Slide Rule

Photograph by Dom Furore at The Concession Golf Club, Bradenton, Fla.

When amateurs are told they have to strike the sand behind the ball to get out of a greenside bunker, many interpret that to mean they should dig under the ball. As a result, they end up swinging too deeply into the sand, and the ball doesn't get out. You want your wedge to slide, not dig, through the sand. Follow these steps to play it correctly.

David Leadbetter runs 26 golf academies worldwide.