Course Strategy · Mental Model

Use the clubface to gauge launch angle

To judge whether a club will launch high enough to clear the lip, stand the clubface flush on the ground and see where the shaft points: roughly that angle is the height the ball takes off for a well-struck shot. Less loft points lower, more loft points higher. You cannot ground the club in the bunker, but you can check this on the turf beforehand to get an idea of the launch.