Game version
Chip-to-circle game: chip into hula-hoops at different distances, and the pair keeps one total. Swap after each ball.
Tricky Bunker Lies
Learn the change in setup for buried and uphill lies in the sand.
By Coach Evan Waechtler Youth coach (U11, Cache Valley, Utah) and founder of SSTracker Updated October 30, 2026
Set up
For a buried ball, square the face and hit down steeply.
Core: Medium. Beat your own best out of 10.
- Ages
- 14 and up
- Time
- 15 min
- Players
- Just you
- Space
- Yard or field
- Bring
- Sand wedge, balls, practice bunker, rake
- Level · skill
- Advanced · Short Game
The steps
How it works
- For a buried ball, square the face and hit down steeply.
- For an uphill lie, set your shoulders with the slope.
- Hit 5 from each lie.
- Count balls that reached the green and rake after.
Coaching point
Change the setup, not the effort.
Safety: Keep everyone clear before every swing: look in front and behind, and make sure no one is within two club lengths. Swing only where a coach or parent says it is safe.
Make it fun
Play it, don't drill it
Challenge
Pick a hoop: Less (close), Core (medium), More (far). Beat your own best out of 10.
Story
You are a gardener dropping seeds into the right flower pot.
My best
Beat your own count
Beat your own best out of 10. Only your own number counts: today against last time.
Practice makes progress
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