Easy sand shots

What's worse than hitting an approach shot into sand? Stepping into the bunker and flailing away with words like "dig," "blast," or "explode" in your head. The last thing you want is for sand shots to become an exercise in, well, exercise. With the proper technique, your basic sand shot can be just as smooth and relaxed as an easy half-wedge from the fairway.


The key to easy-swinging sand shots is taking less sand. But rather than making contact closer to the ball, take a shallower angle of attack. One adjustment in your set-up should do the trick: Don't aim your feet so far to the right. Lay the face of your wedge open, so it points left of the target, and play the ball forward, opposite your front foot. Make a smooth swing along your stance line, holding the blade open through impact. Rather than exploding through the sand, you should feel as if you're "nipping" the ball off the surface. Done correctly, the ball will stop quickly after landing.