GOLF Top 100 Teacher's 'Strike the Match' Fix for Tight Lies

An open-faced wedge shot from a tight lie is one of the more nerve-racking tests around the green, but GOLF Top 100 Teacher Debbie Doniger says it comes down to a repeatable setup and a single swing thought rather than feel.

How should golfers set up to the shot?

Doniger starts with a narrow stance, weight favoring the lead foot, and the body and feet aimed left of the target for a right-handed player. Opening the clubface adds loft, and raising the handle slightly lets the toe of the club rest on the ground. Playing the ball a touch forward in the stance helps open the shoulders into the swing path the shot requires.

"The setup is key," Doniger says, "but the concept of the swing you're trying to create is also key."

What causes golfers to mishit this shot?

Doniger says the common fault is tentativeness: golfers slow down or stop rotating through impact when faced with a delicate shot, which leads to inconsistent contact. Her fix is to keep swinging out and across the ball while continuing to rotate the arms, chest and torso toward the target side. Opening the face creates the loft, but it's the continued rotation that delivers the club consistently through the ball.

What swing thought helps on tight lies?

Doniger's cue for the strike itself is simple: "strike the match." As the club moves through impact, the golfer should picture the toe brushing the grass the way a match head brushes a striker, producing a shallow, controlled contact that clips the turf without digging. Paired with the open setup and committed rotation, it is the piece that turns a shot many golfers fear into one they can play with confidence.