Lie

In determining club selection, I used to think that distance to the target was the most imprtant thing. But after my first outting last sunday, I started to think that the lie was more important.

There were a few occasions where, on a par 5, I'd have about 210 yards to go, so I'd naturally get out a big club, a 3wood or 3hybrid and try and knock it up as far to the target as I could. Although this worked fine on the first par 5 off a good lie, there were disasterous results the next few times simply because i'd have a bad lie.

After duffing my 3hybrid a few yards off the bad lie, I was scratching my head and asking "what went wrong there?" 

When the 4th par 5 came along towards the end of the round, after driving up the fairway, I'd left myself about 240 to the green. I had a bad lie again (the course was very dry and quite sandy in places) I decided to lift out my 7iron and lay up short and leave an easier wedge shot into the green. It worked a treat.

I'm really starting to learn course management and strategy now that I'm playing with the society.

How important is the lie to you when selecting your shots? Or should I just learn to use my big clubs from difficult lies?

The lie dictates the shot options under all circumstances, Ray. It is very nice to think that you can reach the par five in two with a well struck, accurate shot, but you are, like me, a high handicap player and the lay up option is the most reliable way to play a par five.

It is also worth remembering that a well struck long iron will go further into a stiff breeze than a wood and far easier to use from a tight lie.

The lie is very important to your next shot.

As I walk upto my golf ball I will be looking up at the green ahead to see what hazards, etc. I can see.

Then when I arrive at my golf ball I'll put my golf bag down about three pace away from me (so that I know I won't be hitting my bag during my swing). 

The next thing I do is look at the lie of the ball.  I take into account everything, am I in a divot or sat up nicely?  Is it an uphill, downhill or flat lie?  Is the ball above, below or level with my feet?  Each one of these factors will determine the flight of the ball.

Only when I've looked at the lie of the ball will I get my SkyCaddie out and find out how far it is to the middle of the green.

Once I've done these two things I then select the club that will get my ball to the green, or the point on the fairway where I want to layup too.

I saw a good thirty minute programme on Setanta Golf once that gave a very good insight into the routine you should get into before deciding what shot to play.

Russ

You have to accept the fact that you are going to get a bad lie every now and again, even when your ball is on the fairway!

It's how you deal with the bad lie that counts.

Russ