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Let’s keep this simple, shall we? When you find your ball either on a slope or with an uneven lie, remember that the ball’s flight tends to roll like a bowling ball along the slope on the ground.
For example, if the ball is above your feet in the case of a right-handed golfer, it will tend to move to the left. If the ball is under your feet, the ball tends to move to the right. If you lie uphill, the ball will rise higher and shorter. If you have a lie on an incline, the ball will drop more and more.
Of course, we can have combined slopes as well, but let’s take a look at the common asymmetrical lies players encounter.
If we fix the setup adjustments and maintain a good balance on all four slopes, we can make these situations easier to manage. Below, I show you how.
Golf ball over feet
First, take more pitches for the desired distance – because of the second adjustment we need to make. Then, because the ball is physically closer to you in this type of uneven lay, hold the bat accordingly, which helps accommodate the spacing.
Another option is to stand further away from the ball. The problem is that this can make hitting an 8-iron feel like you’re about the same distance as a 4-iron, which is a bit inconvenient. So my first recommendation is to take control.
Finally, aim more right (as opposed to a left-handed player), because we’re effectively changing the lying angle of the club to be straighter. Because the angle of the club face is more to the left due to the slope, the ball will not only tend to start left, but it will usually have some bend in the same direction because your swing path will be to the right of the face.
Golf ball under feet
Since balance is at a premium, and we don’t want to overdo it, take an extra club here as well. Then, as the ball is farther away from you, widen your stance and “sit” more to reach it. Also, using the analogy of bowling a ball from above, right-handed golfers tend to hit the ball to the right, which leads us to our next modification – aim more left (as opposed to a left-handed player).
One thing for amateurs to remember here: This uneven lie is probably the most “double cross” — meaning you expect the ball to go to the right, yet you hit a pull to the left. This happens when you sit down and lower your hands too much at the address, and it’s a common mistake. For this reason, I recommend raising the grip to improve the level of the club on this slope.
Hard lying
This ball tends to rise higher and shorter when dealing with this type of uneven lie. So the first thing we do to help mitigate this is to make sure the body position is diagonal and parallel to the slope. This means that you position your shoulder and hip angles to feel as if you are standing supine.
Then, your weight will be more towards the back foot – so don’t resist it. Instead, play the ball position a little more in your stance. On steeper slopes, when your weight is really back on your leg, run the ball back in and circle around the trail leg as an anchor.
Finally, to add more loft, take an extra length of racquet for the required distance.
downhill lie
The ball tends to move down and farther, the opposite of the up position. This means that you’ll want to move your shoulder and hip angles downward to parallel the incline. You will notice that your weight will be distributed more toward your front foot, so your front leg will act as an anchor.
Next, make sure that the position of the ball leans forward slightly in your stance, because it will come out lower. And remember to take the loft on the shot approach towards the green, since the club will be revoked on setup.
Finally, remember to swing along the ramp through the sway. Never try to help the ball up, as this can cause you to back off and hit the dreaded thin or cut shot!
Manage asymmetric lies with these three important basic tweaks, and you can start setting yourself up for lower scores. Once you get comfortable with the four generic slopes above, understanding the combination slopes–and what pair of other variables you need to add to the setup for each one–it will be much easier to combine them.
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