Titleist Tips: A Chipping Solution for Poor Lies

A lie just off the green is not necessarily a good lie. This is especially true coming into a new season, when the soil is saturated with winter melt and the grass hasn’t begun to grow yet. It’s also common to find these thin, soggy lies in greenside collection areas, after heavy rain storms create wash-out. Titleist staff member Jonathan Yarwood calls these conditions “dodgy lies” and if local rules don’t allow you to take relief, he has a solution that will keep your scorecard clean.

Master wedge craftsman Bob Vokey is famous for teaching golfers that “bounce is your friend”, but in this video, Jonathan shows that the exception proves the rule. On these type of muddy, dodgy lies, reducing the bounce will actually produce more consistent results. Try Jonathan’s keys the next time your faced with any kind of dodgy lie (wet, sandy, hardpan) around the green:

1. Stand very close to the ball so that the shaft angle is much more vertical than normal.
2. Only the toe portion of the club’s sole should b in contact with the turf. The heel of the wedge should be raised off the ground.
3. Lean left and move the position of the ball back in your stance. At address you should feel like . you are putting.
4. Make a putting stroke and contact the ball out towards the toe of the club face.
5. With this technique you will contact the ball first and be able to hit very predictable chips. After impact, the toe of your wedge will dig slightly into the soft turf beyond the ball, but because you’ve reduced how much of the sole contacts the ground, you greatly minimize the odds of a fat or thin shot.

For more tips and drills from Jonathan and other Titleist Staff Members, visit Titleist Instruction: https://bit.ly/2W4QkIR