30-Yard Punch

Golf Digest, June, 1999

When it worked for me:

In the opening round of the 1996 U.S. Open at Oakland Hills, I drove into the right fairway bunker on the par-4 sixth hole. I had to play out well short of the green. From there, I hit a low punch shot with the sand wedge that one- hopped into the hole.

How to play the shot:

Position the ball back of center in a narrow stance, slightly open to the target. Your hands should be slightly ahead of the ball at address. Make a low and wide three-quarter backswing. Your follow-through should mirror your backswing. Just like on a full shot, your hips must turn through impact, except to an abbreviated finish. Most amateurs get too handsy, which limits ability to control loft and distance.