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Its bad enough hitting an approach shot into a greenside bunker. Finding your ball buried in the sand just adds insult to injury.

Buried or plugged lies come in a wide variety. When the sand is super soft, the ball may submerge so deeply you can only see a small part of it. Other times, it sinks in just a little. Then theres the dreaded “fried egg,” where the ball sits in the center of its own little crater.

In each instance, youre left with little chance of getting the shot close to the hole. With so much sand around the ball, theres simply no way to induce backspin. Shots from buried lies usually fly like knuckle balls and scamper across the green after landing, meaning your lone goal should be blasting it out and living to fight another day.

Regardless of the lies severity, the technique is essentially the same. Heres how its done.

• Your best bet is to use a gap wedge or pitching wedge instead of a sand wedge. Because they have less bounce than a sand wedge, the other clubs will slide more easily into the sand.
• Take a solid, wide stance with your feet dug an inch or so into the sand, your left (lead) foot slightly open to the target, your knees well-flexed and weight slightly favoring your left side.
• Stand a little closer to the ball than usual to steepen your swing.
• Rather than opening the clubface as you would on a normal bunker shot, set up with the face square to the target, or even a bit closed. This reduces bounce and helps the leading edge slice into the dirt.
• Your takeaway should be sharply up and away from the ball, with ample wrist hinge.
• Bring the club down forcefully, contacting the sand behind the ball by about an inch. While you want to accelerate into the sand, its not necessary to make a full follow-through. The idea is to pop to ball out of its pit.

Remember, this is a classic “take your medicine” situation. Dont bother trying to knock it stiff or youll risk leaving the ball in the bunker. Just do your best with the hand youre dealt and vow to make up any lost shots on the next hole.

Hopefully, youll face few chances to put this tutorial to use. Weve got an entire section devoted to Bunker Tips, including these favorites:

Five Common Bunker Mistakes

Bunker Practice Drill for the Correct Amount of Sand

What You Should Look for in a Perfect Golf Sand Wedge

A wide open stance and clubface wont get the job done from a plugged lie. Youll add bounce to the clubs sole and create a swing arc thats too shallow, entering the sand well behind the ball without sufficient “oomph” to dislodge it.

Not to beat a dead horse, but bounce is your enemy when the ball is buried. This protrusion on the clubs sole is designed to help displace sand from a standard-issue lie, but it prevents the club from digging enough when your ball is stuck like a cork in a wine bottle.

The more sharply the clubs entire leading edge enters the sand, the better. If the club is too open, it will make contact at an oblique angle, effectively “dulling” its leading edge and thumping rather than cutting the sand. Youll have a hard time escaping the bunker this way.