Welcome to Lie Detector, a Golf Digest+ series where we use an ultra-slow-motion camera to help you identify and properly execute shots from various lies. Different lies, whether they be in the fairway, rough or bunker, require different techniques, but first, you must get better at identifying the lie that you have.
There are many different types of lies in the rough, but two of the most common are the flyer lie and one where the ball is so buried that you can hardly see it. If the flyer goes much farther than usual, this nasty lie goes much shorter.
The tricky part is, sometimes it’s hard to tell whether you have a flyer or a buried lie. After all, both lies involve some grass getting between the clubface and the ball. Correctly determining which lie you have is crucial to controlling distance into the green.
Here’s how you can tell if you have a buried lie in the rough.
Where it often happens
In longer and/or thicker rough. A buried lie in the rough can happen with any grass type, but it’s especially common in bentgrass in cooler climates like the Northeast. If the rough is short and wispy, you’re unlikely to get a buried lie.
How to identify it
Christian Iooss
On the most extreme buried lies, you’ll hardly be able to see the ball even when standing directly over it. These lies, however, are fairly rare unless you’re playing championship golf or at an elite private club.
If you can still see a good amount of the ball, Best in New Jersey teacher Nick Bova says a good first step is to place your club behind the ball and judge how far above the ground the ball is. Is it sitting flush with the ground or is it propped up a little bit? The closer the ground the ball sits, the more buried it is and likely the shorter it will fly.
What it will do to the club and ball
“My first impression with these lies is that the ball is going to come out dead,” Bova says. With all of the resistance from the grass between the clubface and the ball, the ball tends to fly much shorter from a buried lie. To get the most out of these lies, Bova recommends a steeper swing where the clubhead is moving sharply down into the back of the ball. In order to get that steep angle of attack, get the majority of your weight on your front foot.
Bova also says to open the clubface, which is crucial for two reasons. First, the added loft is needed to get the ball airborne. Perhaps more importantly, though, is that the grass behind the ball will tend to grab and close the clubface through impact, so the open face help protects against that. Increasing your grip pressure can also help prevent this twisting.
Don’t expect to get much distance out of these shots. Bova recommends most players take no more than a 7-iron out of these nasty lies. If you take too little loft, you risk smothering the shot and leaving the ball in the rough. These lies are about advancing the ball and getting it back in play.
For more on buried lies in the rough, check out our 2-minute clinic on how to hit these shots, below.