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How do you play those lies that make the ball sit way up in the grass. I never seem to have good distance control with these shots.

If its around the green i usually go between a punch,and a high lob, if its from farther out then usually its my hybrid and i will go down the grip a little,i find that helps me from going under the ball,also play it a little bit forward in my stance.

From the title of the thread I'm assuming that we are discussing a greenside shot. First, this is no place for a lofted club for most golfers. The likeliest result with a 56° or 60° is a fat shot... I've even seen guys go right under the ball without even touching it if the lie is fluffy enough. I use my 50° GW or 45° PW at most for this shot, and I will hit it more like a lob. This is one time where I won't try to hit down on the ball, because you can't pinch it no mater how much you try. I play it farther forward than I would for a normal chip or pitch, and I will hit sort of a scoop. This is going to be a high lob, and it's going to roll after it lands. Figuring out the roll is just making an estimate from experience... my goal with this difficult shot is to try and get within 10 feet so I have a putt at par. I try to leave the ball within that range, but below the hole with as little break as possible.

have to agree with 4 putt...tough shot...depends on what kind of green and slope you got to land on of course...I use PW...feet closer together..and front of stance...

I agree also, I've even used an 8 iron, loft is not your friend here...

did you see it! just read this, went to the TV and : Phil just did this shot to win in Shanghai. what an artist! a soft flop...ball went about 4 feet up and 2 feet onto the green

Did you not see his flop shot on the green during regular play ? Wow. full back swing to hit the ball 10 ft. The result wasnt the best but the shot itself was immense.

Around the green I would use a PW, and try to just pick the ball off the top of the grass. A real easy swing.

How about a fluffy shot maybe a full PW shot away? I had this shot my last game and still took the PW and true enough it just popped up and maybe went just half way...I guess following the suggestions above, I should have hit a lower lofted club maybe and 8 iron?

I'd play half to 3/4 8 iron or maybe a 3/4 9 iron. Choke down on the grip and don't ground the club behind the ball. Hover the club about where the ground would be in a normal lie. It's a shot that takes practice to play it with confidence.

Bottom line for this shot is you need to practice the same shot from the rough at the range, long before you try it on the course. I practice this shot all the time at the range, I use a LW and take a big swing. How big depends on how far I need to carry the ball. The thing you HAVE to do is excellerate all the way through. Never slow down. Before you play the shot on the course, take a few swings a few feet from the ball to get a feeling for how much or little the grass will slow down the club, Then make adjustments for the grass and play the shot. This will help a lot with your distance control.

Those fluffy lies, that are off the ground, are known as flier lies. And if you take a normal swing with a normal angle of attack, the tendency is to sweep under the ball (like when you take a divot) and to leave the ball short, or even where it lies. You have to grip down about an inch, so the apex of your swing is at the same height. You have to try to still contact the ball with the sweet spot of the club face, as it lies above the surface of the ground itself..

Many try to quiet their lower body, and to focus on keeping their heads down. From out over 100 yards away, because the grass is holding the ball up, the grass also is where the club face will contact the ball, and this lowers the spin rate, and stopping the ball on the putting surface is harder to accomplish. Today's wedges have U shaped grooves, to assist in maintaining spin rates while having to hit these particular shots. I believe in 2010 the square grooves ( U shaped) will be outlawed under tournament conditions, but I really don't know. I have heard players that own these wedges will be grand-fathered so they may continue to play them. You may want to research that though, if you compete.

This type of lie dictates the player, hit to the front quadrant, with a large area for the approach, as the ball does tend to release a great deal, The biggest thing is to not ground the club as the head of the club will in fact path under the ball, and you will not advance the shot as you think you will.

But this past fall, in a major tournament (I forget which), Phil tried to hit a high shot from a fluffy lie and went right under and muffed it.

Try different clubs, and different types of shots when you practice. Otherwise it is just a big guessing game. Hitting the back of the ball not under, with a less lofted club is a safe bet. Keep hands forward and 'pick' the ball right off the fluffy lie, as if it were on a tee. This should help...

Eric Larson
Professional Golfer