HELP! Utley Bunker Method

[Babydaddy]

Having trouble getting it

Doing very well with everything Utley, except bunker shots. Just like with his other short game shots, I imagine that there is a key that I am not getting that, once I do, it will be easy as pie. For example, on chipping I had learn to really lean on the left and hit the ball with my pivot. There are three parts to that: 1) to set up far enough away from the ball to allow a left-leg pivot. 2) To soften the arms and trust the pivot to hit the ball. 3) To not overdo a forward press at address as in a more "conventional" chip shot.
Of course, the basic pivot is something you have to know.
With the bunker shots I can't conceptualize how the narrow arm swing fits in with everything else. I understand casting and flinging the club ala Claude Harmon bunker technique, but I don't understand what the wide stance and turn have to do with this shot. I usually end up digging or thinning without the hollow thump sound. I should state here that I had a pretty good shortgame (I love to practice short game by nature). Regular bunker shots are easy to me, but I feel like I can't be very precise is certain situations. I agree with the idea of what Utley teaches in terms of the philosophy of exposing the bounce and keeping weight left, but for some reason I am missing something. If I could learn to be more precise in contact (weight left) I feel I could break through to that level of thinking almost no bunker shot is not an up and down. Any thoughts or help with this would be much apprecitated!
Noelsy

[Babydaddy]

Dudes (and dudettes)

I hope this helps any of you with the Utley bunker method. I had to dig this out of the dirt myself, and I am glad that I did. If you are struggling with understanding, let alone executing the standard bunker shot as outlined in Utley's book, the Art of the Short Game, I hope these couple of tips help.

1) Every part of the set up is important. You must stand WIDE, and you must flare your feet out a little. You MUST flex your knees a little more than usual. I could not understand why before, but I know now that you want to stay in place but turn at the same time. This set up helps that happen.

2) You have to get the lands low, and behind the ball. What really helps solidify this is once you feel the hands pass the clubhead on the downswing once or twice, you feel how having your hands "pre-set" this way really helps the swing itself. You want the bounce exposed this way.

3) THE MOST IMPORTANT DISTINCTION of the SWING ITSELF: do not make the mistake of trying to more or less hold your hands in place and then turn. I did this at first. He wants you to swing narrow and turn. Tilting and leaning "left" was what I tried to do, and you end up hitting horrible thin and chunked shots this way. After re-reading the sand play section ten times I found my Rosetta Stone: THE SWING IS BASICALLY LIFTING THE CLUB IN FRONT OF YOU WHILE PIVOTING WITH THE WEIGHT LEFT. THE THOUGHT IS "PICKING UP THE CLUB IN FRONT OF YOU WHILE PIVOTING". You want to feel like you are lifting the club vertically while turning your body. If you can do that, the down swing sort of seems to fall in place.

As a newly converted one=planer, I was trying to put my arms behind me and "narrrow" as he describes. But you can't do that without moving the grip end a lot. If you pick the club up in front of you like you are going to hammer a tent peg in the ground in front of you, and then add turn, your arms will automatically slide to either side on the back and through swing. It's really pretty amazing how it works! I was starting to doubt Utley on this, but I am glad that stayed with it!

Noelsy

[Ken_In_CA]

Nice catch.... I've been using the utley method for a little time and love it. Although I didn't understand the bunker shot very well, so I've stuck with what I already know (which is decent). I'll have to try this again. Do you find that the ball comes out high and soft like he states in the book?

[Babydaddy]

Ken

Absolutely. It is amazing! I can spin it, I can hit long and high, as opposed to having to hit a low push shot to run out for a longer green-side bunker shot. I'm telling you, it is GREAT!!