Instruction
The most overlooked, yet crucial factor in shot selection
If you’re not analyzing how your golf ball lies in the grass before every shot, you’re costing yourself strokes.
All too often I see amateurs walk up to a shot, get the yardage, pick a club and whack away with little to no regard for how the golf ball is sitting. Good players understand that the lie will influence factors such as shot height, carry distance, spin, landing angle, etc., and it’s something they shouldn’t overlook, even when the ball is in the fairway.
Every golf shot is like solving a problem, and you need to gather all of the information possible to make sure you understand all the variables involved. Analyzing your lie helps you do this. Below, I go through common lies you’ll likely experience in a given round, and how they will effect the golf ball’s flight.
Ball Sitting Up in Fairway
Here’s an example of a great lie in the fairway; it’s one that has the ball sitting “up,” and will allow you to hit nearly any shot you choose. As you can see from the photo, there’s no interference to keep you from striking the shot cleanly, and is most certainly a “go-lie” for a shot with a 3 wood if you carry one.
Related: Why ditching your 3 wood could save you strokes
Watch out for things like grain or imperfections in the turf that could affect lies in the fairway. If the ball is not sitting up, or laying into the grain, don’t try to force a shot that requires a long carry since there’s little room for error. Also, look for things like mud on the ball or divots beneath the ball that may negatively affect the shot.
Ball in First Cut of Rough
When the ball is resting in the first cut of rough just off the fairway, you must check to see how it settled in the grass. When the ball is sitting down — as you can see here — you must consider the direction in which you are hitting the ball and audit where the deep grass is located.
Let’s pretend you’re hitting this ball toward the top part of the picture. In that case, there is very little grass behind the ball, allowing you to make better contact. You’ll likely be able to hit the club necessary for the shot you plan to hit, but I would not suggest “going for it” on a par-5, or hitting a long approach with danger near the green.
If you were hitting the ball toward the bottom of the photo, on the other hand, you would probably want to change to a higher-lofted club than you would normally hit to help you advance the ball toward the green or down the fairway. It’s one of those times when you simply hit the ball in the incorrect place and you must take your medicine.
If you’re only left with a short shot into the green, I’d suggest aiming to the fat part of the green; it’s not the time to get cute.
Semi or Full-Flyer Lie
With today’s grooves, the effects of a stereotypical “flyer lie” have been reduced. That being said, however, the ball can still “jump” on you if you don’t pay attention to your lie.
Here you are hitting the ball toward the top portion of the photograph, and you’ll notice a tuft of grass just behind the ball. This clump of grass — especially when it’s wet — will get between the clubface and the ball at impact, and cause the ball to fly with less spin. That’s what causes the ball to “squirt” and land on the green with no chance to stop, or even fly over the green.
It’s this type of lie that people often overlook, but it’s one that the professionals give their utmost attention when there’s trouble over the green.
Hardpan or Tight Lie
For good players, having no grass around the ball is not a big deal; they’re used to hitting down on the ball. This lie often gives the average player fits, though. Most of the time, the ball comes out low and right for them from this lie. That’s because amateurs often try to help the ball into the air from hardpan or a tight lie, leading to a thin shot that’s hit with an open clubface.
The key to this shot is to make sure you hit down on the ball, allowing the low point of the club to be on the target side. If you make sure this happens, you’ll be able to produce the same shot you can from a perfect lie on the fairway. Remember, commit to the shot, and don’t be scared to take a divot.
The Ultra-Perched Lie
I bet you didn’t think you could have a lie that’s too good. Well, you certainly can.
In the photo above, you can see the ball is perched up in the rough, seemingly just waiting to be hit. The problem is that if you hit down on the ball too much, you can impact the ball too high on the clubface and it will come out “dead.” You’ll lose ball speed on the shot, which will cost you distance.
The key to these types of lies is to SWEEP the ball off the ground — don’t chop down! If you sweep the ball, you will impact the shot on the correct portion of the clubface and the ball will be hit cleanly.
Final thoughts
Lie analysis should become a vital portion of your pre-shot routine on every single shot. It’s up to you as the player to experiment with the different lies and clubs so you’ll be prepared to identify and react to each type of lie you can get. Do your homework.
Next time you hit the range or have some time alone on the golf course, play around from all sorts of lies, grass directions, etc. You’ll become more comfortable at “reading” the lie, dealing with it, and ultimately you’ll cut strokes off your scores.
Here’s to happy experimenting!
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” on RG.org each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more Tips!
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Scott
Oct 24, 2016 at 11:15 am
Really good stuff. Thanks Tom.
Dave r
Oct 21, 2016 at 8:39 pm
Right on Ron you said it best and a good sense of humour got me laughing . You can picture it now all the boys following this would take longer than seconds believe me . How long does it take tour players to get around 18 holes a lot longer than a few seconds a shot.
Still laughing “..”…..????????????????????????????????????
rockflightxl1000
Oct 21, 2016 at 11:59 am
Does this article exist for bunker conditions?
Fred
Oct 21, 2016 at 11:52 am
Whats the top portion of the photo and the bottom of the photo? Thats just confusing.
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Azman Long Hamid
Oct 20, 2016 at 10:13 pm
I think guessing whose legs are those in the picture, is much more interesting. Mu guess is Paula Creamer ?
Seeemples
Oct 20, 2016 at 8:29 pm
I had no idea that so many you idiots overlooked this simple piece of what makes golf so fun. Now I understand why you all been sucking at it
rymail00
Oct 20, 2016 at 8:08 pm
Another great article Tom.
If you get a chance maybe a follow up article on short game shots and analyzing the lie?
Kevin
Oct 20, 2016 at 5:08 pm
Great post. I have been looking for a read like this for a while.
Ron
Oct 20, 2016 at 4:52 pm
Hey, I don’t want to be Johnny Raincloud here, but if I did all the analysis I’m told is necessary on every shot I hit, I’d be playing a 7 hour round and the foursome behind me would tie me to their car bumper on the way home.
It’s all good and correct, but we’re not playing for millions. Hit your ball, get out of the way.
andy c
Oct 20, 2016 at 6:01 pm
I think people duffing bad shot after bad shot out of the rough make play much more slow. 3 bad shots take longer than 1 good one.
Ron
Oct 21, 2016 at 11:35 am
You’d think that, but no. Let me walk up to my ball and inspect the lie. Now let me take a good read on the yardage. I’ll back up my GPS with my laser rangefinder, just to be sure. Wait, there must be a sprinkler head around here too. I should also check the temperature and the humidity to figure out how far my ball will fly in these conditions. And wind… Oh, wind. Which direction? How hard is it coming in? Helping or hurting? Will it accentuate my natural ball flight or help straighten it out?
Now, to strategy. Where is my best miss? What do I want to leave myself? If the pin in a sucker location?
Ok, I have all my information. Which club should I use? Wait. I’ve forgotten how to swing a golf club because I’ve contracted dementia while I’ve been looking at this ball.
Just hit your golf ball and get out of the way. There are other people trying to play.
Rational
Oct 21, 2016 at 11:57 am
A gross exaggeration is the #1 sign you have no point.
It takes a few seconds to look at the lie, a few seconds to find the yardage, and you’re two senses of sight and touch will instantly let you know the wind and where you should be aiming. Don’t blame everyone else because you’re too dense to simply look at a green and figure out that bunkers and pin on the left = don’t miss it left.
But by all means… keep on being the guy who airmails a back to front sloping green with a back pin, blades his pitch completely off the front, and then 4 putts for a snowman. As long as you didn’t take a long time to hit your 8 shots, you’re good!
The Daily GolfWRX Fail
Oct 21, 2016 at 1:12 pm
Ron you forgot the 20 practice swings I have to do before I step up to the ball and the 50 waggles I have to get out of my system before I can actually hit the ball
GregC
Oct 20, 2016 at 2:00 pm
Thanks Tom. I asked for something like this article a couple of weeks back and you came through for me. I thought it was very helpful and brought forth some things I didn’t understand before. I appreciate the visuals!
Tom Stickney
Oct 22, 2016 at 9:32 am
My pleasure
tickle me puswoo
Oct 20, 2016 at 1:57 pm
It’s as if this guy writes his articles directed only at dummies….. ? realise Golfwrx has turned into TMZ but can we at least get some good content…. at least TMZ has fit women to go along with the boring BS…… Come on golfwrx where are the women then?????
Tom Stickney
Oct 20, 2016 at 10:08 pm
You obviously have not read my more in-depth articles using Trackman. Not for the beginners.
tom stickney
Oct 20, 2016 at 1:23 pm
Thanks for the comments…it’s the most forgotten fundamental of “playing” the game in my opinion
Justin
Oct 20, 2016 at 12:23 pm
I’m not sure how many courses actually have deep rough areas these days, but I wish you would have discussed how to hit a ball that is sunken down partially or fully into deep rough. As you stated, the goal of the average player on every second shot is to hit the green, regardless of where there ball ends up because we see the pros do it so often. I think the major key in deep rough is to pick a safe spot on the fairway where you can advance the ball with the smallest chance of ending up in a similar or worse lie again. For example, you shouldn’t aim over a fairway bunker when you have this lie because you can’t assume you’ll make good enough contact to carry the ball over it. Even if your shot has to be hit diagonally or mostly sideways, it’s worth it in the long run to avoid trouble.
Also, I don’t think most average golfers think about what the club face will do through impact on a shot out of deep rough. Setting up with a slightly open stance AND club face will help tremendously in advancing the ball forward on a mostly straight line. The more powerful your swing, the less the grass is going to close the club face, so that needs to be a factor as well.
Again, I’m not sure how often the average golfer faces a deep rough situation, but knowing the best route and setup to get back to safety can keep them from that one blow up hole that ruins a round.
LeeRob
Oct 21, 2016 at 12:56 pm
Best reminder I’ve heard to make the point in your first paragraph is “don’t follow a bad shot with a stupid shot”. I tell myself that whenever I end up in a really challenging lie.
Philip
Oct 20, 2016 at 11:27 am
Cool … I’ll be sure to review these shots and the suggestions. Never did know what a flyer lie was and the perched lie definitely has sucker-punched me many times, especially near the green where I have started chipping with the toe down this season with really good success. The only lie tricky lie that gives me no issues is the hardpan/tight lie – mainly due to always playing it as it lies and for me the ball often lies on little grass or in divots. Really appreciate the lesson, thanks!
Tom
Oct 20, 2016 at 10:59 am
The ol perched or hangin chad lie is my nemesis.
James
Oct 20, 2016 at 10:41 am
This was everything I was hoping it would be when I saw the headline. Great article