Best Way to Play a Shot from a Half-Buried Lie in a Greenside Bunker

Should the ball be half-buried in the sand, you may very easily get too much sand between the club head and the ball, or your club head may bounce and strike the top of the ball. Both these shots would leave the ball in the sand. To avoid this, you need to make some adjustments.

When the ball is lying half-buried, two things are necessary. At impact, there must be less sand than usual between the club face and the ball, and the club head must penetrate deeper into the sand. In other words, the club should not bounce through the sand but should dig into it.

Grip

Although you use the normal grip, you now want the club face to be square or closed (depending on the texture of the sand and how deep the ball is in it). Hold the club more firmly than usual about 2 in (5 cm) down the shaft.

Stance

The stance is square, with the feet firmly anchored in the sand to prevent slipping. With the blade square and the ball well inside the left heel, keep your weight predominantly on the left foot.

Posture

The shot is much more aggressive than the normal sand shot; therefore the knees and arms are less relaxed (don’t allow any slackness to creep in). The hands and upper body are well in front of the ball, which results in a very steep entry into the sand.

Swing movement

Swing the club back from the ball steeply by cocking the wrists as early as possible on the backswing. On the downswing, swing the club with the hands and wrists so that the club enters the sand just behind the ball, popping it out.

This swing is short, sharp and direct, with body weight on the left foot throughout the whole movement. The deep penetration of the sand curtails the follow through and the club often stops in the sand.

A lie such as this can be frightening for the faint-hearted, but don’t let it put you off – simply remember the following. The downswing is very steep so there won’t be much sand between club head and ball to soften the effect. This means that the ball will come out lower and faster than for a good lie. Therefore, when you strike the sand near the ball don’t apply so much force, otherwise it will come out too far and will roll a considerable distance as well.