunker, with a clean lie of course? Or is this a bad idea?
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