Quote:
Originally Posted by Flyers999
No need to open the face, according to this guy. Unless you are at St Andrews and must get out of a 20-foot-deep bunker, then yes. Or if you are a pro and want to land the shot exactly within a 2 square inch area, then yes.
But most of our sand shots in TV are not hard ; we just want to get the ball out. That's easier to do with a square club face.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKmIA5vGchQ
He's not the only one on YouTube giving the same advice. Opening the face is definitely overrated for the typical hacker. Hitting down and through the ball (not quitting on the shot) is the ticket. |
Quote:
Originally Posted by Old Traveller
I still contend, expose the bounce and use the bounce. The sand wedge was designed that way.
Coming across the ball by aiming your feet left accomplishes the same thing by exposing the bounce, except it harder to get the ball close. But you should be able to get the ball on the green.
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There is hardly a single player on the PGA (or low handicapper, anywhere), who "opens the face" on a sand shot. Modern Sand Wedges and the sand that's typically used at golf courses these days, do not require the face to be open.
For the last 20 Rounds, I've average 39% "up & down" from Bunkers (which would put me DFL on the PGA Tour), but pretty good for single-digit. I would never open the face on a Sand Wedge, unless I was making some sort of specialty shot. Opening the face is why most amateurs blade bunker shots across the green.
Most modern Sand Wedges (depending on the grind) do not add bounce when you open the face. Rarely will you find a good player, who doesn't have heal relief grind on his Sand Wedge ... it's the modern way. If you need to add loft, you lower your body & hands (Stan Utley method).
If you have a problem with Bunker Shots: align square, keep your club face square ... picture the golf ball as a "sunny side up egg" and swing so you get the whole egg.