How to get out of wet sand

[Kiwi]

Wasted several shots today in trying to get out of soaked sand traps. I find it hard to visualize sliding the club under the ball as if the sand were dry/fluffy. If there is no or little lip then I'd use a putter but in both instances today there was a considerable lip and hill to climb to get to the putting surface. Seems that we're in for a wet summer (E. Ontario at least) so I'd like some advice on what to do to get out the first attempt.

[jvincent]

A lot depends on the type of sand. Some sand compacts when it gets wet, other sand doesn't.

For the kind that compacts I would suggest using a low bounce 60* wedge. It will get through the heavy stuff better than a high bounce wedge.

For the sand that doesn't compact, the stuff I refer to as "pudding", I use my 56* high bounce wedge and open the face. Basically the traditional bunker technique.

[duffer8]

I feel your pain, bro. I too found myself hitting out of wet sand only to fly it over the green. I even bought a special hybrid wedge to address the problem to no avail. After Google-ing it, however, I discovered that the thing to do is use a standard sand wedge, nothing fancy, but swing the clubhead down at the sand...hammer it, pound the sand hard behind the ball and totally ignore hitting the ball. Finish the swing with a full follow through and graciously accept the compliments from your mates (then buy me a beer!). It's really pretty easy: I suck at the game and have learned how to pull off this shot.

[Kiwi]

Thanks for your suggestions. Clearly need to practice this (either option) on the range before trying at the course. I was tentative on the first one and clipped it into the bank, second was clear over the green. Second one I tried to help it over and decelerated... you know the result. I was short sided both times so did not have a lot to work with. Sand was pretty hard (no foot prints to rake). I thought maybe doing a delicate putt/chip with a PW might have been suggested, but with the short shot and elevation it was risky to do that.

[leftylucas]

Its a punch shot out of packed wet sand, kinda like out of a plugged lie, a descending blow behind the ball should make it pop right out wiht a big thud but it will run on the green.

[jeffc]

I take a club that has less bounce, usually a gap wedge or if i have to get it up quickly, my 60 deg wedge, and swing normally. A SW will simply bounce of the sand and you'll end up skulling it.

[Ruskie]

I put the ball back in my stance and make a half swing at it, but with a proper follow through. You'll be coming down steeper into the sand, which would help cut through the packed stuff.

[Goshawk]

On loosely packed wet sand, take a "normal" swing that you would take from the sand, but don't open the face or your your stance. Taking a square stance will allow the leading edge of your SW to "dig" a bit more into the sand and be less likely to bounce off the sand and result in a skulled shot. This method will work if the ball is sitting up in the sand. For a buried or fried-egg lie, try closing the face slightly and place the ball back in your stance and come down steeply into the sand.
In hard-packed wet sand, use your highest-lofted wedge and treat the shot as a "flop" shot from the rough or even a regular chip shot (if the lip of the bunker isn't too high). This method also works on dry sand in bunkers where there is a very light layer of sand over a very hard packed lower layer.

[dblock]

I would recommend taking a wider stance and placing the ball further back in it. I like to hit a 60* out of really wet sand with a hard swing, just to pop it up and out.

[Eldred]

I hit a 60* wedge out of wet lightly packed sand on a pouring day yesterday at Metcalfe... the ball spun and checked up very nicely... It's been my club of choice from the bunker lately.

[Bouche]

I find if the sand is wet and compacted I open up my 60 and play it like a normal bunker shot except I dont swing as hard and I dont take as much sand. Works well for me!

[Mightiestmik]

us a 60, take almost no sand, swing gently and just pick the ball off the surface of the bunker, this works for me depending on the distance you gotta make it fly.

I'd have to actually do it again to give more details on how I usually do it, but i'm pretty sure,

I swing well... however hard I need to to fly it the distance required, but I try to make impact with the ball and sand almost at the same time (so like a millimeter behind the ball) and then I put lots of wrist in the swing near impact letting me kind of scoop the ball off the top of the sand, but the most important part is definitely following through, On any sand shot if you don't follow through your ball goes nowhere.

Alternately..... Avoid bunkers like the plague.