DAVID Sand
Bunker shots: you are trying to hit the sand, not perform a miracle
Most beginners stab at the ball because they think golf is about striking the logo. In a greenside bunker the club is supposed to enter the sand behind the ball and keep going. The sand throws the ball out. If that sentence feels illegal, good — we can work with that.
Rules, because panic makes people cheat by accident
Do not ground the club in the bunker before the stroke. Do not take a practice swing that touches sand. You may remove loose stones in many cases now, but if you are unsure, leave it and ask. After you play, rake. Etiquette is the second shot.
The splash
Open the face, then take your grip. Stance open, ball forward, weight slightly toward the lead foot. Pick a patch of sand an inch or two behind the ball and hit that patch with some speed. Slow swings leave it in the bunker. That is the chunk’s cousin: the quit.
Fried-egg lies (ball sitting down): square the face a bit, steepen, and accept a lower flight. Do not open it like a flop shot or the leading edge digs a grave.
Fairway bunkers: more like a normal iron. Greenside: more like a splash. Do not mix the recipes.
We practice this in short game clinics on real sand, not in a story. Add bunkers to your session if they currently cost you two shots each visit.