A feature of the magnificent Stadium and Tour courses at PGA Catalunya near Girona in Spain are the beautifully manicured fairway bunkers. The sand is almost white and beautifully fine and smooth but if your （
TaylorMade R9 460 Driver）ball lands in them it's no simple task to make the perfect escape.
However, having watched him play a magnificent 5-iron （
Taylormade TP Forged Iron set ）from a fairway trap from 180 yards to with 25 feet at the demanding par-5 18th on the Stadium course, then holed the putt for birdie, I asked teaching pro Enrique Lopez: 'How did you do that?'
He revealed: "Playing fairway bunker shots is all about balance and retaining your height. The secret is not to dip into the shot or you will inevitable hit it 'fat' or 'heavy' as the club takes too much sand behind the ball.
The key, he says, is to clp the ball solidly off the top sand and not come in to it too steeply."I like to think about pretending an invisible hand is holding my chin up through the shot. It helps to keep my balance and my height steady and stable.
"Also I concentrate on the front of the ball, nearest my target and swing within myself to clip it off the surface of the sand."
It's excellent advice and works equally well with a fairway metal or a rescue club （
TaylorMade rac Satin TP Wedge ）, as long as the lie is good and there's enough room between the player and the lip of the bunker.