When you have a buried bunker shot, you either make a great big smash at it and the ball doesn't move but a foot or two, or, if you happen to hit it out, it takes off on a line drive and it doesn't have any backspin on it, and you whack it over the green.

The reason that you either have trouble getting out of the sand or skulling it over the green, is because on a sand wedge the trailing edge has a bounce on it. It's a curve and it makes the leading edge sit up off the ground.

So, if you try to hit the golf ball out of a buried lie the conventional way, the back of this bounce will run into the sand and carom off the sand, and you'll hit a skull.

What you should try to do; is the next time you're getting out of the sand and you have a buried lie, put a little weight on your left leg, but tilt the handle over so the leading hits the sand first and digs into the ground.

It doesn't matter how deep; you can bury it all you want. Ball in the middle of your stance, weight on your left leg, handle on your left leg, up and down, and it will pop right out of there. You won't believe it. You'll love this.

Remember this: getting out of the sand means you need to get the bounce off the back.

Now, here's the golf lesson for setting up for a bunker shot. The ball goes across from your left foot always when the ball's setting up. The weight goes on your left leg 70%. And from here the arms swing up and down as you turn through. Make sure you turn through.

What you're trying to do is you're trying to displace some sand. You're trying to put a little sand between the club face and the golf ball, and lift it and throw it out of the bunker.

So, the setup: Weight left, ball off your left foot, full arm swing. But don't transfer your weight over to your right side. Stay on top of that left leg. Go up and down, even if you have to put the toe up in the air to stop you from sliding backwards.

Here's a golf lesson if the ball is buried. If it's buried, this swing won't work because the club won't go steep enough. So, put the ball in the middle of your stance, weight over on your left leg. Don't open the face, and catch a little sand behind the ball and throw it out on the green.

I hope this golf lesson works. Give it a shot.

Thanks.

Copyright 2006 David Nevogt