Shortsided in a Greenside Bunker

Swing coach Jeff Ritter -- you may have seen him on GC, he's been on several times -- did this tip for getting out of a greenside bunker when you shortside yourself. Here's the link that Golf Digest posted with a verbal summary of the bunker shot, and I've embedded the Instagram video below.

Getting tripped up on super short bunker shots?This tip for Golf Digest's weekly "Panic Button" series shows you how to keep your swing upbeat and confident when close to the pin! #maketheturn #golf #golftips #golfvideo #golfinstruction #golfdigest @golfdigest @poppyhillsgc @norcalpga @ncga1901 #pebblebeach @izod @luanpham

A video posted by MAKE THE TURN (@mttgolf) on Jun 4, 2016 at 6:00am PDT

Here's a quick summary of my own:

• take the most lofted club in your bag
• open the face
• grip down so one finger is on the shaft
• set up with the ball forward in your stance
• make a short aggressive swing (choking down on the club keeps the ball from traveling too far)

The key here is to avoid decelerating during your downswing. Make an aggressive swing so the ball will get out of the bunker.

I would also point out that, in the video, Ritter is NOT opening his stance. This is something that teachers often disagree about. But the video is pretty clear: As long as you keep your swing speed up and hit an inch or two behind the ball, the sand should throw the ball out whether you open your stance or not. That should simplify your setup a bit!