Dealing with a bad lie

There are few things more frustrating than hitting what you think is a perfect drive, only to find your ball embedded in a divot in the fairway. Don't lose hope, this shot can be pulled off if you know how to play it. When we encounter a bad lie in a divot or find the ball sitting down in the rough, there are certain actions that can be taken to insure we give ourselves the best chance of success for our next shot.

Play the ball further back in your stance.

In order to assure that you hit the ball on a descending blow and catch the ball before the turf, play the ball further towards your back foot than you would for a normal approach shot. This will give you the best chance for solid contact out of a bad lie.

Choke down on the club.

It is always easier to hit a ball with a shorter club. Therefore, choke down on your grip a couple of inches as you prepare to hit your approach out of a tough lie.

Take one more club than you usually would.

Chances are you're going to be hitting more of a 'punch' shot out of a bad lie (finishing the follow through low with very little breaking of the wrists). This shot requires that you take one or two more clubs than usual because it is not a full swing.

Make sure you hit down on the ball aggressively.

It is imperative to hit the ball on a steep descending blow out of a bad lie. This is the only way to make sure the ball gets airborne (as you must hit down on a ball to get it to go up). If you are in the rough then abide by the following law: the deeper the ball is sitting down in the grass the further back in your stance and the more you must hit down on it on a steep plane to get it out of the junk.

Don't let your wrists break through the contact area.

If you try to 'flip' at the ball to get it out of a bad lie you will lose the powerful lag motion that is imperative when hitting out of a bad lie. Let your wrists remain firm as the club travels down and through the ball and follow through aggressively and with confidence.

Clear your hips quickly to begin the downswing.

The more clubhead speed you can generate on the downswing the better. As we know, clubhead speed is generated by the clearing of the hips. So, make sure you make a good, quick, hip turn to begin the downswing in order to get the clubhead speed necessary for getting a ball out of a bad lie.

Use enough loft.

Less lofted clubs are harder to hit out of bad lies. It's harder to hit down on the ball with a less lofted club, and the clubface is more likely to get caught up in the grass as it moves through the contact area. If hitting out of a divot, a less lofted club is simply harder to hit on the sweet spot and you will be more likely to top it.

Keep these tips in mind next time you find your ball in an unsavory position.