Blast Out of a Buried Lie

“WHAT IF?”  My ball lands in the bunker and is buried deeply in the sand? It is also on an uphill lie close to the lip of the bunker.   

Before you make a decision to hit this shot, review your situation from outside the bunker.  You will not want unnecessary footprints in the bunker should you choose to take an unplayable lie.

This situation requires a few set up changes that will help you execute the shot perfectly.

First, you might need to place your front foot out of the bunker for better balance.  Your back foot will need to be steady and buried.  Make sure not to loosen the sand around the ball as it may accidentally cause the ball to move.

Because of your unstable footing, you may not have a choice in the placement of your ball position. If you do have control of where to put your ball position, place it toward your front foot

Next, keep your hips and knees level to the horizon and not with the slope of the bunker. Place all your weight on the front foot which will help level your body.

This shot is made with limited lower body motion. Using either a sand wedge or lob wedge, hinge your wrists immediately on the takeaway to ensure a steep decent into the ball on the down swing. Drive the club deep into the sand with speed in order to blast the ball out of the bunker. You will have a limited follow through because of the steep bank. The force of the impact will pop the ball straight up into the air and on the green.