Have you ever had to hit a shot over a bunker off hardpan? It’s tricky, but if you know how to handle hardpan shots, you’ll find that they’re not as difficult as they seem. Mel explains two important secrets for mastering those once-troublesome hardpan shots in this month’s video golf tip.

Playing off hardpan can be intimidating. But only because it is the unknown. Once you know how to play this shot, there will be no fear at all!

Club Selection

You want to use a club with very little bounce. Bounce is the flange at the bottom of a sand wedge or lob wedge. Use the lowest bounce you have ( a sand wedge usually will have more bounce than a lob wedge or a gap wedge) and keep the clubface square. The more you open the clubface, the more likely the club will bonce into the ball, and you’ll end up skulling it over the green!

Be aggressive

Remember, the clubhead is harder than the hardpan, so some give in the ground. Play this shot like you would a normal sand shot, but be much more aggressive. Commit to the shot and swing away. After a few practice sessions with this shot, the fear will go away. When you find yourself in this situation in the future, you’ll know How to Master Hardpan Shots and execute this shot with confidence!