PGA coach Hannah Holden explains the essential Rules of Golf for bunkers, including when you can and cannot touch the sand. She demonstrates how to handle movable obstructions like rakes, how to remove loose impediments, and explains the various options for taking unplayable or embedded ball relief both inside and outside the bunker.
Do not ground your club or hit the sand during a practice swing while in the bunker.
Rakes are movable obstructions; if your ball moves while removing one, replace it without penalty.
Loose impediments like stones and leaves can be moved, provided the ball itself does not move in the process.
You can take an unplayable drop inside a bunker for a one-stroke penalty, or outside the bunker for a two-stroke penalty.
Free relief for an embedded ball is only available if the ball is plugged in the turf/soil face of the bunker, not the sand itself.