The main key to hitting this shot well is to pick the ball clean from the bunker… you need to hit the ball, not the sand.

When choosing your club, make sure that you have enough loft to clear the lip of the trap… don’t bite off more than you can chew and leave yourself ‘another’ shot from the hazard.

If your lie is good and clearing the lip is not an issue, take one more club than you need to cover the distance and choke down a little.  This will allow you to take a ‘three quarter’ swing and keep your focus on staying stable and balanced.

The quieter you can keep your lower body during the swing the better.

Position the ball a little farther back in your stance than you would for a normal fairway shot to help you hit the ball first (not the sand).

In taking your stance you will want to dig your feet in only enough to feel planted.

Remember that a good miss on this shot is to hit it a little ‘thin’… if you hit the sand first, you will probably get to try this shot again much sooner than you had planned.

Lastly, take advantage of the wonderful practice facility that we have here at RedTail Landing and ‘go practice this shot’ before you will need to play it on the course.