Uneven Lies Tips Special — Part II: How to play uphill and downhill 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.
We see a lot of golfers struggle with uneven lies, so we’re back with Part II of our series providing uneven lies tips, so you can play the perfect shot from these imperfect situations.
Part II: Uneven lies tips for uphill and downhill shots
When it comes to uphill and downhill shots, GolfTEC Director of Teaching Quality, Patrick Nuber, illustrates in the two videos below how the ball is prone to fly and what you can do to successfully navigate these awkward lies.
VIDEO: Uneven lies tips — Uphill Shots
When you’re faced with an uphill lie, you may have been told to match your shoulders to the slope. But this can result in overdoing the adjustment and often hitting behind the ball.
Here’s how to handle these shots with ease:
- Select a club with lower loft (i.e. a 6- or 5-iron instead of a 7-iron)
- Place more weight on the lead foot at address
- Keep weight on your lead foot throughout the swing, refraining from falling back toward your trail foot
- Push your hips through to the target to help promote this consistent weight distribution
Note: The severity of the slope matters on these shots, as the ball will naturally fly higher and shorter on severely uphill lies. So take even more club on these shots to adjust accordingly.
VIDEO: Uneven lies tips — Downhill shots
One of the most difficult shots for amateur golfers is the downhill lie. When the ball is on a downhill lie, there are some key address and swing adjustments necessary to hit the proper shot.
Here’s how to play the perfect shot:
- Select a club with higher loft (i.e. choose a 6- or 7-iron instead of a 5-iron)
- Place the ball slightly back in your stance
- Place more weight on your lead foot at address
- Keep your weight toward your lead foot throughout the swing, refraining from falling back up the slope, or trying to “help” the ball into the air
Note: In a converse fashion to the uphill slope, the more severe the downhill slope, the lower and farther the ball is prone to fly. So adjust club selection accordingly, depending on the severity of slope.
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!
