How good are the pros at saving par with bunker shots?
Very good.
A sand save is getting up and down from a greenside bunker. In other words, if you escape the bunker in one and sink the putt, it’s a sand save—regardless of your final score on the hole.
As expected, the pros are light years ahead of weekend golfers when it comes to sand saves.
Pro Statistics of Bunker Shots bear this out:
- K.J. Choi led the sand save category with 67 percent in 2013
- 16 players had save rates of 60 percent or better in 2013
- In 2014 Seung-Yol Noh leads this shot with 69.33 percent.
- 12 players have save rates of 60 percent or better in 2014.
Today’s PGA pros are much better at sand saves than previous generations. In 1980 only 13 percent of the players tracked in this category finished at 50 percent or better. In 2013 56 percent of the players tracked in this category finished at 50 percent or better.
That’s a change of 43 percent.
Better Balls and Wedges Help
Today’s pros are better at sand saves for two reasons—better equipment and better technique. Changes in golf balls and wedges key the equipment changes. The modern ball helps the pros get out of the sand and control where the ball lands.
The modern wedge, with its added loft and refined flanges, also helps the pros on sand saves. It also helps that the pros are able to tailor their wedges to the type of swings they have or how they like to blast out of a bunker.
But the biggest reason for the jump in sand save rate is the 60-degree wedge. Its introduction brought in a new era for wedge play. When we refer to the 60-degree wedge, we mean any wedge with a loft of from 59-degrees to 64 degrees.
Makes It Simpler and Easier
The 60-degree wedge’s introduction is among the most significant equipment innovations in the last 20 years. With more and more courses featuring steeper bunkers, it’s the ideal club for today’s pros. That’s because they no longer need manipulate their other wedges to gain the loft needed to clear a steep bunker.
The 60-degree wedge also fits a more upright swing, which many pros use. You can lay the club wide open, hit straight down on the ball, and the whole clubhead acts as bounce—an approach more and more professionals are favoring.
Put simply, the 60-degree wedge makes hitting bunker shots simpler and easier. And the numbers bear this out.
More Straightforward Technique
In addition to better equipment, today’s pros employ a simpler, more straightforward technique for escaping the bunker. The traditional slice swing out of the bunker is proven.
But it’s hard to control the ball when using this technique. So the ball could end up anywhere after the shot.
But you don’t need this technique with a 60-degree wedge. You can use a simpler more straightforward technique. Stand open at address a bit, swing down from the inside. and take a shallow divot. For higher shots, hit with a very open face and use the club’s bounce to your advantage.
This new technique also provides more control over the shot. The ball runs straight when it hits, giving players a better chance of hitting their targets. Plus, the new technique encourages players to shot at tight pin positions.
The Takeaway
So what’s the takeaway here?
If you’re not a good bunker player using a sand wedge, you may want to make a change. Use a 60-degree wedge instead of a sand wedge. Also, take some golf lessons on the new technique and/or read up golf tips it.
Increasing your sand saves during the course of a season—whether you use a SW of LW (60-degrees) can help you break 80. It can also cut strokes from your golf handicap. If you play in a league, it can help you win more matches. It’s worth thinking about.
