Hitting a wedge from a tight lie is a challenging shot. It requires both good technique and good timing. The longer the shot, the more comfortable many weekend players are with this shot. But if you play long enough, you’ll eventually run into what some players consider the toughest shot in the game—a half- or three-quarter wedge from a tight lie. It’s the type of shot that can really cost you if you miss it.
Below are five keys to this shot:
- Place your feet closer together
- Position the ball further back
- Push your hands forward
- Shift your weight forward
- Hit down on the ball
It’s vital that you use the right technique on this shot. Otherwise, you could cost yourself two or even three extra strokes with a mis-hit.
Take your normal stance for a wedge shot, but place your feet closer together than usual. You don’t need a lot of power for this shot, so you can get away with placing them closer together.
Positioning the ball much further back than normal means you’ll hit the ball at a lower point than you usually do. But it’s critical you hit the ball first from a tight lie. Moving the ball back helps you do that.
Push your hands forward so they are considerably ahead of the ball and shift your weight forward foot. You want to have about 60 percent of your weight on this foot. Hit down on the ball. It’s one of the keys to hitting from this kind of lie.
Hitting from a tight lie is a challenge for many golfers. It requires good technique and timing. The changes mentioned above will help you stick a half or three-quarter wedge from a tight lie, turning three shots into two.
