Last Updated on March 16, 2024 by Britt Olizarowicz
I don’t like bad lies. I’ve been playing golf since I was seven and competed professionally. I’ve often felt that bad lies are one of the most unfair aspects of the game. How can I hit a 260-yard drive straight down the fairway that ends up in another golfer divot? It doesn’t feel fair. (Who said golf was fair!) The only thing you can do about bad lies on the golf course is learn to deal with them. Here are 7 tips I use when I play a round of golf to ensure a bad lie does not derail my game.
7 Quick Tips For Bad Lies
If you don’t have time to read my entire article, here are 7 tips you can use right now.
- Adjust your ball position and stance to accommodate the situation you are in
- Be smart about club selection – the more loft, the better
- Minimize body movement – keep your turn tight and your head on the ball
- Take a minute to assess the lie before you choose your alignment
- Solid contact is much more important than distance; you need to strike the ball, not pull off a hero shot
- Stop practicing every shot from a perfect lie
Adjust Ball Position and Stance
When hitting from a bad lie, the golf ball position and stance must be adjusted. Let’s start with the ball position.
If you want the ball to fly higher, put it slightly forward in your stance. If you are behind a tree and must punch out, move the ball back in your stance a little.
Then, you must adjust where your weight is positioned in your stance.
For a lie where the ball is below your feet, put weight on your toes.
If the ball is above your feet, put weight on the heels.
Choose The Right Club
Choosing the right golf club is critical.
You may have 165 yards to the green, but your standard 6-iron shot is not the one you will likely be able to hit. This isn’t a time to try and pull off a distance shot; it’s simply about advancing the golf ball to a clean lie where you can play your next shot and hit it close.
My go-to club for any difficult lie is a short iron.
Short irons have plenty of loft, making it easier to launch the ball and advance it down the fairway.
For this particular lie, I was playing a par 5, and this is where my drive was.
I usually play a 5 wood or hybrid from this location, but I went with the 7 iron just to make the shot playable.
My next shot into the green was from a clean fairway lie, and I still hit it close and parred the hole.
The bottom line: take less club, take a controlled swing and hit the next one close.
Keep Body Movement To A Minimum
Some golfers take a big turn in their swing and move their heads pretty far behind the ball. With a perfect lie and under the right conditions, it’s easy to bring the head back into position and hit this one clean.
However, from a bad lie, you are asking for trouble.
Try to stay centered over the golf ball. I often think about my head staying over the golf ball. My objective is to make a tight turn where I can keep movement to a minimum.
Assess The Lie Carefully Before Picking Your Alignment Line
Take a close look at any lie you have before you decide where to aim the shot. When hitting out of a bad lie (especially one with a slope), you must account for how the ball will come off the clubface.
When hitting out of thick rough, the clubface often closes, and the ball goes to the left. You can combat this by slightly opening the face of your short iron, but I prefer to aim a little right of my target line.
The last thing you want to do is make solid contact and then put yourself across the fairway or in another bunker. Take some yardage measurements of where you want to hit it and how much room you have, and then adjust your swing accordingly.
Solid Contact – Then Distance
Make solid contact with the ball first. This is your primary goal.
Once you have made that contact, getting some distance from the shot is great.
Many players focus on distance first, and because of that, they miss the solid contact step.
You have to stay committed to the shot and make contact if you want to get out of this lie. I’ve seen way too many golfers attempt to kill a shot from a bad lie, and the ball goes just a few feet.
Don’t be this player.
Hit the ball, then worry about distance.
Stop Practicing from Perfect Spots
Finally, stop practicing from perfect spots. Golf practice from perfect spots is good for part of your session, but you must also practice the bad lies.
When you are at the driving range, stop teeing up every single ball so that it easily flies out of a lie. Instead, give yourself a bit of a challenge. Play one from a divot.
Putting a little weight on the lead side and staying centered will teach you how to hit these clean. In addition, when you get an afternoon to practice on the course, put the ball above or below your feet or in some deep rough and see if you can use my tips to get the ball back in play.
Once the ball is back in play, it should be a wedge shot and a putt to save your par!
Bad Lie Cheat Sheet – How To Manage Any Lie
Here’s a little cheat sheet you can use to deal with any type of difficult lie on the golf course. I have this in my head as I go through a round of golf and I find it to be helpful when it comes to saving pars.
| Lie Condition | Tips |
| Ball below your feet | Weight on the toes, stay down through the ball a little longer, and the shot will likely go to the right. |
| Ball above your feet | Weight centered, choke up on the club, ball is going to go left, take an abbreviated swing |
| In a divot | Lean on the lead side a bit to ensure a downward strike, take a ¾ swing |
| Thick rough | Take as much loft as you can and make solid contact to get the ball rolling down the fairway |
| Bad bunker lies | Take sand, accelerate through the golf ball, don’t try to “lift the ball” out |
| Hardpan | The ball will fly far, make a more compact swing and try to clip it clean, using a lower lofted club and hitting more of a punch shot is a good choice |
Frequently Asked Questions About Bad Lies On The Golf Course
How do you chip out of a bad lie?
When chipping from a bad lie, take a higher-lofted club and focus on keeping the club in the impact zone for a little longer than usual. Bad lies often twist or turn the golf club, and you’ll want to avoid that by extending that impact zone.
How do I hit a downhill lie?
A downhill lie where the ball is below your feet will have a natural tendency to travel right of the target. Keep some weight on your toes and focus on staying down through the shot.
How do you hit a golf ball off the hard ground?
Hitting a golf ball off the hard ground should not be difficult. You’ll play the ball in the middle of your stance, keep your body very centered, and rotate around your core. A ¾ swing works perfectly; the goal is to clip the ball clean from the lie.
What is a tight lie?
A tight lie in golf occurs when the ball is sitting on harder ground with little grass to work with.
How do you hit a steep uphill lie?
A steep uphill lie requires a swing almost parallel to the ground. Choke up on the club, stand more upright, and swing the club on a plane that is parallel to the ground. Your swing will be abbreviated, but the ball should pop out of the lie. Be aware that it will go to the left of your target.
Final Thoughts
At this point, you should understand what it takes to master bad lies on the golf course. It’s unfortunate when you end up in these situations. However, if you are smart about approaching bad lies, you can get your next shot back into play and leave yourself a chance at par. If you have questions about bad lies or specific situations, send them to me. I’m happy to help.
