The buried lie must be one of the most aptly named shots in golf. When most golfers see their balls laying in one, they want to go bury their heads in the sand, too. It is true, however, that this shot spells trouble for the average golfer. Because you’re forced to hit almost straight down behind the ball without a lot of follow-through, the ball will often fly out fast or “hot.” Another problem that faces players of all levels is, because of the hard and powerful nature of the golf swing, the ball sometimes flies out of the sand low and may not always clear the tip of the bunker.
But, with practice, this shot can be made to look almost as easy as the buried lie sand shot Bob Tway holed out to win the 1989 PGA Championship. You can replicate this type of shot success by thinking these swing thoughts the next time you find something looking more like a fried egg rather than a golf ball.
Set-up: Wiggle your feet well into the sand to promised good balance throughout the swing. By playing the ball back in the stance, (off of the right foot for the right-handed golfer), it will make it easier to dig the club into the sand at impact. The choice of clubs here is also important. Using a pitching wedge or 9-iron with a sharp leading edge can work better than a sand wedge with a lot of bounce because you want the club diving into the sand.
Backswing: You want your swing plane to be very upright here so that the angle of attack will be right on top of the ball. This is done by cocking the wrists very early in the backswing. Keep this motion compact, not loose.
Downswing & Follow-Through: It is here that the proper swing basics for this shot are critical. Land the leading edge of the golf club approximately an inch to two-inches behind the ball and keep the follow-through short and compact through the store- without decelerating. This motion will ensure that the ball will land softly and stop more quickly.
