Mastering Awkward Lies to Keep Your Score Clean

Regardless of how effectively you execute shots from tee to green, you will likely need to scramble proficiently several times during a round to preserve your score.

The distinction between scratch golfers and professionals, on one hand, and mid- to high-handicap players, on the other, lies not merely in their frequency of getting up and down, but in their superior grasp of the minor adjustments needed to execute awkward shots.

BALL SITTING DOWN

When the ball is nestled into the turf, slightly open the clubface and concentrate on preserving loft through the point of impact.

Executing this adjustment enables you to employ the slightly longer swing necessary to generate the speed required for the club to penetrate deeply and cut through the grass.

Regarding ball placement, the optimal position depends heavily on your greenside lie; if the ball is sitting down, as depicted below, you can position it more centrally within your stance.

Opening the face facilitates a longer swing with increased speed.(Image credit: Kevin Murray)

BALL SITTING UP

Conversely, if the ball is sitting up, you must move your ball position closer to your back foot, allowing you to strike it earlier in the swing arc to achieve more central contact on the clubface.

Your feet should aim slightly left of the target to open the hips somewhat, but when the ball is sitting down, maintaining ribcage rotation becomes crucial.

The chest opens up, the body continues its movement, and the arms and hands avoid flipping the face.

Observe how the wrists remain remarkably still in this instance.(Image credit: Kevin Murray)

As seen above, the wrists remain quite quiet; there is a release, but it is not excessive as it would be with a flop shot.

The unhinging of the wrists can be subtle for this shot because you have preset your loft and angle of attack during the setup.

DOWNSLOPES & UPSLOPES

Align your knees, hips, and shoulders parallel to the downslope.(Image credit: Kevin Murray)

From a downslope, as shown above, your knees, hips, and shoulders should all align with the slope to ensure pressure remains forward.

Utilize more loft since the ball will launch lower, and position it closer to your back foot because the club will naturally strike the highest point of the ground.

You require significant wrist movement during the backswing, yet you must remain connected, with the ribcage leading the arms to keep everything moving down the slope.

From an upslope, you should adopt a slightly narrower stance while keeping your weight forward.

You will again need some ribcage rotation; at impact, simply allow the club to ‘deaden’ into the hill to pop the ball up into the air.

If you scatter some balls around the green and incorporate these short game tips, you will begin to enjoy the challenge of getting up and down, which is precisely when your scores will drop.