Be a complete bunker player: first, let me refresh your memory about bunker basics. Then i'll show you how to master the scariest sand shots

Golf Digest, Jan, 2004 by David Toms

Admit it: You hate bunkers. You dread the very thought of them. Even if you've learned the basics--open the clubface, hit behind the ball, finish the swing--that hardly helps when your ball is plugged under a lip or sitting in a trap so close to the edge you have to stand with one foot out and one foot in.

I've had to play those shots, along with a bunch of others, thanks to the PGA Tour's penchant for tucking flagsticks next to the deepest, nastiest bunkers it can find. Like most guys out here on tour, I can't resist firing at the flag, but when I miss, I usually pay for it with a lie you'd need a backhoe to get out of. That's bad for me but good for you--I've learned to deal with these specialty shots and now can teach you my techniques for handling them.

The-basics you gotta know

From what I see in pro-ams, most amateurs just don't understand the basic principle of the greenside bunker shot. In fact, they're clueless. Too often, they try to hit the ball, not the sand.

The best way to illustrate how to play this shot is to imagine there's a plastic golf ball floating in a pool, and you need to slap it out of the water with your hand. You can't make direct contact with the ball or it will stay in the water. You can't hit too far behind the ball or the wave will only push it along the surface. You have to cup your hand, like the face of a sand wedge, hit right behind the ball and skim the water under it. The ball will pop out.

Skim your club under the ball

New players have a hard time believing this, but the club never touches the ball in a greenside bunker shot. It passes under the ball, which flies out of the bunker on a cushion of sand. Here you see my wedge entering the sand about an inch behind the ball and passing underneath it.

Checklist

[ ] Open the blade of the sand wedge and then take your grip, not vice versa.

[ ] Stand so your shoulders and feet are lined up slightly left of your target, but align your clubface square to the target.

[ ] Dig in with your feet to balance yourself.

[ ] Stand so the ball is in line with the heel of your front foot.

[ ] Make a full backswing, hinging your wrists so your arms are at a 90-degree angle to the clubshaft.

[ ] Accelerate on the downswing, making contact with the sand about an inch behind the ball.

[ ] Let the bottom of the clubhead spank the ground and skim through the sand under the ball.

[ ] The outside-to-inside club path will cause your swing to finish lower than normal, as I'm showing here.

The shots you wanna know

Now that we have the basics out of the way, here are my secrets to getting out of some real trouble:

* BURIED LIE: With this sucker, all you're trying to do is get it out. Close the face (so it points left) and swing straight down, almost on top of the ball. The impact will open the clubface, and the ball will hop out and start rolling, so allow for that.

* AWKWARD STANCE: Whenever I have to play a bunker shot with one foot in the sand and one foot out, what I want to do is get as comfy as possible and concentrate on maintaining my balance while making a normal bunker swing.

* DOWNHILL LIE: If there's no lip, you may want to putt it out. If there is a lip, play the ball forward in your stance, in line with the front foot. Tilt your shoulders so they are parallel with the slope and make a normal bunker swing. Try to maintain your balance by planting your front foot firmly.

* THIN LIE: Use a pitching wedge, which has less bounce, and make contact with the sand directly behind the ball.

* FAIRWAY BUNKER: Before you try for the green, make sure the club you are using has enough loft to get out. Keep your lower body still during the swing, and concentrate on hitting the ball first, which is the opposite of your goal for a greenside bunker shot. Make a full swing with one club longer than the shot typically calls for.

'I tried it' Matt Denzer Handicap: 2 St. Cloud. FLA.

I tried the "pop shot" with my 60-degree wedge and wasn't crazy about the results. The ball came out very high and soft, but I kept pulling it well left and short of the target. So then I tried a regular sand wedge and it seemed to straighten out a little. I like the idea of using longer clubs from this lie, but it's a weird feeling stopping your bunker swing just past impact. Still, I can see where this would be an effective shot. My only advice is to choose your club carefully and aim right of the flag because the ball is going to have a flight that moves right to left.