Golf Sidehill Lie, Adjust Club Choice When Playing from Sidehill Lies (Video) - Lesson by PGA Pro Pete Styles
Golf Sidehill Lie, Adjust Club Choice When Playing from Sidehill Lies (Video) - Lesson by PGA Pro Pete Styles

If you're starting to become a little bit more experienced at the game of golf now and you started to find yourself in situations where you're on side hill slopes so we have a ball below our feet or ball above our feet. You might have experienced how that ball starts to curve in flight from left to right or right to left depending on the hill. One thing I want to talk to you about now is how those slopes will actually affect the distance the golf ball flies as well so if we have a golf ball that's a long way down below our feet, a long way up above our feet, generally the ball will fly a shorter distance. That happens because the ball is going to curve either with a draw or the fade curve. That will shorten half far the ball goes. You also might find that because the ball is very close to you or very far away you're slightly more off-balance and there’s a little bit more of an awkward swing. So you therefore swing a little bit more controlled and you don’t really rip through the golf ball quite as much. So, as a general rule, when you're on the slopes, probably allow one extra club either ball below the feet, ball above the feet, one extra club and swing smooth and swing balanced. The only caveat with that really is if the ball is going to from right to left with a ball above the feet, ball nearer to you and it would draw from right to left, it will generally roll further so it might land a bit shorter than normal but because the ball is drawing or has less loft on it, it will come in and it will land and it will roll.

So as long as there’s nothing short of the green and you can allow it to roll, take the club that you would normally hit for that distance, land it shorter but roll it further, ends up about the same distance. But if you've got something you've got to clear, you would have to go upper club, hit the ball from right to left and just expect it to roll over the back of the green. For the left or right or the one that slices or curves, it's probably going to land shorter and spin a little bit more so that one more than likely would need an extra club unless it was down the hill in wind directions and other things like that. But just consider that ball above the feet, ball below the feet generally add one extra club. Swing smoother and swing within balance and next time you're on the slopes I hope that helps your club decision become a little bit easier. 2014-06-04

If you're starting to become a little bit more experienced at the game of golf now and you started to find yourself in situations where you're on side hill slopes so we have a ball below our feet or ball above our feet. You might have experienced how that ball starts to curve in flight from left to right or right to left depending on the hill. One thing I want to talk to you about now is how those slopes will actually affect the distance the golf ball flies as well so if we have a golf ball that's a long way down below our feet, a long way up above our feet, generally the ball will fly a shorter distance. That happens because the ball is going to curve either with a draw or the fade curve. That will shorten half far the ball goes. You also might find that because the ball is very close to you or very far away you're slightly more off-balance and there’s a little bit more of an awkward swing. So you therefore swing a little bit more controlled and you don’t really rip through the golf ball quite as much. So, as a general rule, when you're on the slopes, probably allow one extra club either ball below the feet, ball above the feet, one extra club and swing smooth and swing balanced. The only caveat with that really is if the ball is going to from right to left with a ball above the feet, ball nearer to you and it would draw from right to left, it will generally roll further so it might land a bit shorter than normal but because the ball is drawing or has less loft on it, it will come in and it will land and it will roll.

So as long as there’s nothing short of the green and you can allow it to roll, take the club that you would normally hit for that distance, land it shorter but roll it further, ends up about the same distance. But if you've got something you've got to clear, you would have to go upper club, hit the ball from right to left and just expect it to roll over the back of the green. For the left or right or the one that slices or curves, it's probably going to land shorter and spin a little bit more so that one more than likely would need an extra club unless it was down the hill in wind directions and other things like that. But just consider that ball above the feet, ball below the feet generally add one extra club. Swing smoother and swing within balance and next time you're on the slopes I hope that helps your club decision become a little bit easier.