Knock it Close from Short Range

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2) Knock It Close From Ultra-Short Range
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Normally, you shouldn’t break the game’s basics. But sometimes you find yourself in a situation where you must—such as when you have a decent lie in a greenside bunker and the hole is up close. If you can’t hit the ball high from the bunker, it will be hard to drop it close using your standard bunker shot. Instead, try this alternative.

Below are 7 keys to this shot:

1. Set up square to your target
2. Play the ball forward in your stance
3. Tilt your upper body away from target
4. Aim for an inch behind the ball
5. Keep your weight back at impact
6. Allow the club to pass under your hands

In this situation your standard bunker shot calls for you to hit a cut shot. This won’t work here. Instead, grab your lob wedge from the bag and set up square to the target, with the clubface pointing to your landing spot. Position the ball off your front heel and tilt your body away from the target.

In addition, aim for a spot an inch behind the ball and keep your weight back as the club enters the sand. You should feel like you’re slapping the club against the sand under the ball.

As you swing the clubhead past your hands, don’t slap it to the left (right, if your left-handed). Your right hand should flip under your left, so that the club points straight up in your follow-through, not back behind you. The ball should come out high, like a flop shot, and drop near the hole.

Normally, you shouldn’t disregard the fundamentals. But sometimes, you must. Hitting a flop shot from a bunker is one of those times. This shot is worth trying if your bunker shots barely clear the bunker’s front lip, or you take too much sand when using a sand wedge and leave the ball in the bunker.