Tight lies around the green give junior golfers more trouble than almost any other situation. When there’s barely any grass under the ball, mistakes get punished immediately. You can’t slide the club under the ball like you would from fluffy rough.
Many junior golfers panic when they see a tight lie. They try to help the ball up by scooping or flipping their wrists. These moves usually result in thin shots that race across the green or fat shots that barely move the ball.
Learning the right drills builds the skills needed to handle tight lies with confidence. The key is developing clean contact and proper technique through repetition. These drills help junior golfers practice the fundamentals needed to chip successfully from firm ground.
Why Tight Lies Are Challenging
From normal lies, you can slide the club under the ball and still get decent results. Tight lies don’t give you that luxury. The club has to make contact with the ball first, then barely brush the ground.
Three mistakes cause most problems:
Trying to scoop the ball up: This flips the wrists and usually creates thin shots that race across the green.
Hitting behind the ball: Fear of thin contact makes some players hit the ground first, which barely moves the ball from firm lies.
Coming in too steep: A steep swing bounces off hard ground and catches the ball thin.
The fix is a shallow, controlled approach that hits ball first, then ground. This takes practice with the right drills.
Towel Drill for Connection
This drill teaches proper body rotation and prevents independent arm movement that causes inconsistent contact.
Setup: Tuck a small towel under both armpits before taking your chipping stance. The towel should stay in place throughout your swing.
Purpose: The towel forces your arms and torso to work together as one unit. This connection produces a controlled, repeatable swing that’s essential for tight lies.
Execution: Make normal chipping swings while keeping the towel secure under your arms. Focus on rotating your body through the shot instead of just swinging your arms. Your chest should face the target at the finish.
Key benefit: This drill eliminates “flippy” wrist action that causes thin and fat shots. When your arms stay connected to your body rotation, the club approaches the ball at a consistent, shallow angle that works well on firm ground.
Practice this drill regularly, starting with very short chips and gradually increasing distance as the movement feels more natural. The connected feeling you develop will transfer directly to better tight lie performance.
One-Handed Chip Drill for Feel
Single-handed chipping builds the hand sensitivity and wrist control needed for precise contact on tight lies.
Trail hand drill: Hit short chips using only your trail hand (right hand for right-handed players). This develops proper wrist hinge and soft hands through impact.
Lead hand drill: Practice chips with only your lead hand to build stability and control. This hand guides the clubface and maintains direction.
Benefits: One-handed practice exaggerates the feel of proper wrist action. Your trail hand learns to hinge correctly on the backswing and release smoothly through impact. Your lead hand develops the stability needed to control clubface position.
Execution tips: Start with very short chips of 10-15 yards. Focus on making solid contact rather than distance. The ball should come off the clubface cleanly with a consistent trajectory.
Alternate between lead-hand and trail-hand practice to develop both control and feel. This combination helps you handle tight lies with the right blend of stability and touch.
Landing Spot Drill for Precision
Accurate landing spots become critical when chipping from tight lies because the ball’s first bounce determines how it reacts on the green.
Setup: Place a tee on the green about one-third of the way to the hole. This represents your ideal landing spot.
Goal: Land each chip shot within a few feet of your target spot, focusing on trajectory control rather than just getting near the hole.
Execution: Choose different clubs and practice landing shots on the same spot. Notice how each club produces different ball flight and roll characteristics from tight lies.
Progressive difficulty: Start with targets 15-20 yards away, then work up to longer shots as your accuracy improves. Change target locations to practice different trajectories and landing angles.
This drill teaches you to think in terms of flight and roll rather than just hoping the ball gets close. From tight lies, controlling your landing spot determines whether the ball releases properly or skips unpredictably.
Three Club Drill for Distance Control
Practice the same chip shot using three different clubs to learn distance and trajectory options for tight lies.
Club selection: Use a wedge, 9-iron, and 7-iron for the same target. Each club produces different results from tight lies.
Execution: Hit chips to the same pin with all three clubs, changing your swing length to control distance. Notice how each club behaves differently:
- Wedge: Higher flight, more spin, less roll
- 9-iron: Medium flight, medium roll
- 7-iron: Lower flight, more roll
Practice method: Set up 10 balls on a tight lie area. Hit 3-4 chips with each club to the same target, then switch targets and repeat.
Benefits: This teaches you which club works best for different pin positions and green conditions. When you face a tight lie during a round, you’ll have multiple options instead of just hoping one club works.
Start with targets 20-30 yards away and practice until you can control distance with all three clubs consistently.
Building Confidence Through Repetition
Tight lies require confidence as much as technique. Doubt causes tentative swings that usually produce poor results.
Practice routine: Spend dedicated time working on tight lie situations during practice sessions. Set up balls on firm ground or use practice mats that simulate tight conditions.
Mental approach: Focus on making clean contact rather than worrying about perfect results. Good technique produces good outcomes over time.
Gradual progression: Start with easier tight lie situations and gradually work up to more challenging ones. This builds success patterns that transfer to course play.
Regular practice with these drills develops the skills and confidence needed to handle tight lies effectively. The key is consistent repetition until proper technique becomes automatic.
Conclusion
Tight lies don’t have to be intimidating when you have the right skills and confidence. The towel drill develops proper body connection, one-handed practice builds feel and control, landing spot work improves precision, and multiple club practice teaches distance control.
These drills address the main challenges of tight lie chipping: clean contact, proper technique, and confident execution. Practice them regularly so tight lies become just another scoring opportunity instead of a source of stress.
Consistent practice with these fundamentals helps junior golfers handle pressure situations during competitive rounds. When you’ve developed reliable tight lie skills through repetition, you can focus on strategy and execution rather than worrying about technique.
Junior golfers looking to improve their short game can find experienced instructors through Athletes Untapped. Many specialized golf coaches focus on short game development and can provide personalized drill progressions for tight lie situations. Check out additional golf training content for more practice ideas and technique tips.
