Whenever you talk to a PGA Tour player about the shots they play, undoubtedly they’ll mention that they look at the lie of the ball before doing anything else in determining shot selection. Is the ball sitting up? Sitting down? Sidehill? Is there a tuft of grass beside the ball? Did I land in a divot? Is the grass thin here? Is the ball resting on some hardpan?
Amateur players rarely consider their lie until they’ve gotten into their pre-shot routine and addressed the ball. At that point it’s far too late to make any decisions or changes. I know of some amateurs who determine their next shot before the ball even comes to rest from the previous swing!
Start every, and I do mean every analysis of the proper shot selection with an inspection of the lie. The quality of the grass, the height of the ball, the cleanliness of the ball (any mud on it?), and innumerable other factors have a great impact on the type of shot you can play.