Bunker Play Tip
 

The best bunker player I ever saw in person was a professional I worked for 30 years ago. He was taking bunker lessons from the late, great Johnny Revolta.

Revolta had told him to use a baseball grip for his bunker play as it should be right side driven...

When I was a swinger - slinger I was a horrible bunker player. Now that I am hitting with my right arm, I am hitting some bunker shots that I can't believe I was able to produce.

Bunker Play = Hitting Pattern???

Worth a try. Works for me, so far. :)

Kevin

I used to love bunker shots when I was a kid, then it sort of went away. Im hitting now too and am getting things back to where they should be .......touch wood, jinx, I didnt say that.

I think getting to both arms straight in the sand has helped me and the automatic angled hinge is good too of course. When i need to hit it higher Ive been goofing around with a more upright shaft plane and an almost uncocked left wrist at address..........angled hinging approaches vertical hinging when on a steeper plane, so no need to reverse roll the left hand if you know what I mean. I had gotten into the habit of setting my hands really low at address in the sand and it didnt work for me for some reason. Others like it but not me. Now I just sort of set my both arms straight position, select a lag pressure appropriate for the distance and then thrust. Still doing all the cross line , point the face at the hole stuff too.


Thats where I'm at anyways. Heck whatever works. Brian Gay uses a lot of lag pressure and cuts it off low and short, Yoda's silky smooth and gets the club swiveled onto plane in finish. You have options. You still need a lag pressure point that traces a straight line (or covers the angle of approach) and a hinge action. I do use horizontal sometimes with an arc of approach delivery line......for longer runners or when Im trying to send them over the fence into the cow pasture.

I wonder what Luke does?

Could you describe your #1 Accumulator Thrust as throwing a Baseball sidearm?

Hmmm, I've been equating that feeling of "throwing a Baseball sidearm" with "pitch" elbow. I think I'm getting more towards "punch."

Kevin

True, Baseball Sidearm feels like pitch elbow. :salut:

How about a Slap-Punch? You're not hitting with your knuckles like a Boxer but hitting with the Palm but with a clenched fist and Bent Right Wrist ???

Would "Slap-Punch" be closer to the feel?

I think that's it Daryl! Perhaps my better sand shots are a combination of using #1 along with doing a better job of maintaining that right forearm wedge. My FLW has a ways to go, but making progress...

Kevin

Wasnt pitch elbow originally "slap" elbow? Thought I read that somewhere , I dont have an early edition. Wish I did, PM me anybody who wants to sell a 3rd.

OB

Lee Trevino told me a long time ago that the best in the world out of bunkers play a " V "... To describe this you have the letter V and the open end would be toward where ever you are hitting. What I was told and I never practice bunker shots EVER.. Is, the right side of the V is @ your target the left side of the V is your feet line and the area where the V meets is where you play the ball. Now you are these so called Guru's on TV telling you that you need to explode the ball out of the bunker.. Well thats because they are preching to the guys who can not play the average 90 shooter. Its tru that there are times that you want to explode the ball out but the best play it back.

Are you saying the best nip it with the ball back, or do they still get some sand?

Nip is correct.. It's pretty hard to hit down on the ball when it is up in the stance and you are taking the club strait up in the air. You have to get face on ball to impart spin, but depending on the shot you might want to explode the ball with sand to let it roll out. You rarely see them show this style of bunker shot on swing vison on PGA Tour coverage tournaments. The reason is most people try to nip the ball further up in there stance and hit lazers or extrem fat shots because the have released to early. Try it! then make your judgement.

Thanks,
BurleyGolf-

Burley - where is the meeting point of the V in relation to your right foot? Thanks.

inside of the foot

I had been struggling with my bunker play lately. Fats and thins, I just wasn't getting anywhere.

I remembered the Dave Pelz method at the weekend.

Set up square to a target some 10 or 15 feet left (for righties) of your target, then rotate the clubface open in the palm of the left hand and re take your grip. Swing along the line of your feet.

The little beauty kept popping up lovely after that!

I've been trying to play the ball back (just back of center)and it works really well. No fats and no thins, it's been pretty awesome so far. A little lower ball flight. When I first tried it, the ball would release and skid when it hit the green, now I can check it pretty well. I've never been that great out of bunkers unless I put a lot of time into practice. This almost seems too easy.

BurleyG, i dont get it, when i aim the right side of the V towards target and have my feet left, the meeting of the two is well outside (to the right) of my right foot.

huh?

Sorry it took so long for a video, hope this helps....


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9oB3JcUlDs0

was the shot in the video bladed a tad?


thanks for the vid, while I hit good bunker shots, I have issue with lining them up to get the ball to go in the right direction. with this video I think my 12 foot putts just turned into 2 foot putts!

LoL... No, I just hit it to hard, I was so excited doing the video! I went with one take, the teachers you see on Tv knocking it close as they demonstrate is more than likely there 10th take unless they pulled it off the first time. I am a teacher that can play a little and I was fine with it going long, I consider it reality golf...

Thanks
BurleyGolf-

cheers for that burley, the written description didn't help at all, the video made perfect sense

:salut:

got pumped up on video eh? sounds like me in my last tounament, flew the green from 176 with a 7iron.LOL

BTW, I was in NO way calling you out about the shot. I just wanted to know what to "hear" cause a lot of my bunker shots sound heavier, so I think I need to work more on "not so fat".

thanks again

After spending a few hours watching bunker practice at the PGA, NOBODY appeared to go after anything heavy. Everything seemed to be rather thin with spin.

Sand condition is a BIG factor too!

BurleyGolf-