Pete Cowen: Basic Bunker Technique and Plugged Lies

[@johnmoore9267]

peter ccowen has helped me in so many ways, his simple approach is affective, thankyou peter!

[@djedi5299]

Brilliant, I was once a good bunker player but over time I started getting inconsistent, very inconsistent. The "Butterfly Grip" was the answer. The club just glides under the ball. 50+ yrs playing golf and I never heard this before. Thank You

[@dropwizerorders501]

The last plugged lie technique he showed is off-the-charts technique, feel and control. Crazy good!

[@patrickyoung3503]

I agree with you 100% .

[@22truite]

such a great coach..

[@davidober1199]

Switched to this technique a few years back after working with Tom Pernice, Jr. It's basically fool-proof if you're a decent or better player.

[@terrybader8595]

That last technique is bonkers...that's some serious, serious technique and ability

[@3rdgroove]

Yep... And the basic shot is also so much better than what every other pro teaches: The stance open cut across technique. When I tried Cowen's I learned so much about the swing - beyond bunker play even...

[@terrybader8595]

Agree 100%

[@rivkahhannah]

Liked!! Video is very well thought out and edited. Easy for even beginners to understand. I appreciate golf and it is interesting to learn about :)

[@3rdgroove]

:-)

[@paulp.8294]

Actually, the instruction was fantastic, but the person shooting the video constantly did not pan down to the ball box when the Pete was visually trying to show us where the club face travels. ugh.

[@lovetogolf4184]

Thank You..My RTX-3 Cleveland Wedges will be happy campers

[@johnreeves3246]

Great instruction video. A problem for most golfers in a bunker is not hitting the shot hard enough. Even with the correct technique a weak shot will not get the ball out.

[@mikerodrick2430]

Out of nowhere, I suddenly began having trouble getting out of bunkers when I haven't for the past few years. My shots were coming out low with a lot of sidespin. What changed is that I began opening the face before gripping the club as we're told recently & still swinging from the outside which was causing the low shot. I went back to allowing my wrist to cup on the way back rather than opening the face 1st & that cured the problem. Needless to say I'll be sticking with the wrist cup.

[@ReyelBraz1950]

Hi, Benny! I never could play this game but like it and many times i have watched by TV and now through your great video I can learn something more about it. Thank you very much and wish you an excellent weekend! Great Pete Cowen!

[@jeffnorthcutt7899]

Great information here!!! Some of these techniques can also be applied to flops.

[@n2ljoy]

Great lesson, thank you

[@budisinarso641]

Great lesson. Ilmu yang luar biasa Terima kasih

[@Ramblingroseandsirlancelot]

Great way to get out of a bunker I like the specalist grip and also the lines so you know where to angle everything great video I learn't how to get out of a bunker just hope i can pull it off ;)

[@bigknocker2264]

I've always been a basket case once my ball is in a bunker. This was during times my handicap varied between a 3 to 7. I new all the bunker paly fundamentals but just couldn't pull off a good shot consistently. I ruined more rounds because I would sometimes take 2-3 shots to get out. Once spring is here again, I want to try that special bunker grip.

[@wisemanscreekstudios1404]

great advice thanks for posting

[@trevorwebster5401]

Makes it look so easy

[@bobcarter4343]

excellent tutorial.

[@tfostercrx]

Best coach in the world

[@IdahoSnake-A-Drain]

I always like the old classic scoop the dollar bill out

[@MazLivewell]

TFS..I've always had problem at the Bunker! :)

[@3rdgroove]

this technique works for me - it's gold

[@petermartinaitis8166]

Brilliant if you have great practice facilities a lot of clubs don't even have a practice bunker.

[@ronaldworth4146]

Brilliant thanks

[@arthurford829]

Masterclass!

[@tomnelson8515]

Very nice. Concise and to the point. God blessed this one with a great pair of hands.

[@GymGarageMan]

TFS my friend ⛳

[@3rdgroove]

what's TFS ?

[@GymGarageMan]

Benny Frank the 3rd Thank you for sharing!

[@3rdgroove]

live and learn ;-) thx

[@anthonybennett4274]

i'm going to try that butterfly grip roughly a year ago i was good out of bunkers but 1 bad shot led to another and now i'm rubbish

[@bobsmith591]

Thanks for the free lesson. Too bad the photographer didn't back up a few feet or favor showing the ball instead of the instructor's head.

[@3rdgroove]

Check out the links I've posted in the video description. There is a more detailed video of the technique he teaches. I use it and it works very well for me.

[@method341]

what happens when you use the butterfly grip for normal golf shots?

[@3rdgroove]

there is only one way to find out ;-)

[@terrybader8595]

You will hit some serious slices

[@bobcarter4343]

I don't get the difference of maintaining the loft going back to not maintaining it from looking at this video. Both look the same to me. Help.

[@3rdgroove]

Good question! Pause 2:36 (bounce on). Open this vid in another window and pause at 2:47 (bounce off). You can compare those two pictures now side by side. With the butterfly grip the toe points more behind him - the bounce is on. Also his left wrist is cupped (extended). The butterfly grip helps to get easily into this position by doing a regular swing. "Bounce on" means, at impact the whole width of the sole will slap the sand. "Bounce off" means, at impact the leading edge hits the sand and cuts into it, just like with a regular iron shot. But obviously we don't want that in a greenside bunker shot.

[@bobcarter4343]

@@3rdgroove Thank you very much Benny Frank. Those two pictures do indeed demonstrate the difference well. the bounce on image has his knuckles (white in color more or less) cupped and that flange pointing more behind him vs. over his right shoulder or head. Bravo. Now, if I can only master this darn shot after countless hours in the local bunker practice facility. I even went to the beach today. Lot of sand but it was somewhat wet from last nights rain. I find this shot so difficult to learn and think it's the fact that I am not hinging my elbos and allowing the club to pound the sand (release) correctly. That and the fact the leading edge orientation looks so intimidating at address with that open face I am afraid I will blade it. Pete Cowen makes it look so easy so He has great hands. The Titliest Performance center is 5 miles from my house so maybe an expensive lesson is in order. Will continue my quest to pull off this magic shot. Thanks for your informative comment.

[@3rdgroove]

@@bobcarter4343 Cowen's technique also helped me a lot with the bunker shot. My advice would be: - get set up just as he describes it - don't hinge your elbows or anything, just make your normal swing whilst being in the set up, the specialty set up is enough to make it work - make sure you're still properly aligned after a few tries, redraw those lines in the sand - make contact with the flat sole (slap the sand) - you can also make mini flop shots outside the bunker from the rough - it's a different element but the same technique - you'll be amazed at the progress and also what you learn for your full swing just by practicing bunker shots - check out the other Pete Cowen links above, they are also very helpful to understand what he actually means gear recommendation: - on wet sand, use a wedge with low bounce (no more than 6°) - on fluffy sand, use a wedge with lots of bounce (10°+) - I have a low bounce LW that I use for 90% of my bunker shots and a mid bounce SW for fluffy sand and long bunker shots Enjoy the learning!

[@bobcarter4343]

A guy watching me today said my swing was all arms, ie folding tucked arms in on backswing. With no extension. Suggested keeping left front arm extended and widening my backswing. I fold the arms as I am 78 and a full shoulder turn is painful. Will try again tomarrow. (And some ADVIL) thanks for your support.

[@diamondbling1154]

Use the bounce…

[@garyroberts3859]

Yeah, that’s what I tell people…the bunker shot is the easiest shot in golf…because it’s the only shot that you don’t hit the ball…2 inches behind the ball like Pete hits when he draws a box around the ball and hits the box.

[@gonzalohiguain2589]

average

[@colleenschneider661]

Poor camera work, not showing the bottom of the club and the ball enough..

[@garyinderry]

I pretty much use that open face heel dig then let the bounce kick the club up out of the sand all the time. Works a treat from decent lies too.

[@timhayes8071]

thx Gary

[@garyinderry]

@@timhayes8071 have you tried this yet? Let me know how u get on

[@DelvisD305]

Excellent training! Thanks friend for this tutorial. Happy Weekend.

[@franzweiler3853]

Absolutely Great👍👍

[@ThePolishedSwan]

This is a great tutorial!

[@debbiel890]

need to get to a practice bunker - at my club the bunkers are very tall !! but as they say practice in theory makes perfect

[@MARTIN-pm7qc]

the ball wasnt plugged! plugged ball u can barely see it....nonsense

[@rimmalek]

great explanation, thanks

[@pyramidtrianglegolfswingan9588]

Very good 👍

[@egroen9294]

The ball is not plugged though.....

[@andybarton234]

Talking about bounce the cameraman clearly didn’t know what to film - and it wasn’t their faces! 😮

[@jbiz447]

Great!

[@brianfrith126]

Great sand shots what do you do when your bunkers don’t have a lot of sand in them

[@3rdgroove]

Same thing but make sure you have low bounce wedge.

[@johnstevens1353]

Pete very nice.

[@jamesdavidson3259]

wow thanks

[@ericmcgrath3445]

Genius

[@bobcrawley3580]

Fantastic lesson. I’m no longer a permanent fixture in bunkers. Getting out every time and many up & downs. 👍👍👍

[@jeffnorthcutt7899]

Same, and nearly holing out bunker shots on the course, and routinely holing bunker shots in practice after never once holing a bunker shot period before watching this.