Golf Tips » November 2003: Dig it out of the dirt – A solution to being a better bunker player!

This months golf tip comes from working with a student in school last week. Ellene Harrell told me she had never been able to get out of a bunker in one shot—EVER!! I have had success with this drill before so I told her to first practice buried bunker shots.

Bury half the ball in the sand and then address the ball. Now hood the clubface slightly as shown in picture #1.

Go ahead and play the shot with a sharp downward blow, making sure you follow through at least to hip height. Do not try and "lift" the ball out—it must be a downward "digging" motion in order to "pop" the ball out.

Once you can get the ball out of a buried lie consistently (it is an easier shot) then go ahead and set up with the clubface square as if for a regular bunker shot. Play the shot with the same downward blow action you have just been doing.

Again, stay down on the shot and do not try and lift the ball—hit down on the ball and it will sail up easily onto the green.

After only a few minutes Ellene was hitting bunker shots fairly consistently onto the green with her first attempt.

Spend a little time in the sand trap working on this and I promise: you WILL be a better bunker player!