Even if you are using a shovel improperly, you’ll still wind up with a hole. You’ll probably also wind up with a sore back.

To help you avoid a sore back or possibly even a serious injury, Bob Denman, a gardener who makes, sells and repairs garden tools at Denman & Company, his store in Orange, California, demonstrates both the wrong way and the right way to work with a shovel.

Denman’s article, “Choosing and Using the Right Tools” in the November/December 2001 issue of Fine Gardening (#82), has tips for choosing and using shovels and other gardening tools as well. Check out his other video tip Select the Right Shovel.