Pocket Bunker Review

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If you struggle to hit out of the bunker without flying it over the green or leaving it in the bunker, the Pocket Bunker might be the training aid for you. This review covers how it works and my thoughts on if it’ll improve your game.

What is the Pocket Bunker?

This is definitely one of the stranger-looking golf training aids, but the design actually makes a ton of sense. The Pocket Bunker looks like a golf ball merged with an octopus. It’s supported by eight legs and is well-constructed with plastic.

The design does two critical things:

1. The legs give you a target to practice hitting behind the ball
2. It makes the ball fly well on a good shot and either high or low on a fat or thin shot

Who is It For?

I’ve been working on improving my bunker play, but it’s not always easy to find a bunker to practice in. When you do, if it’s not secluded somewhere in a practice area, it’s intimidating to hit shots out of it with other people around and risk hitting a thin shot over the green and potentially at someone.

The Pocket Bunker lets you practice off mat into a net, in your backyard, or in a field. You’ll be able to build up the confidence that you need to hit the actual practice bunker or hit better out on the course.

The other two options I’ve seen for this practice are buying a special mat with broom-like bristles (though at about 4-5x the cost) or putting a ball in the rough and working on flop shots (which share similar swing principles).

How Well Does It Work?

I’ve been impressed with how noticeable it is when you hit a good vs bad shot using the Pocket Bunker. It makes it much easier to practice my bunker setup and swing from just about anywhere.

The construction seems sturdy, so I have no doubt I’ll get my money’s worth out of this before it wears out.

The only real disadvantage here is that it does sit up some if you’re on a mat, so it’s not quite the same as the ball being buried in the sand. But you do typically dig your feet in a bit, so it’s not as different as it looks and still works on the same technique.

Note that if you do hit a thin shot, it’s going to fly something like ten yards, so you’ll want to make sure you have some space or at least something that’s ok to hit in front of you.

Conclusion

Pocket Bunker – 4/5

The Pocket Bunker can help improve your bunker game without needing to find an elusive practice area.

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Kyle J. Larson

Kyle is an avid golfer who has played since around the age of 12. Over the last few years, he's lowered his handicap from the mid-20s to a 5 through lessons and practice. When he's off the course, he is a professional web designer.