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Short Greenside Bunker Shots

• HackWilson1930 1,437 Posts

  Wed, Dec 12 2018 10:25 AM

  The one piece of advice that you might have not picked up on was getting rid of the hybrid in your bag and substituting another, third, wedge. Your current 3i and your hybrid give you two clubs with almost the same attributes. By this point in your playing life you are far more able to keep drives in the short grass than you did when you first started. Thus the hybrid is far less useful. For those times in the deep rough when the hybrid would be the go to club, pull out the 3i or 4i and punch. The third wedge, when mated to the other two, will give a much better array of full and punch shots to help your short game and ultimately lower your scoring average.

• Beryman 9,084 Posts

  Wed, Dec 12 2018 11:28 AM

  Cicero733:

  My wedge is a Taylor ATV 60 degree “lob” wedge. I used it for 4 months now...don’t think I want to trash it.

  i didn`t say to trash the 60 degree wedge...i said trash the hybrid and carry 3 wedges

• Cicero733 2,293 Posts

  Wed, Dec 12 2018 12:07 PM

  Thanks for the suggestion. I “dumped” my WGT starter hybrid early on and purposely selected the Ping i25 as a substitute. This particular club, in my case, very accurately mimics the capabilities of the more traditional 4 or 5 wood and I use it for tee shots on long par threes. The club launches at a high trajectory meaning I will get a softer landing on the green. My irons are medium trajectory meaning that a 3i and 4i will come it “hot” on a tee shot. Even playing a Titleist ball with full backspin doesn’t help slowing the ball down on some greens. However, the i25 will come in soft meaning I can hold a 210 tee shot much better than if I launched the ball with a long iron. I agree with your assessment of a third wedge and currently use a Taylor ATV 60 degree lob wedge. Some posters have suggested substituting  64 degree wedge, which although I am considering, I am reluctant to do. I have attempted to build a “virtual” golf bag that mimics the clubs I actually carried when I was able to play golf in the real world. With my current 3 wedges I can pretty adequately cover shots in the 45 to 110 yard range. If I replace my current lob wedge with a 64 degree wedge I open up a hole in my coverage in the 50 to 75 yard range. The shot I described in my OP was/is giving me fits and I could not understand why I couldn’t execute it like other players. Practice as much as I might, I wasn’t solving the problem and I was about ready to accept that a 15 to 20 foot roll after a 8 yard sand shot ( or in some cases 0 yard sand shot) was going to be the best that I could do, but I understand that in the virtual world there are little tips, tricks, work arounds that don’t necessarily reveal themselves during practice. That’s why I’m glad there is a forum like this where a newbie can ask questions of the more seasoned, veteran players like yourself. I have taken the suggestion of the flop shot approach and have had a good deal of success with it in practice, but am by no means consistent with the result. Hopefully the superintendent of PB doesn’t mind me tearing up several of his traps during practice. In the real world if the superintendent of my old club found any member “practicing” on “his” greens, sand traps, or fairways you could expect the convening of  a tribunal that would closely approximate those assembled during the Spanish Inquisition.

  I like your suggestion on the punch shot from the rough and will give it a try the next time I visit the nether regions of BPB or Congressional.

  Thanks for the input.

• Robert1893 7,664 Posts

  Wed, Dec 12 2018 1:20 PM

  @Cicero733 

  As Beryman already said, no one is saying trash the 60 degree wedge. People are telling you to pick up a 64 degree wedge. You should be carrying 56 degree, 60 degree, and 64 degree wedges. Virtually anyone who has played the game any amount of time will tell you that. 
  
  To do that, yes, you need to drop the hybrid. But keeping the hybrid because of par 3s really doesn't make a lot of sense when compared to how often you'll use a 64 degree wedge. 
  
  If you don't have the credits, you could post a request in the 12 Days of Christmas when it starts. Info here:
  
  http://www.wgt.com/forums/p/564338/3822463.aspx#3822463

• Cicero733 2,293 Posts

  Wed, Dec 12 2018 1:55 PM

  If I am reading correctly, I think you are suggesting 4 wedges, in that in addition to the 3 I already carry, PW, 56 degree, and 60 degree, I should add a 64 degree wedge and in order to add the fourth wedge I should drop the Ping i25. It’s an idea to consider. If it were possible, I would try dropping the 3i, but in WGT you can’t break a set. In the interim between my reply and your posting, I played a H2H at Kiawah and had a 215 yard from tee to green par three. Keeping in mind the earlier suggestions, I hit 3i, full backspin, Srixon ball, right to left 21 mph cross wind. Navigated the wind correctly, ball hit the green then bounced/rolled and an additional ten yards coming to rest in the rough beyond the green. Total shot yardage was 227 yds. Bogied the hole. If I had hit my i25, as I usually would, ball should have landed about 6 yards from the hole and rolled about 3 yards closer to the hole. For now at least the i25 has value as there are similar par threes at BPB, Congressional, and others, and it is helpful in reaching par 5’s in 2 at PB and Kiawah. What I am considering is still keeping 3 wedges, but replacing the 60 degree with the 64 degree wedge you folks are recommending. But before I do that, I’ll need to determine if I can sufficiently back off the 56 degree wedge to cover the gap in yardage (50 to 80 yds). 

  Thanks for the tip about 12 Days of Christmas. Had no idea that program even existed and will definitely try it out.

• Mythanatos 2,203 Posts

  Wed, Dec 12 2018 1:55 PM

  JFidanza:

  When you flop out of a trap, do you use the common WGT method of 'hitting early' or do you move the aim proper to adjust for the flop which kicks right and ding it?

  all suggestions are welcome

  http://www.wgt.com/forums/t/120094.aspx

  If you're 10 yards or less then It's a better plan to hit the center line and aim left. 

  I normally hit the flop line left of center when flopping out of green stuff 9there are other exceptions)  but not for the super short bunker shots.

• Robert1893 7,664 Posts

  Wed, Dec 12 2018 2:19 PM

  Mythanatos:

  If you're 10 yards or less then It's a better plan to hit the center line and aim left. 

  I normally hit the flop line left of center when flopping out of green stuff 9there are other exceptions)  but not for the super short bunker shots.

  +1

• Robert1893 7,664 Posts

  Wed, Dec 12 2018 3:12 PM

  @Cicero733 

  Yes, if you prefer to see it that way, we're suggesting carrying 4 wedges. If you dropped the hybrid, that allows you to pick up the 64 degree wedge.
  
  You could upgrade your 3 wood to a high trajectory 3 wood, which would pick up the work that your hybrid was doing by simply choking down on it a bit.
  
  And I know that this stuff is easier said than done because it all requires credits. Still, I participate in the Days of Christmas event. I'll look for your request when the event goes active. If no one else fills it, I'll take care of it. 

• Beryman 9,084 Posts

  Wed, Dec 12 2018 3:24 PM

  Cicero733:

  If I am reading correctly, I think you are suggesting 4 wedges, in that in addition to the 3 I already carry, PW, 56 degree, and 60 degree

  yes i guess you could say we are suggesting you carry 4 wedges...but in reality a PW acts nothing like the other 3 wedges and should really be referred to as a 10 iron

  the 56, 60 and 64 degree wedges can stop on a dime and if you apply BS you can back the ball up way more than you want...that is unless you are coming out of sand or say 40/50 rough

• Cicero733 2,293 Posts

  Wed, Dec 12 2018 4:23 PM

  Thanks for the offer; it is much appreciated and I will seriously consider following up on it.

  As for my 3 wood. I already have a medium to high trajectory 3 wood, a Big Bertha, which has proven to be a very versatile club. From my experience I can consistently expect 230 yards from the fairway and from the tee, depending upon conditions, I can expect a result in yardage of 245 to 265. I use this club from the tee on numerous occasions as I have a 9 degree driver that can and does hit through fairways on occasion, and I am hitting from the back tees, and I frequently sub my 3 wood for driver in those instances. I played a few H2H matches this afternoon/evening and used the 3 wood from the tee twice at Kiawah, twice at BPB and once at Pinehurst. It is interesting to me that you mentioned choking up on a 3 wood to mimic the characteristics of the Ping hybrid. I have worked on that aspect of my game with less than satisfying results...my caddy and I are still actively searching for several balls that flew over two 210 + par 3’s by about 20 yds. Besides, my hybrid has a great little projection on the back that is perfect for hooking and pulling the pop tops on all the major brands of beer sold in the USA. 

  However, I am not adverse to looking at replacing the 60 degree wedge I already use with a 64 degree wedge. I’ve been looking at them this afternoon after your initial reply. The ones I researched have a maximum distance of 50 yds. Currently, I have more occasion to have shots in the 60 to 70 yd range than I do in the < 50 yd range. My 56 degree wedge is distance rated at 93 yds so I would have to do some experimenting in the lower distance ranges with this club. I am not adverse to trying this out as most of my practice, besides putting, is with my wedges.

  I am interested, though, in your suggestions for throttling back a 3 wood. Like I mentioned above, I have experimented with both driver and 3 wood via varying the force of the hit and the use of backspin, but nothing to write home about. It is interesting to note, though, that with the Ping i25 I can successfully monkey with that club and take off 10 yds without loss of performance. So any insights or suggestions you might have to offer on the “big woods” would be appreciated.

  Also I should extend a thank you to the earlier posters who suggested using the flop shot from the greenside bunkers. I have practiced it and had a chance to use it in a tie breaker this afternoon from a pot bunker at St. Andrews during a tie breaker situation. The shot was 21 yds to a flat green. My opponent put it 3 yds from the pin. With a good bit of luck and the benefit of previous practice I was able to hit out to within 2 feet. It works. So, again, thank you.

  Thanks for your interest.