Why Golf Bunker Mate

FEATURED ON GOLF.COM

Introducing an industry first...a portable bunker simulator designed to give you the feedback and instructions you need to really improve your bunker game.

Bunker Mate is designed with a top layer custom developed by WhyGolf to mimic the feel and ball flight of sand, an internal "bounce" layer with just the right amount of resistance to digging, and a bottom rubber layer for weight, traction, and durability.

Key benefits:

Bunker Mate is designed to be used with regular golf balls (outdoors) and foam balls (indoors)
Get immediate feedback on the quality of your contact - if you dig with your wedge's leading edge or hit too far behind the ball, you'll know immediately
Comprehensive instructions provided with purchase - see attached photo
Perfect for full-swing golf simulators

*Two foam balls are included with each Bunker Mate.

The Design of the Bunker Mate

While Bunker Mate may appear to be a simple device, the design process was not simple at all. The design challenge was to create something that simulated the feel and ball flight of a typical bunker shot without actually using sand to propel the ball. We experimented over many months with numerous combinations of different materials and ultimately had to develop our own fabric with a specific yarn, pile height, texture, and weight per square meter.

The fabric is laminated with an internal polymer “bounce” layer with just the right amount of resistance to digging, and a bottom rubber layer for weight, traction, and durability. This combination proved to not only feel like a sand shot, but also provided enough feedback for the user to know if they hit the shot properly or fat or thin with both a real golf ball and a foam golf ball. After dozens of iterations, we are very pleased with our patent pending, final design and we think you will be as well.

If the preceding two paragraphs sounded like an effort to preempt all skepticism about the Bunker Mate's utility and effectiveness, you are spot on. Let's now explore its benefits.

How Can Bunker Mate Help Me?

In addition to the fact that hitting shots off the Bunker Mate is an incredibly fun time, it's designed to give you the feedback you need to improve out of real sand traps.

BUNKER MATE BENEFITS:
• Get the feedback you need to immediately improve your bunker game
• Practice anywhere (indoors or outdoors)
• For all skill levels
• Great for full golf-swing simulators
• And it's f'ing fun

How to Hit a Bunker Shot

The bunker swing is unlike any other in the game of golf. It's not an intuitive motion, which could explain why we see so few amateurs arriving at the optimal technique naturally. Without a proper setup, it's exceedingly difficult to become proficient at hitting out of sand traps. We're here to help.

It's now time to take you through the fundamentals of a typical greenside bunker shot. In the section that follows, we'll discuss how you can apply these learnings when you practice on your Bunker Mate.

Setup (face on):

As mentioned, proper setup is the most essential component to consistent bunker play. In golf, the way we set up our body at address will naturally dictate the way the club swings (e.g., attack angle, club path, etc.).
Relative to a normal golf shot, we want our weight (center of mass) mostly on our lead side and a significantly wider stance. This will help us keep our lower body quiet throughout our swing and will help prevent your club from digging with the leading edge.
Notice in the illustrations that the golfer has squatted down by bending at the knees more.
We also want the clubface open so that the grooves point to our lead foot, thus allowing the bounce work for you.

Setup (down the line):

In addition to the above suggestions (weight left of center, wide stance, open clubface, squat down) we want our feet at least 6 inches farther away from the ball than a normal golf shot.
This will help us shallow our angle of attack which will enable us to get the ball up in the air quickly.
Check out this insane video of Jon Rahm hitting a bunker shot with a 4-iron - notice how much he squats at address.

Ball Position and Alignment:

For most bunker shots, we suggest that the ball is located just inside your front heel. Your ball position can move toward the center of your stance if you're looking to hit a chunk and run, but it generally shouldn't change much.
We recommend a square stance.
Neutral shaft angle at address...butt of club points to your belly button. This is to ensure we're using the bounce of the club as opposed to the leading edge.

Length of Swing:

Amateurs often don't take a long enough backswing - this inhibits their ability to generate the power required to get the ball out of a bunker.
Take a long backswing and accelerate through the hitting area. Clubhead speed is your friend. So many amateurs don't swing hard enough and quit on the shot at impact. Don't be that person!

Releasing the Club

We want to make sure we don't flip our hands over through impact - this will expose the leading edge of the wedge and cause the club to dig. See illustrations.
Instead, feel like the clubface is pointed to the sky through impact and into your follow-through. This will keep the upper body from stalling through impact.

How Much to Open Club Face:

The easiest way to alter your trajectory out of the sand is to change the angle of your wedge at address.
For plugged lies, we generally want a square club face (i.e., perpendicular to our target line).
For lower trajectories, we want to slightly open the club face.
For high trajectories, we want to open the club face so it points to the sky.
It's important to understand that as we open the club face, we're effectively adding bounce to our wedge. Thus, the more open the club face, the easier it will be for the club to slide through the sand. Put simply, the less likely you're going to chunk the s*** out of it.

How to Use Bunker Mate

Now that you've been exposed to the proper bunker technique, it's time to apply what you've learned to actual shots on the Bunker Mate. We've designed Bunker Mate to work with regular golf balls and foam balls (2 included with purchase). The two types of balls will not travel the same distance.

After every shot you hit off the Bunker Mate, there are two key pieces of feedback to be cognizant of:

1. The Distance the Bunker Mate Moves (regardless of ball type)

If the Bunker Mate travels more than 6 inches toward your target after a shot, you've come in too steep and/or you've hit too far behind the ball. See above for technique advice.
If the Bunker Mate stays in place or moves less than 6 inches after a shot, you know you haven't come in too steep.

2. The Distance Your Golf Ball Travels

- When using a regular golf ball, it should travel the same distance as what you'd expect when hitting from a bunker.
- When using a foam ball, it will travel less than half as far as a regular golf ball. More on this below.

With Regular Golf Ball

Objective: Without blading it, hit a regular golf ball off Bunker Mate without having the device move more than 6 inches.
If Bunker Mate moves more than 6 inches, you've either hit behind the ball too far or come in too steep - see technique section above.
Note: With a wide open clubface, as used for high, soft bunker shots, it is possible to pass the clubhead under the ball without the ball going anywhere. This is perfectly acceptable and an indicator that you are keeping the face open appropriately.

With Foam Golf Ball

Objective: Without blading it, hit a foam golf ball off Bunker Mate without having the device move more than 6 inches.
If Bunker Mate moves more than 6 inches, you've either hit behind the ball too far or come in too steep - see technique section above.
Foam ball will go less than half as far as a regular golf ball.
Note: Since the foam ball is light and stays on top of the sand (fabric), the foam ball may stay in place after a proper swing with a wide-open club face. This is normal. Try closing your club face a touch and you'll find the ball will travel.

Key Takeaways:

The Bunker Mate is specifically designed to mimic a regular bunker shot.
Setup is the most important element to consistent bunker play - wide stance, squat down, weight forward, handle low, clubface open.
The Bunker Mate can be used with foam golf balls or regular golf balls.
You'll get immediate feedback on the quality of your contact with the Bunker Mate. See the above section for more detail.
With the Bunker Mate, you're now permitted and encouraged to work on your bunker game from your living room.

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