Go to a practice bunker, make a line in the bunker with the grip of your sand wedge, then practice making swings contacting the sand on the line you made, your goal is to take a thin layer of sand about the length of dollar bill, after you are good at that put a ball an inch or 2 on the other side of the line and make a swing and contact the sand on the line as you were doing in practice. Take enough backswing to give the sand a good smack. The ball rides on the sand going towards the cup.