Article #23
Teacher: Lord Berry
To meet this week's teacher, or to purchase a copy of MUNIE ~ The Jitterbug Collection, go to www.bobbysteiner.com
Dear Jitterbug:
I hear people talk about the flyer lie, saying that the ball should actually go farther when hit from the rough. That doesn't seem to be the case for me. Am I doing something wrong?
C. C. Belding
Jitterbug Gang Fan
Jitterbug:
It's true, a flyer lie is called that because a ball hit from the rough, particularly with a short iron, will often jump out and fly farther than a shot of the same distance from the fairway. This is due in large part to the adjustment one makes to hit the ball from the longer grass.
First, playing the ball back in your stance (which is the first adjustment you make anytime the ball is in taller grass) makes for a steeper, more descending attack into the ball. As a result, whatever club you have in your hand will be de-lofted. For example, your 9-iron might have the loft of a 7- or 8-iron at impact, so you can expect a little extra juice from that.
And second, long grass prevents the grooves of the clubface from biting into the ball. This means less backspin, and therefore, less predictability. In fact, the only thing you can be sure of is that the ball, when hit from the rough, won't stop too quickly upon landing.
Now, as far as whether or not you're playing the shot correctly, my guess is that if you've never had a ball jump hard out of the rough, you're not playing the ball back in your stance, and therefore, aren't hitting abruptly down on the ball. And, if that's the case, I suspect the rough gives you some trouble.
Mr. Vaughn:
Keep in mind, C.C., that the ball ain't always gonna go farther. After all, if the ball is sitting down deep in long, thick grass you'll be lucky to dig it out with a shovel. They's only a certain length and thickness of grass that will cause the ball to go farther. Once you get past that point, you might oughtta just hack it out in some safe direction.
Lord Berry:
Mr. Vaughn's point is well taken, but it does raise the question, "At what point does a shot lose flyer status and move into the category of that which should be safely hacked out?"
In considering this, I remind you that even the greatest players face difficulty in accurately predicting the manner in which a ball will exit the non-uniform rough-cut grass. Reading a lie in the rough, particularly when factoring in longer grass, is not a perfect science. Accordingly, and with very few exceptions, it is simply best to stay in the fairway.