Before I go any further, I am going to first give you the definition of the 4 uneven lies in golf.
Uphill Lie - The easiest of the four uneven lies. The ball is even with your feet but the slope is up-hill, we refer to this as an uphill lie.
Downhill Lie - A ball that is level to your feet but the slope is down hill, probably the second most difficult shot in golf.
Ball Below Feet - The most difficult shot in golf is when the ball is below your feet.
Ball Above Feet - The fourth uneven lie is when the ball is above your feet.
Do not get confused between an uphill lie, and when the ball is simply above your feet. These are 2 different lies, and each should be addressed separately. Also, don’t get mixed up with the downhill lie, and the ball being below your feet. Again, these are 2 different lies.
Uphill Lie
Let’s start with the easiest shot in golf, the up-hill lie. If you struggle with this shot, you probably swing the golf club to vertical into the ground and hit a fat shot. Before you prepare for an uphill lie, you need to think of a few important items first. Make sure you take a less lofted golf club. When you have a uphill lie, it will make the ball go HIGHER and SHORTER.
The ball will have a tendency to hook to the left, so aim a little to the right.
To avoid hitting the shot fat, check your shoulder alignment and make sure they are parallel to the ground you are standing on. If you are on an uphill lie, your back shoulder should be a little bit lower than your leading shoulder.
The ball should be positioned according to what club you are using, as though your on a level lie. (A bit forward for longer clubs.)
You want to make sure you follow through HIGH after impact.
Downhill Lie
Now we can move on to one of the hardest shots in golf, the down hill lie. If you have a tendency to struggle with this golf shot, the miss hit is usually a top. Follow the steps below and you will notice a huge change in your down hill shots.
Because the ball will fly lower, you can take a more lofted club to help the ball go a little higher.
The ball will have a tendency to curve to the right, aim a little to the left.
If you have your shoulders at address tilted level to the down slope of your lie, this will encourage the club to swing DOWN into the ball (correct) and not up in the down swing. Thus, you will strike the bottom of the ball and not the top.
Play the ball in your stance according to the club you are using (again, a little forward for a longer golf club).
You want to make sure you follow through LOW to the ground after impact.
Ball Below Feet
THE HARDEST SHOT IN GOLF. The dreaded, (This can’t be happening to me) BALL BELOW YOUR FEET golf shot. You have come to the right place, below is the answer.
When the ball is below your feet, you will have a tendency to top it to the right, shank the golf ball, or miss it.
The address is the most important part of this shot. Bend your knees and bend WAY over at address. You ALMOST can’t bend TOO much.
The ball will have a tendency to go to the right, aim farther left.
The golf club wants to swing down and up, NOT around. LEAVE IT…If it feels like a lob swing, this is correct. IF you make your normal swing, you will whiff the golf ball completely.
Ball Above Feet
Now we are back to an easy shot, the ball above our feet. If you follow the steps below, you will not hit the ground behind the ball anymore, and the ball above your feet will become your absolute favorite shot in golf
If you struggle with hitting the ball fat in these shots, make sure you are standing taller than your normal stance.
The ball will have a tendency to fly to the left, aim a little farther to the right.
DO NOT BEND YOUR KNEES
This is the main point, the golf club wants to swing more AROUND your body, let it…DO NOT ATTEMPT TO MAKE A NORMAL SWING…let the club swing around you.
Now, drop everything you knew about uneven lies and give this a try. I AM SURE IT WILL HELP!
This entry was posted on 29. January 2010 at 19:06 and is filed under Swing, Misc. Golf Tips. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.
