You're Correct!

The first thing to remember is that if you find yourself in this situation you have been unlucky and that this situation does not happen very often. It is certainly not worth spending too much time practicing these shots, but just enough to know how to get out first time if you find yourself in this position.

Follow these guidelines to set up differently and get out of that buried lie.

Set up
1. Use a high lofted golf club - This gives loft to get the ball up into the air and the shape of the club head allows it to travel through the sand more easily.
2. Stand in a square stance, with the club face square - Aim straight at where you want the ball to go with both your feet and the club face. Instead of sliding the club head through the sand as for a normal bunker shot, these aspects of the set up, let the club drive down into the sand and dig to where the ball is, forcing it out of its buried lie.
3. Position the ball in the back half of the stance with the body weight forward - To promote a steep angle of attack into the sand to drive down and force the ball out.
4. Hard downward hit - You need power to drive the club deep into the sand to reach the ball.
5. No follow through - As the club is being driven downward hard and steeply, it will not come out of the sand easily. If you try to follow through it may hurt!

Be aware that you need full commitment to the shot. Quitting on the shot will leave the ball in the bunker. Also be aware that the ball will come out low (watch for how high the bunker lip is) and will run on and not stop once it hits the green (make sure that there is enough green to roll out on to).

If you are successful in applying these guidelines, the ball will come out of that buried lie every time.

The club head will not dig down far enough to get underneath the ball and provide the lift needed to get out.

The club needs to dig down to get to the ball. By moving the ball forwards and scooping the club upwards, the club will come up and away from the ball. You will end up topping the ball and leaving the ball in the bunker.

This is an option but a very defensive one, and of course wastes a shot. Have a practice of various buried bunker shots using the tips above and develop your confidence to be able to have a go on the golf course.