Essential Skill: How to Read Lies in the Rough

Do you struggle from the rough? Does your scoring average increase dramatically when you miss the fairway?

If so, you need to learn how to read lies in the rough.

Half the battle with approach shots is analyzing the lie to figure out the best club and target for every shot. Today, I’ll help simplify this process so you can hit shots from the rough with confidence and avoid big misses. 

How to Read Lies in the Rough 

Missing fairways is part of golf – even for the best golfer in the world. 

In fact, did you know that the PGA Tour average is only about 60% of fairways? Needless to say, if the best golfers in the world are missing fairways, you will too. 

Which is why it’s important to learn how to hit from the rough. Navigating the rough is a crucial skill for any type of golfer as the longer, thicker grass can impact the shot unlike a fairway lie. 

It all starts with reading the lie. Understanding how to read lies in the rough can help you make better decisions, execute more shots better, and hopefully shoot lower scores. 

Key Takeaways

• Even the best golfers in the world only hit about 60% of fairways in regulation. Amateur golfers miss even more, which is why it’s crucial to learn how to hit from the rough.
• One of the most important parts of hitting from the rough is analyzing the lie. How the ball is sitting will directly affect the flight, trajectory, spin, and distance.
• There are a few types of lies in the rough including a normal lie, flyer lie, and sitting down.
• Each lie requires its own type of shot and approach shot strategy to hit a good golf shot.

Keep reading to learn how to easily analyze each lie and improve your shots from the rough. 

Step 1: Identify How the Ball is Sitting 

Once you get to your golf ball, the first thing to do is check how the ball is sitting. Always analyze the lie before using a rangefinder or golf GPS to identify the distance to the flag. This way you get in the habit of actually checking the lie, which so many golfers skip too often.

Is the ball sitting up (known as a flier lie)? Is it nestled down in the grass? Or, is it somewhere in between. 

Is it thick and rough? Or more of a “first cut” of rough? Thicker grass requires a lot more of a conservative strategy than a lie that is similar to a fairway.

Ultimately, each type of lie impacts the club you should hit and other adjustments to make when hitting from the rough. Here’s how to adjust your club and shot selection based on the lie.

Sitting Up (Flyer Lie)

If you miss the fairway and find the ball sitting up in the rough, this might be your lucky day. A flyer lie is ideal for everyday golfers, as it’s almost easier than hitting from the fairway. If you mishit it and slightly chunk the ball, it’ll still fly nearly the same thanks to the extra grass.

Hitting from a flier lie is similar to hitting from mats, as the club bounces more and offsets a bad swing. It should travel its normal distance or slightly longer because it’s almost teed up.

The only problem with flyer lies is they don’t spin as much, so plan for some extra roll out once the ball hits the green. 

Ball Sitting Down 

If the ball is sitting down but not buried, you’ll need to focus on making solid contact and try to advance the ball as far as possible. When the ball is in the rough, the hosel will close as the thick grass shuts the face at impact. The thicker the rough, the more the hosel of the face will close.

In this scenario, you’ll need to open the club slightly at address and try to play a fade to avoid a huge pull draw. Since you won’t make as clean of contact, the ball will not spin as much either, so plan for more roll-out. This might mean clubbing down and trying to land the ball on the front of the green in hopes that it releases out toward the center or back.

Avoid using hard to hit long irons and focus on getting the ball back in play above all else. 

Buried Lie 

The final lie you might get if you miss the fairway is a buried lie where it’s sitting down dramatically. Here’s the strategy for hitting this shot from Golf.com, “When the ball is sitting all the way down, there’s no way to get the club to the back of the ball without a lot of grass getting in the way. 

This means the grass will slow the club down before impact, resulting in the shot to come up shorter than normal. This shot also won’t have much backswing spin and tends to come out low and left due to the grass twisting the face down.” 

If the ball is severely buried, do not take more than a short iron! 

Plan to get it out of the rough and hopefully wedge on – a bogey isn’t the end of the world in this situation! Don’t waste shots by playing too aggressively from buried lies.

Doing so can lead to a topped shot (it happens even to the pros) and some big misses. Play the ball back in your stance, chop it out to the fairway, and try to save par. Don’t play hero golf. 

Step 2: Don’t Forget the Direction of the Grass

Another important factor when evaluating your lie in the rough is understanding the direction of the grass. Even the type of grass – Bermuda vs. Bentgrass – can make a big difference, too. Click here to learn more about different types of grass in golf.

The direction in which it’s growing can also impact the spin and distance for the shot. If the grass is growing towards you, it will slow down your swing. You’ll need more of a “chopping” motion to make clean contact and advance the ball toward the green.

If the grass is growing away from the ball, it won’t impact the ball nearly as much. Always take a moment to observe the direction of the grass to pick your target and club selection. 

Step 3: Consider the Slope

Once you figure out if the ball is sitting up, down, or somewhere in between, notate the slope. Is the ball above or below your feet? Is the ball on a downhill or uphill? 

The slope of the lie paired with how the ball is sitting will determine your target and club selection. 

For example, if your ball is sitting down and the ball is above your feet, expect the ball to shoot left quickly off the face. The rough already twists the hosel of the club shut, which makes a pull or draw much more likely. While a ball that is above your feel also makes it easy to swing more inside to outside for a draw ball flight.

Another example is if your ball is sitting up (flyer lie) and on an uphill lie. In this case, a flyer lie makes the ball travel further, while the up slope leads to a higher ball flight. But it also reduces distance as loft increases, so they somewhat offset each other in terms of distance. 

While the lie is important, always factor in the slope as well, as it can compound or offset the shot. Click here to learn more about uneven lies in golf. 

My Experience 

Golf is such a complex game; not only do we have to learn how to hit 100 different shots and clubs, we also have to manage the conditions too. The course itself plus weather play a huge factor on every swing and why it’s so important to play golf (not just hit balls on the range).

Since we can’t hit these types of shots in practice, it’s key to practice on the golf course (if possible). Playing solo and trying out different clubs, from different lies can help you learn how to get back in position after a bad tee shot.

Just remember, a conservative strategy is the best option when you’re in the rough. 

While it’s easier than hitting from a fairway bunker, too many amateurs try shots that are too aggressive and lead to big numbers. If you’re out of position, try to make a bogey or better so you don’t lose momentum and have a huge blowup hole on the scorecard. 

Final Thoughts 

Learning to read lies in the rough is a skill that can have a huge impact on your overall performance. As mentioned before, not all lies are created equal and some have a huge impact with how the ball will react off the face of the club. If you don’t set up properly and make the necessary adjustments, you’re going to miss a lot more greens.

While the lie is an important part of your approach shot strategy, don’t forget to consider other weather conditions too. The humidity, temperature, elevation, wind, and more can all impact the shot shape/distance.

Practice these techniques every round so you can learn how to play golf from the rough like a pro. Soon enough, this analysis will become part of your pre-shot routine and help you manage drives that don’t find the short grass.

Next, make sure to read about:

• Mud Balls in Golf
• How to Hit from a Divot