A tight lie is when a golf ball is on a spot with very little to no grass underneath it.
These spots can be found in the fairway or off the fairway.
Tight lies are very difficult for the average amateur to hit off due to the precision required for a good strike.
A great example of a tight lie would be the putting surface.
Although you would never use a wedge on a green, the length of grass on most greens is a great example of the length of grass that would qualify as a tight lie.
Why Are Tight Lies So Difficult?
They are so difficult because they allow for very little room for error.
Have you ever noticed how much easier it is to hit your wedges out of slight rough vs. the fairway?
That is because the rough or even fringe allows the ball to “sit up” a little, allowing for less than pure strikes.
Tight lies do not.
You will not be pleased with the result if you don’t make near-perfect contact with the ball on a tight lie.
Most amateurs regularly skull, blade, or chunk the ball when attempting to hit a sand wedge or lob wedge from a tight lie.
That is why I almost always recommend mid-handicappers and up use a bump-and-run technique vs. a lob shot when dealing with a tight lie.
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How To Identify A Tight Lie
- Dead or burnt-out grass (particularly in the summer)
- Bald or bare areas in the rough or trees
- Any very hard ground with little to no grass
- Fairways that are cut very short and are firm and dry
- Links style courses
- The “fringe” around greens
How To Play Off A Tight Lie
Approach Shots
- Place the ball a bit back in your stance
- Ensure you contact the ball before the grass
It’s imperative that you hit down on the ball and contact the ball first
Whereas “fluffy” lies allow for swing faults, such as sweeping the ball or hitting slightly up on it, tight lies do not.
If you don’t hit down on the ball, you will hit it thin or full-on blade it over the green.
Short Game Shots
You have several options when it comes to tight lies around the green:
Putting
- Unless you are very comfortable with your wedges, you are almost always better off putting form a tight lie when you are within 5-10 yards of the green.
- On some links courses, like Bandon Dunes, you will see very good players putting from upwards of 30 yards off the green.
- There’s no shame in putting from the fringe/fairway. Don’t let your ego get in the way of playing the correct shot for your skill level.
Chipping From Tight Lies
- Bump And Run
- The second easiest (or second best chance for avoiding the disaster) shot for most players is the bump and run with a mid-high iron.
- Take a 7 or 8 iron, play the ball slightly back in your stance, and make a smooth putting-type motion.
- For these shots, you do want to use more of a sweeping motion rather than trying to hit down on the ball as you would with a full-iron shot.
- Chip/Pitch/Flop
- The hardest (but sometimes only) option is the chip or flop shot from a tight lie.
- Sometimes you have no choice, such as when you have a bunker or some other hazard between you and the hole that you have to fly it over.
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