Short Game · Mental Model

Read the lie to decide which short-game shot to play

On a firm, tight lie the instructor explains he cannot slide the wedge under the ball to play a soft, high release shot — he would thin it and the ball would land and kick. A softer lie would have let him slide underneath. His governing principle: lie reading is the most important part of short game, because the lie tells you the shot you can and, most importantly, can't play.