How to tackle golf's tricky flyer lie
Golf flyers occur when the ball is partially buried in the grass - learn the secrets to ensure perfect yardage.
Flyers are not just annoying on our doormats and car windscreens. They get on our nerves out the rough, too.
Golf amateurs often like to believe that if a ball is sat up in the rough then they can hit it like a normal shot off the fairway - but this could NOT be further away from the truth.
The possibility of a "flyer lie" - as you will no doubt have heard from commentators strolling the fairways with the world's best on Tour each week - can occur when the ball is partially buried in the grass.
When hitting from this type of lie the ball tends to travel farther than expected - to fly, figuratively speaking - causing the unprepared player to hit the ball past his target.
The key to hitting a flyer lie successfully is recognising the lie and understanding how the ball is likely to react.
INSTRUCTION: TOP 10 TIPS FOR IMPROVED IRON PLAY
PGA coach Graeme Davies provides us with his top tips for when the potential for a flyer comes to the fore.
The most common mistake for a golfer to make with this shot is hitting underneath the ball because they don't allow for the large gap between ball and ground.
Treat the shot as if you were teeing the ball up on a high tee peg with an iron. You wouldn't try to compress the ball or hit down on it, rather you would try to sweep it off the tee.
The same principle applies to the flyer lie shot. Address the leading edge of the clubface at the equator (middle) of the ball and grip down on the club. It's also important to put the ball back in your stance because this increases the chance of hitting the ball first, which is essential for this shot, otherwise you'll be hitting air.
All these steps are crucial to not getting underneath the ball so apply these at set-up then take a nice shallow backswing and a smooth swing motion though to finish.
Check out Graeme's coaching website Graeme Davies Golf or where he teaches at Huntswood Golf Club.
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Andy first joined the brand on a month's work experience back in April 2011, and he now assumes the Editor role. When Andy joined GolfMagic it was a small site with potential.
