Golf Tip of the Day: Chipping and Pitching from Bad Lies

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In today’s golf tip, we’ll review some best practices for chipping and pitching from a poor lie.

Chipping and pitching from a bad lie can be tricky, but today’s golf tip should make these shots a little easier on you. Remember that applying more grip pressure is never the answer, whether your ball is sitting in the fairway or buried in the rough.

Before chipping from a bad lie, you need to take some important setup steps. These adjustments will increase your odds of hitting a clean, crisp shot.

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Grip very lightly and put the ball back in your stance. Tension only makes you raise up, so loosen up and apply only light grip pressure. Having the ball back in your stance will help you strike down into the back of the ball, allowing you to make better impact.

A couple of other tips can also help. If you need your ball to clear a bunker and make a soft landing, open up the clubface. Also, be sure to open up your stance. Opening the stance makes for a more vertical “V” swing, minimizing your chances of catching too much grass behind the ball. This is important to consider when taking a shallower swing.

Set up with the weight slightly forward and be sure to stay and finish the swing on your front foot!

Also,you may need to pick up the club a little outside. Again, the steeper the takeaway, the more of a descending strike you will get into the back of the ball. This will get you a clean hit, despite the bad lie.

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