Golf has a way of exposing exactly the situation you're worried about the most. When the pressure's on and you're standing over a shot thinking, Anywhere but the bunker or Just stay out of the water, you can guess where your shot is probably going. If you find yourself in a do-or-die situation in the sand with a tall lip in front of you (shown), don't get defeated by this shot before you even swing. Don't walk into the bunker dreading it and gripping the handle so tight a weight lifter couldn't pull it free. Reduce the tension by moving in with the club held loosely in your right hand. That'll relax your arms and shoulders and promote the extension of your right arm in the downswing so you get the club's bounce, not the leading edge, down into the sand.
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Golf Digest
4 Skills Every Golfer Needs
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4 Skills Every Golfer Needs

Escape the bunker, avoid going right, hit it over trouble and make that two-putt.
By 
Debbie Doniger
Photos by 
Dom Furore