Do you get confused when hitting off of hillsides? Here is a simple way to position yourself when you are playing up and down the slope. The player needs to position themselves relative to the hill to accommodate the slope’s needs by either flattening the plane or making the plane more vertical.
Here is how we establish this relationship on a slope.
Ball Above Your Feet Lie
We begin our setup for the ball above our feet by aiming the club toward the target and placing it on the slope with the correct loft relative to the hill. Then, when taking your stance, align the handle about 1 inch forward of the center of your body, which will establish the correct ball position for the club you have chosen.
Take your stance by placing a little more weight on the downhill part of your feet—in this case, more toward your heels. This will place you in a posture where your back is a little straighter relative to the ground. In swinging the club (Photo 1), swing along the slope by emphasizing turning the body in the backswing and turning the body in the through swing.
When playing in this situation, you will be able to select most any club because there is not a limitation on the loft of the club. Your ball will tend to draw slightly due to the flatter swing plane (Photo 2), and the loft of the club will be pointed slightly left. Align yourself accordingly to accommodate for this.
Downhill Lie
We begin our setup for the ball below our feet by aiming our club toward the target and placing the club on the slope with the correct loft relative to the hill. Then, when taking your stance, align the handle about 1 inch forward of the center of your body, establishing the correct ball position relative to the club you have chosen.
Take your stance, placing a little more weight on the downhill part of your feet—in this case, more toward your toes. This will place you in a posture where your back is bent over more than a neutral posture used in a level lie.
When swinging the club (Photo 3), swing along the slope by emphasizing the shoulders rocking and the arms swinging on a more vertical plane (Photo 4) in the backswing and in the through swing. When playing in this situation, you will be able to select most any club because there is no limitation on the loft of the club; however, shorter clubs will fit the situation better due to the more vertical plane they tend to swing on naturally. Your ball will tend to fade slightly due to the more upright plane, tending to cause the face to open to the path. Align yourself accordingly to accommodate for this.
When playing from any uneven lie, remember to address the ball with the following:
- Aim the club with the correct loft relative to the slope.
- Stand with the handle pointed 1 inch toward the target of the center of your body.
- Place weight on the downhill part of your feet and set your spine perpendicular to the slope.
- Swing your club along the shape of the slope.
Tip provided by: Jim Endicott – PGA Professional & Golf Tips Top 25 Instructor. PGA Education Faculty Member and PGA Specialized Professional in both Teaching and Coaching.
Contact: jim@endicottgolf.com
