[Daryl]

I found that the most important factor in "getting out" of the sand is using any hinge action. Flat left wrist, bent right wrist, hinge through impact (don't swivel through impact). It looks to me that most people cannot fight the urge to swivel or to throw the clubhead under the ball. I was playing with better players a few months ago, and this guy we call the "Slammer", (325 yard tee shots, 150 wedge) landed his tee shot in a green-side bunker. It took five strokes for him to get up and down. I said to myself, "God, what a waste". Four holes later he did the same thing. Geez. A few holes later he was in a bunker again and I approached him and told him to keep his G-D right wrist bent during impact. It took him four practice strokes to get it, then out in one, two putts, and par. I should have charged him. I haven't played with him since, but I think it helped him.

When in the sand, I focus on keeping the right wrist bent through impact, keeping the right shoulder on plane and not even swiveling after the impact interval. I've done it every way imaginable, but each time I've gotten close to the pin, it's because I kept my right wrist bent though the impact interval.

I have found that you can get out of almost any bunker with any hinging. VH, AH, and HH give you relatively higher, medium and lower trajectories, but in most cases, any of them can get the job done. I prefer AH because I can count on it (and because VH is too damn hard). The ball lands softer and distance control is easier by just adding a little pressure.