%20(1).webp "How to Hit from a Tight Lie")
Choose the Right Club
The first key is selecting the right club to chop or punch your way out. You want a club with enough loft to get the ball airborne but not so much loft that the club gets caught up in the grass or sand. Typically a 6-iron, 7-iron, or 8-iron are good options from a tight lie since they have more weight to muscle through. Avoid longer irons or woods that can get tangled up. If you are up against the lip of a bunker, consider using a sand wedge that is designed to slice through sand.
Narrow Your Stance
When the ball is sitting down in dense rough or up against the edge of a bunker, you don’t want to take your normal wide swing. Narrow your stance to your target line so you can make a compact, abbreviated downswing. Your feet should be no more than shoulder-width apart, and dig your feet firmly into the ground. With narrower foot placement, you can swing more vertically without the clubface getting stuck behind you.
Limit Your Follow Through
A tight lie requires a very short, compact swing without letting the clubhead travel far behind you. Limit your follow through to reduce the chance of the club face twisting open or closed through impact. Allow the clubface to square at impact, then limit the follow through to chest height at most. The shorter swing helps you maintain control and prevents your arms from getting trapped by long grass around the ball.
Choke Down on the Grip
Choking down on the club – gripping down below the handle of the club – can help you better control a tight lie shot. It shortens the lever of the club and reduces the arc of the swing. Choking down also gets your hands forward so you can drive down through the ball, helping you make solid contact. Don’t go more than a couple of inches down from the normal grip position.
Accelerate Through Impact
The swing on a tight lie shot has to be very compact, but accelerating on the downswing is crucial. As you swing down, accelerate the clubhead through impact by releasing your wrists and forearms to punch the ball out. Accelerating generates the clubhead speed necessary to pop the ball out of a difficult lie, unlike a decelerating swing which tends to come up short. Don’t start off too fast at the top, but accelerate into the ball.
Keep Your Hands Forward
To make clean contact from a tight lie, you need to keep your hands forward of the ball at impact so you can drive the clubhead through the turf or sand. If your hands are behind the ball, the leading edge can get caught up and twist the face open. Maintain hand and wrist angles through impact, keeping the back of your left wrist flat if you are a righty. Let your body drive forward while keeping hands ahead of the ball.
Pick a Target Not Far Away
Tiger Woods says “never trust a tight lie.” The goal is usually just to advance the ball and get it back in play, not try a heroic shot at the green. Pick a target no more than 10 or 20 yards ahead and set your sights on putting the ball into that area. Limiting your ambition takes unnecessary pressure off the shot and ups your chance of success. Take your distance and line of sight from the target, not the hole, when setting up.
Set Up for a Descending Blow
A key difference in a tight lie is the clubhead needs to strike in a descending arc versus sweeping across like normal. To set up for a downward strike, align your body a few inches behind the ball closer to the target. Lean your sternum forward toward the target as well. With hands forward, you’ll strike a centimeter or so behind the ball, digging it out and compressing down into the turf or sand. It can help to envision driving your hands even with your right knee (left for lefties) at impact.
Swing Easy and Let the Club Do the Work
Trying to kill a tight lie shot usually leads to big trouble. Make an easy, balanced swing and let the compressed turf or blast of sand provide the power rather than forcing it. Focus on solid contact, clean mechanics, and swinging at 80% rather than an all-out desperate slash. Toy with different ball positions and visualize squishing the ball and ground into a compressed line drive shot. Calm confidence along with good mechanics is the recipe for escape.
Expect Inconsistency
Finally, remember that escaping trouble may take a few attempts, so don’t get too frustrated or worried if your first effort fails. Don’t expect these challenging shots to come out perfectly every time. Focus on solid contact and incremental progress with each swing and eventually you’ll be back in the fairway. Even the pros hit poor tight lie shots on occasion. Stay positive and keep swinging easy until you find your way out.
In summary, tight lies requiring creative shotmaking can be extremely vexing, but with the proper adjustments they can be managed. Choosing the right club, narrowing your stance, accelerating through impact, and keeping your hands forward are all key adjustments that give you the best chance to advance the ball. Staying relaxed, swinging smooth, and managing expectations are also vital. With smart strategy, solid mechanics, and a little patience, you’ll be able to chop, punch, and splash your way out of troublesome spots.
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