Think down to make it go up

To pitch the ball up and over a menacing sand trap 20 or so yards away, you need to understand the concept of swinging DOWN on the ball. To do this, use a wedge on the driving range. Swing down on the shot with soft hands, catching the ball first on a descending blow. If you're not catching some turf AFTER YOU'VE HIT THE BALL, preferably creating some form of divot, then you are probably not swinging down on it enough. Keep your head DOWN until you have watched yourself swing THROUGH the ball, finishing with at least as much follow through as backswing. This will get the ball up and over any obstacle. The rest is gaining touch through practice.