Ball Comes Out Low / Hits the Lip
The ball comes out on a low, flat trajectory and doesn't clear the front edge of the bunker.
Why it happens
This happens when not enough loft is being presented to the ball at impact, usually from a closed or de-lofted face, or too shallow an angle of attack for the shot at hand.
Possible causes in your swing, and how to fix each one
Tap any cause to see its fix. Work through them one at a time, usually one or two are the real culprit.
1Clubface closed or square instead of open
A square face doesn't produce nearly as much height as an intentionally opened one from sand.
2Ball positioned too far back
This reduces the effective loft presented to the ball at contact.
3Swing too shallow or sweeping
A shallow angle of attack doesn't let the club's bounce and loft work the way they're designed to under the ball.
4Weight on the back foot at impact
This further lowers the effective loft and flattens the trajectory.
When to stop self-diagnosing
If you've genuinely worked through two or three of these causes over several range sessions and the miss keeps showing up, that's not a failure since it usually means the real cause is something you can't feel or see in your own swing. A single 30-minute lesson with a certified instructor, who can watch you hit balls, will find it faster than any website. Bring this page along and tell them what you've already ruled out; it'll save you both time.