Do you always catch your sand wedge when your ball ends up in a green bunker? We paid attention to some statistics provided by Shooting range to see which club you should use to escape the green bunkers. One of the best strategies for getting out of a bunker green is to be confident in your shot. Knowing you have the right stick in your hand will help.
About data
Bunker statistics are based on a data set of greenside bunker shots taken from 25 yards of the pin. We looked at data for the 9-iron, pitching wedge, and gap, but very few golfers used these clubs in this situation (less than three percent per club in most cases) so the sample size is extremely small. .
Because most players rarely use those irons and wedges from the green bunkers, the limited data can sometimes show high up-and-down percentages. However, based on this minimal data, we cannot claim that those clubs are really the best choices.
Our main comparison focused on the sand wedge and the lob wedge, aiming to determine which is more effective for golfers at different handicap ranges.
Bunker performance measurements for players with a handicap of 1–5
The golfers with the lowest handicaps are the ones we want to emulate. These players are much more likely to go up and down than other handicap ranges. Additionally, they tend to hit the ball closer to the hole on their escape shots.
There is one big thing you will see here and that is it lob wedge is not only the favorite club, but also the most efficient club for these lower handicap players escaping the bunkers.
The higher elevation wedge is selected 67 percent of the time, while the sand wedge is selected only 27 percent of the time. (The other six percent were a mix of the hole, wedge and 9-iron.)
| Club | % up and down | % Trying not to get out early | Average Proximity (ft) | Use of handicap club (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JP | 27% | 5% | 19.9 | 27% |
| LW | 30% | 5% | 18.5 | 67% |
Bunker performance measurements for players with a handicap of 11–15
If we increase the handicap to the 11-15 range, you will see that the use of the sand wedge on the wedge is about the same. So is the up-down percentage.
However, you will see that the over-under percentage for this group is significantly lower than that of low handicap players and they are almost twice as likely to be in the bunker on their first shot.
Key relationships: Maybe start incorporating the lob wedge even more to get out of the bunkers. Lower handicap players are doing this and having better success and hitting shots closer to the fairway.
| Club | % up and down | % Trying not to get out early | Average Proximity (ft) | Use of handicap club (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JP | 18% | 10% | 24.2 | 41% |
| LW | 18% | 9% | 24.1 | 48% |
Bunker performance measurements for players with a handicap of 21–25
Higher handicap golfers are less likely to use a lobe wedge. Only 35 percent of high-handicap players choose to wedge the ball out of a bunker. This group of players gets up and down only about 12 percent of the time.
Obviously, there is a skill factor and a technical component to getting out of the bunker, but the players with the most success are the ones who use the loft the most. If you are a high handicapper who carries a lob wedge, use it outside the bunkers.
The best players are doing it, you have no real weakness and you will be less likely to leave the ball in the bunker on your first try.
| Club | % up and down | % Trying not to get out early | Average Proximity (ft) | Use of handicap club (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| JP | 12% | 14% | 28.2 | 50% |
| LW | 13% | 13% | 27.7 | 35% |
How to choose which club to use from a bunker
When you learn the basics of how to hit a sand shotyou should be able to switch between the sand wedge and the slip wedge based simply on the distance from the pin. Short shots with little green to work with are best for lob wedges.
For longer bunker shots with a lot of sand to get through before reaching the green, consider using a sand wedge to cover a little more distance.
Bottom line and most importantly, the lob wedge is a very effective club to use off the sand and many intermediate and advanced golfers are not taking advantage of it. Dust off the wedge and try it from a bunker today.
Post Wondering which club to use in a bunker? Here is the Answer appeared first on MyGolfSpy.
