Golf Tips: High And Soft Greenside Bunker Shot

This is a technique I use often and it works very well.  The situation is that you've found a greenside bunker and you are short-sided.  Short-sided means that the pin is close to you and you don't have the long part of the green to use for your shot.  You must stop the ball quickly.  I use loft and trajectory to stop the ball in this situation, not spin.  Here's what I do. Club For this shot I don't use a sand wedge typically.  Sand wedges are usually 56 degrees.  For this shot I need even more height, so I use a lob wedge which is usually 60 degrees.  If you have a 64 degree wedge like Phil Mickelson you may be in even better shape. Setup The stance for this shot is quite open.  The left or front foot for right handed players is aligned to the left of the pin or target landing area. The ball will be positioned in the stance toward the front foot, not the middle of the stance.  This will help increase the loft of the shot as the club will actually be striking the ball on the way up. The club face will be pancaked open.  The face will be extremely flattened by turning it clockwise until it almost points straight up, like a flop shot. Swing I use a very upright swing in this situation.  When taking the club away from the ball, bring the club upward quickly.  I will typically use a 3/4 to full backswing with the upright takeaway.  On the down swing, bring the club back on that same steep path and try to get the club to enter the sand an inch or two behind the ball.  As best as possible try to mirror the steep takeaway in the follow through after impact with the ball.  Bring the club up high and fast, post impact. Result The result of this technique is a shot which will fly high and land softly on the green with little roll, perfect for short-sided shots. Try it...