The truth about lies

Good lie: Short swing

What type of shot you hit and what club you use is determined by more than the distance to the hole. You also have to look at the ball's lie.

Here I'm facing a simple pitch shot from a good fairway lie to a slightly elevated green.

To play this shot, I use a pitching wedge and make a short backswing and short follow-through. The loft of the club will get the ball into the air. Upon landing, it will roll toward the hole.

Bad lie: Longer swing

In this situation, I seem to have about the same shot as on the opposite page. But here the ball is sitting in the rough. That means I can't use a pitching wedge; the long grass will prevent solid contact. Instead, I use a sand wedge, which has more loft and is heavier, allowing me to swing through the grass more easily. To compensate for the loft and the effects of the grass, I make a longer swing to get the ball out.

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