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.

Have you ever hit a chip shot that came out low with a good amount of spin? Aside from good technique and contact, you were likely hitting off fairway grass that was downgrain. These lies can be far more forgiving than into-the-grain shots, but before you hit them, you need to know which you have.

But first, a quick refresher on grain, which Best in State teacher Nick Bova explains is, “the direction in which the grass is growing.”

Here’s how to identify and make the most of a downgrain fairway lie around the greens.

MORE LIE DETECTOR: Into-the-grain chip | The flyer lie | Buried in nasty rough | 'Teed up' chip | Mudball

Where it often happens

Around the greens on tightly mown run-offs or fairway. Some types of grass, like the Bermudagrass found in warmer climates, have more grain than other grasses, like bent, which is popular in northern climates.

2-MINUTE CLINIC: 4 ESSENTIALS TO NIP DOWN GRAIN CHIPS

How to identify it

There are two main strategies for identifying grain: 1) looking at the shade of the grass or 2) taking practice swings to “test” the grass.

If you’re standing behind your ball, looking at the hole, the grass on a down grain lie will appear much lighter compared to an into-the-grain lie. If the shade is dark, you’re likely chipping into the grain. Bova notes that seeing grain is typically easier on Bermudagrass than it is on bent, but the light vs. dark shades are a good checkpoint regardless of grass type.

When it’s difficult to visually see the grain, Bova recommends taking practice swings next to the ball, lightly hitting the ground. “Downgrain, the club will skid right along the grass,” he says. “We can hit that shot without having to worry about the club digging because of the way the grass is growing.”

You can see this lack of ground interaction in the slow-motion video, especially compared to the video of the into-the-grain lie.

What it will do to the club and ball

With the club moving smoothly through impact, the ball often strikes lower on the clubface, Bova says. Given this, Bova says, “The downgrain shot is easier to hit lower and easier to hit with more spin.”

Since the grass is growing toward the target, a down grain lie is far more forgiving if you hit the shot a little heavy. The clubhead will likely skid along the ground into the ball, resulting in an acceptable shot.

For more on downgrain chips, check out our 2-minute clinic on how to nip these shots, below.