This story is for you if...
• You don't hit consistently good sand shots
• You were a good bunker player, but now it's a weak spot
• You have no touch — one sand shot is fat, the next thin
The problem
You've lost confidence in your ability to escape the sand.
The solution
Simplify your sand-shot routine by focusing on making consistent divots and forgetting about technique.
How to do it
Spend 15 minutes in a practice bunker the next time you visit the range. Without hitting any balls, picture a cheese Danish lying in the sand between the center of your stance and your left heel. The filling in the Danish represents the ball. All you have to do is sweep the entire danish out of the sand. If your divot is larger than a Danish, you hit the shot fat. To fix that, use less wrist cock and more body turn so your swing flattens out through impact. If the divot is smaller than a Danish, you hit it thin, so focus more intently on creating that Danish-sized divot. Once you make the Danish on five consecutive swings, drop a ball down and repeat the same swing. You'll produce a blast that lands soft and rolls just a few feet. Now go have a cup of coffee — and a jelly doughnut!
