Uneven Lies Tips Special — Part I: How to tackle sidehill shots
As the world leader in golf instruction and fact-based improvement, we know there are certain situations on the golf course just about every golfer on the planet struggles with.
A common pain point is what to do with an uneven lie — whether from an awkward sidehill position, or with the ball above or below your feet. So, we’re here with a two-part series on uneven lies tips, so you can play the perfect shot from these imperfect situations.
Part I: Uneven lies tips for sidehill shots
Hitting a shot from any uneven lie will result in various ball-flight characteristics, depending on the lie.
When it comes to sidehill shots, GolfTEC Director of Teaching Quality, Patrick Nuber, illustrates in the two videos below how the ball is prone to fly when it sits both above and below your feet.
VIDEO: Uneven lies tips — Ball above your feet
When the ball is above your feet, there are some key address and swing adjustments necessary to hit a good golf shot. Sure, you’ve heard a ball above your feet will naturally pull it left, but that’s only part of the equation.
Here’s how to play the perfect shot:
- Take a lower-lofted club than normal
- Stand up taller
- Grip it lower on the handle, toward the middle
- Aim more to the right of the target, and open the clubface
- Take a less-than-full swing
Dependent on the severity of the slope, you’ll have to adjust aim accordingly — a more severe slope will naturally pull the ball father left.
VIDEO: Uneven lies tips — Ball below your feet
When the ball sits below your feet, it will have the opposite flight characteristics of the above-the-feet shot, naturally falling away to the right of your target.
Here’s how to handle these shots with ease:
- Take a lower-lofted club than normal
- Bend your knees more, but don’t fold at the hips
- Grip the club at full length
- Place the ball in the middle of your stance
- Aim more to the left of your target
The severity of the slope also matters on these shots, so the more the ball sits below your feet, the more you’ll need compensate by aiming farther left.
See Part II of our Uneven Lies Tips Special:
Uphill and downhill shots
For more tips and all the latest instruction, news and equipment information, check out the GolfTEC Scramble daily and find a GolfTEC Improvement Center near you to start playing better golf today!
