Many people have trouble with greenside bunkers and this drill will give you a sense of splashing the ball out of the sand. It teaches you not to hit the ball, but instead to cut a large shallow swath of sand out from under the ball. It will illustrate that you don’t have to be perfect in the sand. You have a greater margin for error than most other golf shots when playing from a bunker.

With the toe of your sand wedge, draw two lines in the sand about 10” apart and perpendicular to your target line. Make practice swings, cutting out sand divots between the lines. Remember to always finish your swing. When you can make five swings in a row between the lines successfully, place a ball 2” or 3” behind the front line and then make your swing at the ball with the exact thought process you had when the ball was not there. You will find this a very effective drill for practicing greenside sand shots.