Choosing the right combination of loft and bounce to suit a given situation is a key ingredient to making a consistent escape from a greenside trap. Here, let me share some thoughts on playing a short, soft ‘popup type shot to a tight pin, and then look at how you go about flying the ball that awkward 20-30 yard distance.

The modern range of sand irons available is a terrific advantage to all players when it comes to dealing with the various types of lie you are bound to encounter and also the varying texture of the sand itself.
So the first important thing to do is make sure you are equipped with a couple of good sand irons (a 52-54 and 58-60 being typically favoured combinations).
So what’s the procedure when (as is the case in the sequence here) you need to drop the ball just over the lip of the bunker with a soft-landing shot that enables you to get close to a tight pin? Well, the first thing to do is take your most lofted sand iron – for most of us either a 58 or a 60-degree model. This added loft, allied to the natural ‘bounce’ of the club, will enable you to slide the clubhead easily under the ball to promote the softer popup type flight you are looking for.
The ingredients to the set-up for this shot are as follows: first of all, choke down a couple of inches on the grip (this will enhance your control) and then open the clubface about 30° before completing your grip. Then look to adopt a fairly wide and slightly open stance, and have a sense of ‘sitting down’ into the shot, with a good knee flex, so that your arms and hands hang a little lower than normal.
As a result of setting up in this fashion you will find that you encourage a full and early wrist-cock going back that enables you to swing the club up into the air fairly quickly before swinging down into the sand behind the ball (aiming to strike the sand 2-3 inches behind the ball) with a real sense of ‘zip’; like striking a match, you skim the open clubface through the sand beneath the ball. The slightly open stance... more>