Bunkers: The Buried Lie

 View the HD video lesson HERE

I often talk to golfers I teach about how they play the buried lie out of a sand trap and more often than not they say they used the closed face method to get the club to dig the ball up and out onto the green. This method works fine if you don't have much of a lip or plenty of green to work with, but how do you handle this situation if you have a short sided pin or high lip to clear?

Here is a great method I got from Lee Trevino:

  • At address the weight should be well onto the front foot
  • The ball should be in the center of the stance or slightly back
  • The hands should be forward of the ball and very low
  • The idea is to get the "V" formed between the hosel and the sole of the club to delve down into the sand and lift it up and out of the sand

  •  Notice how the clubface remains open so as to impart some height and softness to the shot
  • The hands need to be very low  at address to get the toe up in the air and the "V" exposed to the entry point
  • The swing is steep with a sharp downward attack into the sand
  • There is no need to overpower this shot as, when executed correctly, the ball should pop out with some height and softness.
  • There should be very little follow through

Notice how low the hands need to be here

View the HD video HERE

Additional information on Buried Lies:

Tom Watson: Buried Lies: Pick The Right Club: Golf Digest

Video Golf Tip | Buried Lies in Greenside Bunkers

Golf Tips for a semi-buried lie - Rod Lidenberg PGA

Free Golf Lesson - How to Play from Various Bunker Lies