Tips For Handling Uphill Golf Lies (Video) - by Pete Styles
Tips For Handling Uphill Golf Lies (Video) - by Pete Styles

Now, let’s go ahead and look on uphill lie shots. I’ve hit the ball down the fairway, it’s rising onto an upslope and I’ve got the ball almost it’s launched. Probably it’s going to shoot the ball up into the air towards to green. Again, couples of things I’ve got to consider that will happen to me and a few things that will happen to the golf ball.

Generally from this position, because loft of the hill is added to the loft I’ve got to my club, I have to consider actually a little bit more club to get it there, because the ball is going to go high, but it might shoot too high, so my 7-iron will actually fly like an 8-iron. I need a 6-iron to go a 7-iron distance. Choose the appropriate club, normally from a slope, a varying degree of slope means that you need a varying degree of golf club. But, for an average, the little slope up, just take one extra club. It will fly high and that will still go to right distance. Play the golf ball nice and sort of forward in your stance so you can sweep for ball away as you hit it. Try and get your shoulders level to the slope. Again, avoid leaning into the hill, trying to hit down into the golf ball because your club will just jab into the upslope. Try and get your right shoulder down a little bit, your spine angle perpendicular to the upslope, everything aiming this way, and that encourages you to hit through the ball nicely.

Now, the thing that might happen to you here is that the hill is trying to pull you back onto your rear foot. As you turn into your back swing, just be careful you don’t get off balance to the outside of your rear foot. Try and keep the body weight pressed on the instep, drive yourself back up the hill, and make sure you have a nice big full finish. We often see people from this position will top the ball because they’re off balanced leaning back side. Drive yourself up the hill to a nice full finish. Also consider the fact that the ball from this sort of line would generally move from right to left for the right handed golfer.

So, just try to aim slightly down the right hand side, an extra club for you club selection, aiming down the right side, extra club moving forward as you hit through the ball, and keeping your shoulders nice and level perpendicular to the slope, parallel with your shoulders, spine angle perpendicular to the slope, focus on the good contact and see that nice high draw flight happen. It’s a really nice looking shot when you get this right, a nice, high drawer into the flag. But it’s not easy. So, have a little bit of practice next time you’re on the golf course on the uphill slope in lie and see if you can improve the way you play that shot.

 2012-06-01

Now, let’s go ahead and look on uphill lie shots. I’ve hit the ball down the fairway, it’s rising onto an upslope and I’ve got the ball almost it’s launched. Probably it’s going to shoot the ball up into the air towards to green. Again, couples of things I’ve got to consider that will happen to me and a few things that will happen to the golf ball.

Generally from this position, because loft of the hill is added to the loft I’ve got to my club, I have to consider actually a little bit more club to get it there, because the ball is going to go high, but it might shoot too high, so my 7-iron will actually fly like an 8-iron. I need a 6-iron to go a 7-iron distance. Choose the appropriate club, normally from a slope, a varying degree of slope means that you need a varying degree of golf club. But, for an average, the little slope up, just take one extra club. It will fly high and that will still go to right distance. Play the golf ball nice and sort of forward in your stance so you can sweep for ball away as you hit it. Try and get your shoulders level to the slope. Again, avoid leaning into the hill, trying to hit down into the golf ball because your club will just jab into the upslope. Try and get your right shoulder down a little bit, your spine angle perpendicular to the upslope, everything aiming this way, and that encourages you to hit through the ball nicely.

Now, the thing that might happen to you here is that the hill is trying to pull you back onto your rear foot. As you turn into your back swing, just be careful you don’t get off balance to the outside of your rear foot. Try and keep the body weight pressed on the instep, drive yourself back up the hill, and make sure you have a nice big full finish. We often see people from this position will top the ball because they’re off balanced leaning back side. Drive yourself up the hill to a nice full finish. Also consider the fact that the ball from this sort of line would generally move from right to left for the right handed golfer.

So, just try to aim slightly down the right hand side, an extra club for you club selection, aiming down the right side, extra club moving forward as you hit through the ball, and keeping your shoulders nice and level perpendicular to the slope, parallel with your shoulders, spine angle perpendicular to the slope, focus on the good contact and see that nice high draw flight happen. It’s a really nice looking shot when you get this right, a nice, high drawer into the flag. But it’s not easy. So, have a little bit of practice next time you’re on the golf course on the uphill slope in lie and see if you can improve the way you play that shot.