Others may have provided details like Chris, but what I love and appreciate the most is the explanation of why each detail aspect is relevant. Chris does an awesome job breaking down the details in an easy to comprehend fashion. Bravo & thank you!.
I really don't get why people moan about how much time Chris puts into explaining this important fundamental. There are no shortcuts, everything he says is relevant. Cracking video Chris, thank you. 👍
If you watch 20 sand video's the basics are all the same, The difference is how people articulate it. I loved the way Chris talks thru the explanation of what he's doing, especially in terms of how the weight on his legs are shifting forward but the torso weight is staying centered. Also some teachers are a little more pronounced in their set up, Chris provides a great set up without being too radical in the change. Excellent video.
A very systematic and clear run through, I've recently deteriorated from being a very competent bunker player and this will help iron out the technical errors that have crept in lately, thanks a lot 😅
I went out and tried what Chris explains here in the video, I had my feet at 10 and 2 ... opened the club face ... hit the sand before the ball and hit throigh the ball, low and behold all 40 balls were out of the bunker ... not all necessary by the Pin BUT out of the bunker and on the Green ... I hated bunkers until today ... not anymore ... you only hate something when you can't or don't understand what your trying to do. Well explained Chris, brilliant.
Chris i am not a great golfer and never will be but reasonably good at 10.2 index. I get out of greenside bunkers only 50% of the time to my satusfaction. Your summary of how and why at evry point of the bunker swing is the best bunker lesson i ever have had. I am now getting out to my satisfaction 80-85% of the time. My playing partners cant figure out why.😂😂
This was a great reminder video for the start of the season. In the first few rounds of the season I had struggled with my bunker shots (5+ months of winter break makes you forget things) but after watching this video reminding me of opening the club face first and then gripping it plus letting the club head get past your hands, I went 2 for 2 on great bunker shots leading to sand saves during my round yesterday. Thank you!
This video finally helped me figure out what I was doing wrong. I knew how to do EVERYTHING correct with the bunker shots but my results weren't good. Hitting the ball 2-4 times before it came out and not getting enough height or thinning it. I always gripped the club straight up and THEN opened the face. Now I know to open the face FIRST and then grip the club with my hands. That is an important detail. Glad you had it in the video. I feel dumb not realizing this on my own. But "Bunker shots for dummies" might be what I needed. Lol. Thanks again Chris for another great and informative video.
This is the best golf shot I learnt this year and it saved my match play round today. My playing partner could not believe it when I put my second shot next to the pin to putt for par and I won the hole ! 👍🏽👍🏽
Uncanny how the stripe in your top matches the top line of the bunker 😆 - Really helpful video Chris ... I rarely have a plan in a bunker, this is a great start for me and straightforwardly explained - thanks 😊
I would like to see you explain what exactly the club head is doing to the sand. And how it is propelling the ball. Also, it would be even better if you showed what would happen if you dont open the face and swing normally like any wedge shot - except aiming 2 to 3 inches behind the ball.
Hi Chris. I’m getting quite good at getting the ball up from the bunkers the way you do it, but they are for the most too short (3-4 yards). How do you make it go 10-20-30 yards. With different irons or...?
Great video. The problem is the standard of my home courses bunkers. I’m a member of a decent golf club but our bunkers are crap. Some have too much sand and some not enough. I’m off 1 but when it comes to bunkers I tend to take 4 or more shots to get down than 2 shots. I’ll try these tips next time I play.
Thank you so much for this! I'm hitting bunker shots a million times better now! Amazing the difference. Now when I hit it in the bunker, I don't freak out. I actually find it fun to hit it out of it!
@@danielives379 yeah man, I’m a 10 handicap. On the cusp of breaking 80 all the time. And I’m so inconsistent In the green sides. Sucks. But I’m getting better. Keep the weight forward. And trust it. Inch behind the ball. Loose hands , open the face a little.
Awesome instruction! Immediately helped with my round today after watching last night. Would like to see a more advanced bunker play lesson as some point. Nice work!
I’ve watched lots of golf videos on UA-cam. Chris, I’ve only just discovered you. Your advice is easy to understand, not fussy and I get results just watching a video on the chipping area and going out and practising. Where are you based. I’d love to come for a lesson. I’m in south east London
This video was hugely helpful. I've gone through all your bunker videos. Do you address uphill, downhill, above feet, below feet, bunker lies anywhere? Thanks.
Sometimes I struggle getting out of a green side bunker, but most of the time not. But, the consistency is definitely not there. That technique seems to make a lot of sense as compared to what I was doing before. Hopefully I’ll get more consistency with your technique. Thanks! 👊
great video, the quality of the videos is really matching the great content recently! Bunker shots are my death - not necessarily from technique but tension and mental approach - still It seems so effortless in the video.
Any suggestion for ensuring consistent height of the club head at the ball? 80% of the time I either hit the ball above halfway, or dig right in under the ball. Thus, probably average about 2.5 shots every bunker.
First i just want to say your teaching methods and in debt details has help me so much, especially with iron play. However i am using phil mickelson’s method of hinge and hold keeping the club face upwards and body turn from sand. i have tried your method but lose so much control i feel. Any thoughts on these two different approaches ?
All great stuff Chris, but I think for many of us we struggle with consistency as it relates to where we hit behind the ball. I know for me, if I can get in a practice bunker I can get pretty dialed in and hit 8/10 good bunker shots. But when I play, there is the fear of getting too close to the ball which leads to a short chunk and run shot. I have no problem hitting flop shots even off fairly tight lies. How do I transfer this skill to bunkers?
Thanks Chris! Well Described lesson! ") this may be a repeat question but do you have video for a Bunker shot where the sand is very compact? I assume it would be different technique than described in this current lesson! Thanks
Great vid. I think where most get confused and have problems in greenside bunkers is what part of the club hits one, two or three inches behind the ball. The answer is...the bounce is what hits the sand, that rounded edge under the wedge. Not the leading edge. If the wedge is set correctly before swinging, the leading edge sit up, facing the sky, exposing the bounce which does the work. Sometimes I don't think players understand that or execute that.
Exactly. Its the bounce/sole of the club that should sweep underneath the ball. When playing a standard sand shot. The bounce provides the power and angle which then, in turn, lets the ball roll off the face and take the loft up and land softly.
I do also think that players get a bit nervous letting the bounce swipe under with power which lends credence to the failure in execution that you see. The difference between half an inch and an inch behind the ball in those conditions could very well be on or off the green, so a lot of it comes down to practice and confidence.
VEryy good lesson. I do pretty much everything you recommend here but I often hit the ball instead of the sand. Do you have any recommendations to avoid hitting the ball first?
Excellent, smooth flowing and detailed instruction Chris (as always). In terms of feet alignment, I have seen a number of videos where the advice has been to open the stance until the now open club face is facing the pin, but you suggest just opening a little bit and achieve enviable results. How do you know the path the ball is going to take and how much is enough? Does this come from experience?
Scatter Gunpaul u should open ur stance until ur clubface points to the pin, exactly Like u say. Ryan is Also to the right off the pin each shot since He dont open enough. Atleast Thats what other videos and the Pro in my club says too. But good detailed video on stance etc. I learned something apart from the alignment. Nice video.
+Scatter Gunpaul hi, glad you like the video. Yes a little experience helps and just plenty of practice. The ball will generally start closer to the path that the club takes provided the technique is sound. I would always open the stance a little, just not loads 👍
Really pleased with the results in practice today. Thanks Chris. Balls popped up to land softly. About 5/8 makable putts on average which is good for me and didn't leave one in the bunker. Best results from making sure that I ignored the intended ball path and concentrated on swinging down the target line of the open feet. As expected, allowing the club to overtake hands was difficult but concentrating on keeping connected in the downswing before this helped. Once again thank you Chris.
I mentioned in an earlier comment that the consensus, generally, with short-game is a hip to hip rotation of the clubface. Even though he holds on to the club and doesn't let it turn over in the video (to get power and height under the ball), he still swings hip-to-hip, or around. Aiming the face at the target you're setting yourself up for inconsistency. The swing tends to be inside to out and you won't get the needed power to hit behind the ball. As far as opening your stance, it all depends on the sand and lie. If your plugged or lying on an uphill slope the clubface is going to be more closed to a natural position and your feet should aim at the target. from a standard, flat lie the more you open your feet the more you are setting up for a flop sand shot. Under these circumstances, the more you open your stance, the more you need to split the line between face and stance, but with a sweeping, hip-to-hip swing of the club, the ball will almost always come up on a line closer to your aimed stance than that of the face. The face isn't irrelevant, it's important, but stance aim is more important and you have to learn a feel for the division of the two with the stance aim being dominant. Cheers!
Note Chris is totally right in that the ball takes off in the path of the club just keep in mind the words "path of the club". Its not "aim of the clubface".
What exactly is the club head doing when it makes contact with sand? ....is it going down into the sand? is it bouncing off the sand? Is it driving through the sand?
Chris - what change do you make if the sand is wet or firm - always gets me - no idea how to play it as you don’t take any sand - it’s too solid- hope that makes sense?
This instruction is stupid! Why must hitting a ball out of the bunker be any different from a fairway pitch or chip shot when the ball is sitting up on top of the sand instead of half-buried? Why the hell is it necessary to hit fat behind the ball and scoop up all that sand even though the ball isn't plugged? There's absolutely nothing behind the ball to prevent the clubface from making clean full contact with it. Pitching and chipping the ball out of the bunker allows for much better control and accuracy. Using the club's normal loft, just hit the ball high with a normal pitch shot, or hit it lower with a normal chip shot depending on the bunker's lip height. Only when the ball is buried do you need to do something this extreme and easy to screw up like severely opening the clubface and hitting fat behind the ball in order to dig it out from underneath the sand. You golf instructors are making things way harder than necessary for your naive paying customers... or is that done on purpose to keep them coming back for endless lessons?
You don't even qualify to be called idiot. Sand absorbs more energy than firm turf. This is why PROFESSIONALS don't chip out of bunkers. Unless you're on tour, which obviously you aren't because you're on UA-cam saying stupid stuff like you just did, you have zero room to talk about your ridiculous approach to bunker shots.
@xxthadouche. Going by your moronic theory, explain to us how the pros are able to hit long distances out of a fairway bunker by picking the ball clean without hitting it fat behind the ball using a hybrid club then, genius? Why did they deem it UNNECESSARY to hit fat into the sand behind the ball in this shot? How is the lie of an unburied ball sitting up in the middle of a fairway-bunker any different than one sitting up similarly in a greenside-bunker?
Because they hit the ball shallow. They sweep it out of the bunker which is easier because of the reduced loft on the club. Hitting a ball 10-15 yards is much different than hitting a ball 100 yards. When was the last time you saw a pro pick a ball out of a greenside bunker? But even better, when was the last time you heard Butch Harmon or any Top 100 teaching pro instruct someone to pick a ball out of a greenside bunker? You think you know better than they do? If so, why has NO ONE ever heard of your teachings? And yes I am a genius compared to you. Thanks for noticing.
@xxthadouche. "They sweep it out of the bunker which is easier because of the reduced loft on the club." From your weak nonsensical argument, it looks to me like you're admitting that hitting fat into the sand behind the ball to get it out of the bunker is NOT necessary. Hitting the ball first instead of sand first is the correct way to get an unburied ball out of the sand then you say? Correctamundo! Good boy, Rover! Here's a doggie treat!
Hi Chris,Thanks for the guidance, I have really struggled with my bunker play, which in turn can sometimes increase my scores alarmingly.Your tuition will be invaluable, once I have put your expertise in to practice.Many thanks.Bob Turner.
I use a 50° with an 8 bounce ... what do you think? .... I seem to get out of the Bunker ok, except today when practicing .... well it wasn't quite working, that's why i'm back again :)
He exaggerates the motion to show what the 'feel' should be like. Naturally, your body rotates faster than you can hold on to it like he did in the demonstration. If you look closely at the slow-motion, it's slightly deceptive because the camera angle is facing him and not from behind, but he does execute what he was explaining, the quick sweeping effect just masks the hands. Just think of 6:00 as what your brain should try to do and 7:38 as what your body actually does. Its about teaching technique.
Thanks Chris, I am much more confident when there’s water opposite the under bunker I am in , because I know I can land the ball on the green every time
Let me say I love hitting high loft out of the sand, but your question kind of answered itself; too much loft is too much loft haha. But to throw out my two cents, If you only rely on a 60 or higher out of the sand you're not choosing a club that is versatile to every bunker shot. You can easily add loft to a 54-56-58, but you can't take loft from a 60-64 unless you are specifically punching it out, either on an uphill slope or away from the green. Hitting 60 or higher also increases the chance of hitting it fat because of the lack of power behind a slightly lower loft. Or, if you have a downslope shot, one might assume more loft would help, but it might just hurt you. A 56 has way more power behind the ball and a downslope shot is a powerful flop out of the sand, and in that scenario, you're matching your stance and shoulders with the downslope and have to really accelerate down into the sand with an uncomfortably open face for most golfers. Open the face of a 60 to what you need to for a steep downslope shot and you're asking for a shank because there is such a thing as gripping the club too open, especially with that high of a loft, and to hit that shot you need to open the face to an almost absurd amount. Back to the power issue, it's extremely common to not be getting through the sand to the ball with enough power to clear the bunker, even with a standard lie for the average golfer. If you take a steep angle of attack, properly align your stance and shoulders, a 56 has plenty of loft when opened correctly with added power on that downslope. You're basically hitting a hard hard downslope flop-shot. And for the average golfer, I would assume its a much more comfortable setup knowing you have the power to get under the ball. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of instances where a 60 would suit a similar downslope shot, especially if your playing in really light and soft sand, and like I said, I play a 60 out of the sand all the time, but overall, a 56 covers all your bases. I ONLY use my 60 when I know I have a really suitable lie that I can finesse-spin and attack the pin with a high shot. If I'm forced to play a short-runout shot I'm taking my 56, because I don't want it to check up, or worse, spin. Simply, a beginner-intermediate golfer could and should play a 56, or close to, in the bunker, and in my opinion around the greens as well, because at that skill level you also have to factor the need for more clubs to fill distance gaps. A 56 is a much better approach wedge than a 60 which is prone to skulled shots and chunks. Beginners have ball-striking issues, distance issues, putting issues, and the last clubs they need are clubs for specific and highly-skilled finesse short-game shots. There's nothing wrong with more loft, it's just more practical to carry a 56 and maybe an extra utility iron/fairway wood or gap wedge to fill the distance gaps that a regular golfer would benefit from due to a lack of consistency trying to control their overal game.
With too much *club* loft, it means you wouldn't be able to open the face as much as you want (about 45*). When you open the face, it increases the amount of "bounce" the club has, which means the club won't dig into the sand as much as it normally would. So if the club face has too much loft, then you can't open the face as much, which means you won't have as much bounce as you want.
Chris, I use a 58 degree with 12 degrees bounce as well. You're instruction is the best, but most importantly you're super handsome and your accent makes me believe you're really smart.
I should of watched this video before I went out yesterday morning. Found myself in greenside bunker 4 times and added 8 strokes total trying to get out. Shot an 83, which is still my best score ever but those four extra strokes could of potentially put me in the 70's for the first time. Great video! New subscriber here!
I found this too complicated to even remember at the practice. Meandmygolf explains the bunker shot in 2mins and their method brings much better distance control. With shallow swing you will be chunking a lot more shots and by opening the clubface the alignment to the target line is more difficult.
Others may have provided details like Chris, but what I love and appreciate the most is the explanation
of why each detail aspect is relevant. Chris does an awesome job breaking down the details in an easy to comprehend fashion. Bravo & thank you!.
I really don't get why people moan about how much time Chris puts into explaining this important fundamental. There are no shortcuts, everything he says is relevant. Cracking video Chris, thank you. 👍
Chris's instructions for bunker shot setup in this video is excellent.
The first time someone has given clear instructions on how to play a bunker shot greenside. Thanks Chris
Thanks Jerome 👍
I was searching you for a bunker video... This is by far the best one I have ever seen.... Awesome Chris
If you watch 20 sand video's the basics are all the same, The difference is how people articulate it. I loved the way Chris talks thru the explanation of what he's doing, especially in terms of how the weight on his legs are shifting forward but the torso weight is staying centered. Also some teachers are a little more pronounced in their set up, Chris provides a great set up without being too radical in the change. Excellent video.
One of the best instructions on bunker shots, got the hang of it after a short while. Never thought that bunker shots can be so fun!
A very systematic and clear run through, I've recently deteriorated from being a very competent bunker player and this will help iron out the technical errors that have crept in lately, thanks a lot 😅
This is the best detailed instruction I have seen and just remembering some of it helped a lot
Just what I needed to see 🙌❤ Well articulated and demonstrated excellent Chris Ryan Golf ✔
Very good explanation I am going to memorize this set up and try it at the course.
Very good advice on bunker play. Watched it 4 times already and hope to improve my bunker play immediately
Very well explained, thanks. My self-confidence in the bunker is now zero, but I´m sure this technique will help me.
Great bunker shot instruction. One of the best I've seen on UA-cam 👌
Greenside bunker play - my absolute nemesis :( Best video I've ever seen on this topic, thanks, Chris!!
Thanks 🙌
Good job. Very well explained.
I went out and tried what Chris explains here in the video, I had my feet at 10 and 2 ... opened the club face ... hit the sand before the ball and hit throigh the ball, low and behold all 40 balls were out of the bunker ... not all necessary by the Pin BUT out of the bunker and on the Green ... I hated bunkers until today ... not anymore ... you only hate something when you can't or don't understand what your trying to do.
Well explained Chris, brilliant.
Not to forget the forward placement of the ball
5:20 is the most important part of video
Nice one Chris. Took a bit a bit of getting used to...felt awkward at first, but with a bit of practice now averaging 10 out of 12
thanks...
Chris i am not a great golfer and never will be but reasonably good at 10.2 index. I get out of greenside bunkers only 50% of the time to my satusfaction. Your summary of how and why at evry point of the bunker swing is the best bunker lesson i ever have had. I am now getting out to my satisfaction 80-85% of the time. My playing partners cant figure out why.😂😂
This was a great reminder video for the start of the season. In the first few rounds of the season I had struggled with my bunker shots (5+ months of winter break makes you forget things) but after watching this video reminding me of opening the club face first and then gripping it plus letting the club head get past your hands, I went 2 for 2 on great bunker shots leading to sand saves during my round yesterday. Thank you!
This video finally helped me figure out what I was doing wrong. I knew how to do EVERYTHING correct with the bunker shots but my results weren't good. Hitting the ball 2-4 times before it came out and not getting enough height or thinning it.
I always gripped the club straight up and THEN opened the face. Now I know to open the face FIRST and then grip the club with my hands. That is an important detail. Glad you had it in the video.
I feel dumb not realizing this on my own. But "Bunker shots for dummies" might be what I needed. Lol.
Thanks again Chris for another great and informative video.
+demco84 really glad it helped, it's not easy trying to remember everything in set up and swing. 👍
Same here with gripping then rotating
This is the best golf shot I learnt this year and it saved my match play round today. My playing partner could not believe it when I put my second shot next to the pin to putt for par and I won the hole ! 👍🏽👍🏽
Uncanny how the stripe in your top matches the top line of the bunker 😆 - Really helpful video Chris ... I rarely have a plan in a bunker, this is a great start for me and straightforwardly explained - thanks 😊
You really covered the entire setup & swing with quantative precision that others don't. Thank you.
+Steven Murata thanks Steven
best bunker video ever...very through..reveling..thankyou Chris
Thanks Roger 👍
Great advice. I will definitely practise this bunker shot method.
Excellent instruction, very detail which it is needed for this type of shot
I would like to see you explain what exactly the club head is doing to the sand. And how it is propelling the ball. Also, it would be even better if you showed what would happen if you dont open the face and swing normally like any wedge shot - except aiming 2 to 3 inches behind the ball.
Thanks Chris. I appreciate your explanation of the fundamentals and answering many of the questions I have.
I love the why u explain things very simple and ez to understand.👍😃
Good video with all explanation and demonstration.
Hi Chris. I’m getting quite good at getting the ball up from the bunkers the way you do it, but they are for the most too short (3-4 yards). How do you make it go 10-20-30 yards. With different irons or...?
Great video. The problem is the standard of my home courses bunkers. I’m a member of a decent golf club but our bunkers are crap. Some have too much sand and some not enough. I’m off 1 but when it comes to bunkers I tend to take 4 or more shots to get down than 2 shots. I’ll try these tips next time I play.
Thanks for the advice
Great communication of setup -- weight placement and centering were not tips I had seen elsewhere.
Thank you so much for this! I'm hitting bunker shots a million times better now! Amazing the difference. Now when I hit it in the bunker, I don't freak out. I actually find it fun to hit it out of it!
Very good explanation. I like this video so much.
Who else is here after struggling to get out of a bunker in your last round? Lol 🙋🏻♂️
Yup that’s me
one of reasons that keeps my score high
Ye average is 46 and below went to play today 6 shot where taken for not getting out and ended up getting a 51
I just watched 3 different videos and all 3 guys said something totally different. No wonder I'm screwed.😂
@@danielives379 yeah man, I’m a 10 handicap. On the cusp of breaking 80 all the time. And I’m so inconsistent In the green sides. Sucks. But I’m getting better. Keep the weight forward. And trust it. Inch behind the ball. Loose hands , open the face a little.
this bunker lesson has the most views, so it must be for good reason. well explained.
Nice job cris well explain it
My bunker shot improve so much because of this video 👍🏼
Awesome instruction! Immediately helped with my round today after watching last night. Would like to see a more advanced bunker play lesson as some point. Nice work!
I’ve watched lots of golf videos on UA-cam. Chris, I’ve only just discovered you. Your advice is easy to understand, not fussy and I get results just watching a video on the chipping area and going out and practising. Where are you based. I’d love to come for a lesson. I’m in south east London
Thanks Sam, appreciate the comments and glad your enjoy the vids 👍
Excellent Chris Thank You!!!
Thank you hopefully it works tomorrow
This video was hugely helpful. I've gone through all your bunker videos. Do you address uphill, downhill, above feet, below feet, bunker lies anywhere? Thanks.
Sometimes I struggle getting out of a green side bunker, but most of the time not. But, the consistency is definitely not there. That technique seems to make a lot of sense as compared to what I was doing before. Hopefully I’ll get more consistency with your technique. Thanks! 👊
Excellent lesson, how would you play a similar shot if the sand was firm ?
EXCELLENT INSTRUCTIONS...
great video, the quality of the videos is really matching the great content recently! Bunker shots are my death - not necessarily from technique but tension and mental approach - still It seems so effortless in the video.
benjamin pham '
Any suggestion for ensuring consistent height of the club head at the ball? 80% of the time I either hit the ball above halfway, or dig right in under the ball. Thus, probably average about 2.5 shots every bunker.
First i just want to say your teaching methods and in debt details has help me so much, especially with iron play. However i am using phil mickelson’s method of hinge and hold keeping the club face upwards and body turn from sand. i have tried your method but lose so much control i feel. Any thoughts on these two different approaches ?
Superb lesson Chris. Thank you. Dom
Amazing instruction as always. You look so comfortable over the ball.
That is a huge bunker. What is used as the retaining wall? Is that concrete?
Great Chris, changed to this approach, works well, for heavily plugged balls, would a lower loft club be more effective?
Excellent video on bunker shot.
Very nice i will try that for sure
Thank you sir
Awesome video. Really cleared something up for me with that specific release! GAME CHANGER! Thank you
Thanks Jacob
Could you tell me how far the behind the ball I should be hitting in firmer and also sandier bunkers?
Excellent explanation 👍👍👍👍👍👍😁😁😁👍👍👍👊👊👊
All great stuff Chris, but I think for many of us we struggle with consistency as it relates to where we hit behind the ball. I know for me, if I can get in a practice bunker I can get pretty dialed in and hit 8/10 good bunker shots. But when I play, there is the fear of getting too close to the ball which leads to a short chunk and run shot. I have no problem hitting flop shots even off fairly tight lies. How do I transfer this skill to bunkers?
How do you adjust your weight, stance, ball position, swing plane etc when the lie is downhill, and/or uphill in the bunker?
Chris do you suggest any changes when the sand is very deep or in fact very shallow. Currently over in Spain and the sand depth varies so much.
Thanks Chris! Well Described lesson! ") this may be a repeat question but do you have video for a Bunker shot where the sand is very compact? I assume it would be different technique than described in this current lesson! Thanks
Chris, Looking for your comment and not the banter and name calling as shown below from a year ago!
Great vid. I think where most get confused and have problems in greenside bunkers is what part of the club hits one, two or three inches behind the ball. The answer is...the bounce is what hits the sand, that rounded edge under the wedge. Not the leading edge. If the wedge is set correctly before swinging, the leading edge sit up, facing the sky, exposing the bounce which does the work. Sometimes I don't think players understand that or execute that.
Exactly. Its the bounce/sole of the club that should sweep underneath the ball. When playing a standard sand shot. The bounce provides the power and angle which then, in turn, lets the ball roll off the face and take the loft up and land softly.
I do also think that players get a bit nervous letting the bounce swipe under with power which lends credence to the failure in execution that you see. The difference between half an inch and an inch behind the ball in those conditions could very well be on or off the green, so a lot of it comes down to practice and confidence.
What line do you hit the shot, feet line or aim at the flag ?
Does it help to have the shaft leaning slightly back of centre?
Great explanation, easy, clear and concise. Thanks for it!
Charles Antanavage Good technique look to try.
VEryy good lesson. I do pretty much everything you recommend here but I often hit the ball instead of the sand. Do you have any recommendations to avoid hitting the ball first?
Hi Jim, definitely ensure that you set your feet well into the sand, then focus on the sand where you want the club to strike 👍
Excellent, smooth flowing and detailed instruction Chris (as always). In terms of feet alignment, I have seen a number of videos where the advice has been to open the stance until the now open club face is facing the pin, but you suggest just opening a little bit and achieve enviable results. How do you know the path the ball is going to take and how much is enough? Does this come from experience?
Scatter Gunpaul u should open ur stance until ur clubface points to the pin, exactly Like u say. Ryan is Also to the right off the pin each shot since He dont open enough. Atleast Thats what other videos and the Pro in my club says too. But good detailed video on stance etc. I learned something apart from the alignment. Nice video.
+Scatter Gunpaul hi, glad you like the video. Yes a little experience helps and just plenty of practice. The ball will generally start closer to the path that the club takes provided the technique is sound. I would always open the stance a little, just not loads 👍
Really pleased with the results in practice today. Thanks Chris. Balls popped up to land softly. About 5/8 makable putts on average which is good for me and didn't leave one in the bunker. Best results from making sure that I ignored the intended ball path and concentrated on swinging down the target line of the open feet. As expected, allowing the club to overtake hands was difficult but concentrating on keeping connected in the downswing before this helped. Once again thank you Chris.
I mentioned in an earlier comment that the consensus, generally, with short-game is a hip to hip rotation of the clubface. Even though he holds on to the club and doesn't let it turn over in the video (to get power and height under the ball), he still swings hip-to-hip, or around. Aiming the face at the target you're setting yourself up for inconsistency. The swing tends to be inside to out and you won't get the needed power to hit behind the ball. As far as opening your stance, it all depends on the sand and lie. If your plugged or lying on an uphill slope the clubface is going to be more closed to a natural position and your feet should aim at the target. from a standard, flat lie the more you open your feet the more you are setting up for a flop sand shot. Under these circumstances, the more you open your stance, the more you need to split the line between face and stance, but with a sweeping, hip-to-hip swing of the club, the ball will almost always come up on a line closer to your aimed stance than that of the face. The face isn't irrelevant, it's important, but stance aim is more important and you have to learn a feel for the division of the two with the stance aim being dominant. Cheers!
Note Chris is totally right in that the ball takes off in the path of the club just keep in mind the words "path of the club". Its not "aim of the clubface".
Brilliant vid, this has helped my bunker set up a ton, appreciate it!
Excellent as usual.
really good video, but since most people wear watches on the left wrist, it took me a long while to understand the wrist part (5:50).
Finally found a pro that can teach me how to do a proper bunkershot. Thank you for that Chris.
What exactly is the club head doing when it makes contact with sand? ....is it going down into the sand? is it bouncing off the sand? Is it driving through the sand?
That’s cool. Well explained!
Thanks Will 👍👍
Hey Chris, I tried it today.....it bloody works!
Tips for hitting out of cement?
Great video
My bunker shot question: I play with my shaft very upright, it's does work but I have distance control matter with it, how do I improve.
👍 Great job explaining this.
absolute gold....major improvement in sand saves...thanks immensely 😊
Thank You.
This makes getting out of bunkers sound more complicated than flying to Mars.
great sand lesson
Chris - what change do you make if the sand is wet or firm - always gets me - no idea how to play it as you don’t take any sand - it’s too solid- hope that makes sense?
This instruction is stupid! Why must hitting a ball out of the bunker be any different from a fairway pitch or chip shot when the ball is sitting up on top of the sand instead of half-buried? Why the hell is it necessary to hit fat behind the ball and scoop up all that sand even though the ball isn't plugged?
There's absolutely nothing behind the ball to prevent the clubface from making clean full contact with it. Pitching and chipping the ball out of the bunker allows for much better control and accuracy.
Using the club's normal loft, just hit the ball high with a normal pitch shot, or hit it lower with a normal chip shot depending on the bunker's lip height. Only when the ball is buried do you need to do something this extreme and easy to screw up like severely opening the clubface and hitting fat behind the ball in order to dig it out from underneath the sand.
You golf instructors are making things way harder than necessary for your naive paying customers... or is that done on purpose to keep them coming back for endless lessons?
You don't even qualify to be called idiot. Sand absorbs more energy than firm turf. This is why PROFESSIONALS don't chip out of bunkers. Unless you're on tour, which obviously you aren't because you're on UA-cam saying stupid stuff like you just did, you have zero room to talk about your ridiculous approach to bunker shots.
@xxthadouche.
Going by your moronic theory, explain to us how the pros are able to hit long distances out of a fairway bunker by picking the ball clean without hitting it fat behind the ball using a hybrid club then, genius? Why did they deem it UNNECESSARY to hit fat into the sand behind the ball in this shot? How is the lie of an unburied ball sitting up in the middle of a fairway-bunker any different than one sitting up similarly in a greenside-bunker?
Because they hit the ball shallow. They sweep it out of the bunker which is easier because of the reduced loft on the club. Hitting a ball 10-15 yards is much different than hitting a ball 100 yards. When was the last time you saw a pro pick a ball out of a greenside bunker? But even better, when was the last time you heard Butch Harmon or any Top 100 teaching pro instruct someone to pick a ball out of a greenside bunker? You think you know better than they do? If so, why has NO ONE ever heard of your teachings? And yes I am a genius compared to you. Thanks for noticing.
@xxthadouche. "They sweep it out of the bunker which is easier because of the reduced loft on the club."
From your weak nonsensical argument, it looks to me like you're admitting that hitting fat into the sand behind the ball to get it out of the bunker is NOT necessary. Hitting the ball first instead of sand first is the correct way to get an unburied ball out of the sand then you say? Correctamundo! Good boy, Rover! Here's a doggie treat!
i mean in my previous comment since you are wearing your "watch?" on the right hand? visually, I get confused.
Thanks well explained
You say don’t rotate the hands and forearms in the release but when you watch the second shot slow-mo, you definitely release rotating forearms?
Hey Ian, I’m sure there is some amount through the ball but the less the better for these shots
Hi Chris,Thanks for the guidance, I have really struggled with my bunker play, which in turn can sometimes increase my scores alarmingly.Your tuition will be invaluable, once I have put your expertise in to practice.Many thanks.Bob Turner.
great coach
Thanks Roby 👍👍
I use a 50° with an 8 bounce ... what do you think? .... I seem to get out of the Bunker ok, except today when practicing .... well it wasn't quite working, that's why i'm back again :)
I'd recommend a SW with 56 degree loft or higher for sand shots.
@@pb12661 Chees PB, I'll give it a shot, struggled again today, normally don't have a problem with Bunkers, something minute is causing a problem.
@@pb12661 it worked out really well today, used my 54°, don't have a 56° .... good man for the advice
The release you recommend at 6:00 looks contradictory to the release on your real swing at 7:38. Quite confusing Chris.
He exaggerates the motion to show what the 'feel' should be like. Naturally, your body rotates faster than you can hold on to it like he did in the demonstration. If you look closely at the slow-motion, it's slightly deceptive because the camera angle is facing him and not from behind, but he does execute what he was explaining, the quick sweeping effect just masks the hands. Just think of 6:00 as what your brain should try to do and 7:38 as what your body actually does. Its about teaching technique.
Thanks Chris, I am much more confident when there’s water opposite the under bunker I am in , because I know I can land the ball on the green every time
What is wrong with too much loft?
Let me say I love hitting high loft out of the sand, but your question kind of answered itself; too much loft is too much loft haha. But to throw out my two cents, If you only rely on a 60 or higher out of the sand you're not choosing a club that is versatile to every bunker shot. You can easily add loft to a 54-56-58, but you can't take loft from a 60-64 unless you are specifically punching it out, either on an uphill slope or away from the green. Hitting 60 or higher also increases the chance of hitting it fat because of the lack of power behind a slightly lower loft. Or, if you have a downslope shot, one might assume more loft would help, but it might just hurt you. A 56 has way more power behind the ball and a downslope shot is a powerful flop out of the sand, and in that scenario, you're matching your stance and shoulders with the downslope and have to really accelerate down into the sand with an uncomfortably open face for most golfers. Open the face of a 60 to what you need to for a steep downslope shot and you're asking for a shank because there is such a thing as gripping the club too open, especially with that high of a loft, and to hit that shot you need to open the face to an almost absurd amount. Back to the power issue, it's extremely common to not be getting through the sand to the ball with enough power to clear the bunker, even with a standard lie for the average golfer. If you take a steep angle of attack, properly align your stance and shoulders, a 56 has plenty of loft when opened correctly with added power on that downslope. You're basically hitting a hard hard downslope flop-shot. And for the average golfer, I would assume its a much more comfortable setup knowing you have the power to get under the ball. Don't get me wrong there are plenty of instances where a 60 would suit a similar downslope shot, especially if your playing in really light and soft sand, and like I said, I play a 60 out of the sand all the time, but overall, a 56 covers all your bases. I ONLY use my 60 when I know I have a really suitable lie that I can finesse-spin and attack the pin with a high shot. If I'm forced to play a short-runout shot I'm taking my 56, because I don't want it to check up, or worse, spin. Simply, a beginner-intermediate golfer could and should play a 56, or close to, in the bunker, and in my opinion around the greens as well, because at that skill level you also have to factor the need for more clubs to fill distance gaps. A 56 is a much better approach wedge than a 60 which is prone to skulled shots and chunks. Beginners have ball-striking issues, distance issues, putting issues, and the last clubs they need are clubs for specific and highly-skilled finesse short-game shots. There's nothing wrong with more loft, it's just more practical to carry a 56 and maybe an extra utility iron/fairway wood or gap wedge to fill the distance gaps that a regular golfer would benefit from due to a lack of consistency trying to control their overal game.
With too much *club* loft, it means you wouldn't be able to open the face as much as you want (about 45*). When you open the face, it increases the amount of "bounce" the club has, which means the club won't dig into the sand as much as it normally would. So if the club face has too much loft, then you can't open the face as much, which means you won't have as much bounce as you want.
Chris, I use a 58 degree with 12 degrees bounce as well. You're instruction is the best, but most importantly you're super handsome and your accent makes me believe you're really smart.
I should of watched this video before I went out yesterday morning. Found myself in greenside bunker 4 times and added 8 strokes total trying to get out. Shot an 83, which is still my best score ever but those four extra strokes could of potentially put me in the 70's for the first time. Great video! New subscriber here!
Thanks Xavier appreciate that 👍
I have a 60/10 wedge and i can't stop shanking from the bunker!!!!! We have soft sand in our bunkers, i'm so lost as to why i'm shanking :(
I found this too complicated to even remember at the practice. Meandmygolf explains the bunker shot in 2mins and their method brings much better distance control. With shallow swing you will be chunking a lot more shots and by opening the clubface the alignment to the target line is more difficult.
Thanks for the comments, they are great coaches so doesn’t surprise me that there method works so well 👍👍
Okay then leave the channel buddy, watch meandmyass instead
If I have to chip over a near side bunker, I will putt around it