Use your Lucky wedge to get out of a deep bunker lie
The ball's plugged, half of it's underground, and your playing partners are already smiling. PGA pro Colin McCarthy shows how to get it out anyway.
A normal bunker shot has one rule: open the face and splash the sand out. A buried lie flips that on its head. Open the face here and the club bounces off the top of the sand, and the ball stays exactly where it was, only now you're lying two.
Colin McCarthy, a PGA professional and coach, took his Lucky wedge into a bunker with the ball buried deep in the sand. The video's short and a bit tongue in cheek, and the point stands: no matter how bad it's sitting, there's a way out.
Watch on YouTube · Colin McCarthy, PGA
Square it up and swing hard
- Square the face, or close it a touch. You want the leading edge to dig, because the ball's sitting below the surface.
- Ball back of center, weight forward. It sets up a steep swing that goes down into the sand instead of skimming across it.
- Hit hard, about an inch or two behind the ball. Chop down and don't worry about the follow-through. The club can stay in the sand.
- Plan for roll. It'll come out low and hot with almost no spin. Land it short and let it run to the hole.
Out and on the green is a win. Anything closer is a bonus.
Get the big number out of play
The disaster from a plugged lie isn't a long putt. It's the second shot from the same bunker. Commit to hitting down hard, take your medicine if the green runs away from you, and most of the time the damage stops at a bogey.
A forged wedge helps you feel it, too. The Carver's 1020 carbon steel tells you straight away whether you got enough club under it, which is how you get better at shots you only face a few times a season.
Quick answers
Should I open the face on a buried lie?
No. Keep it square or even a little closed, so the leading edge digs down to get under the ball.
Why does a buried ball come out with no spin?
There's a lot of sand between the face and the ball, so it comes out low and runs. Aim short of the pin and let it roll.
Which wedge should I use from a plugged lie?
Your sand wedge, somewhere around 54° to 56°.
