Bunker Shot Technique: Hitting the Sand vs. the Ball

Question
When playing out of a bunker, do you have to hit the sand first? Or can you make contact with the ball only (or before sand)?

Answer
Hello there and thank you for asking.  Most of the time you will be hitting the sand first on any bunker shot less than about 50 yards away.  From fairway bunkers you will hit the ball first.  Even from a greenside bunker, you CAN hit the ball first and chip it up there, but that is very difficult because you will have to make perfect contact and the sand is so soft, the ball will tend to skid or get dragged down by the sand and cause inconsistent results.

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