Hitting your golf ball into a sand bunker is hard enough.
Burying it there is a nightmare for most players.
If only just a little white is showing from the sand, then you know you've got yourself a situation that needs a miracle to get out of..
..
Or perhaps you just need the proper technique and one hell of a swing.
To get your ball out of a buried lie, begin by holding your club the way you would hold it for a bunker shot, that is, choking it a couple of inches from the bottom of the grip.
Your stance must be opened just a bit, with most of your weight resting on the front foot.
With your hands pressed forward, close your clubface.
Be absolutely certain that your lower body is kept still during the entire movement.
Begin the process of hitting the ball with a steep backswing.
You know your backswing is steep enough when the butt of your club is directly pointing the ball, and your left arm which is leading the shot is parallel to the ground.
As you begin your downswing, continue to put most of your weight on your front foot.
You don't hit the ball as you progress in your downswing.
Rather, to get your ball out of a buried lie, you have to hit the sand a couple of inches from your ball.
The force of the sand will propel the ball out, even if your clubface doesn't hit it.
Don't attempt to hit the ball with your clubface as this will result in burying it further in the ground.
Don't stop swinging when your ball hits the sand but swing it through, keeping your angle steep throughout the shot.
It might relieve you to learn that only a small percentage of balls that end up in the bunker get buried on sand.
So include these kinds of situations in your bunker practices to give yourself the confidence you need should the situation arise.
Oh, and don't forget to stay calm and controlled in these situations.
Remember, golf is largely mental!