Tip From the Archives

Lip of the Bunker

Problem

The ball is sitting in the front lip of the sand trap.

Cure

The key to this shot is not to scoop the ball out of the sand but to use the loft of the club and the downward pressure of the swing to force the ball out.

Therapy

Take a well balanced stance so your feet and body are aligned a little left of the target but keep your clubface aimed at the pin or even slightly right of it. Take an open clubface and stance with the ball just inside your forward heel and place most of your weight on your back leg. Cock your wrist early and take a three quarter swing so that your hands do not go much above your waist during the backswing. The flange of the club will make contact with the sand first. To help facilitate this, your back hand should control this swing and will turn under your forward hand as you complete the swing. Due to the lip of the bunker, you will not be able to complete your follow through, so take a steep swing and hit the sand about an inch behind the ball with great force so the flange digs into the sand to help lift the ball out.

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