Uphill Lie Golf Shot, What Is The Best Technique To Use? (Video) - by Natalie Adams
Uphill Lie Golf Shot, What Is The Best Technique To Use? (Video) - by Natalie Adams

What’s the best technique to use on uphill lies? Well, when you normally play a golf shot the ground and the surface you’re playing off are flat. What you do is you set your spine angle perpendicular to that flat surface so that your shoulders become horizontal generally. So, if we use the yellow alignment pole to represent the surface and the red pole to represent you and your spine, you tend to set your spine perpendicular at a right angle and that gives you a shoulder position which is then parallel to the surface you’re hitting from.

So, if we change the angle of the surface, we need to change your body position to still create a good swing from it. So now the surface has become an uphill lie. So the ground is gone upwards on the left of you, if you’re a right handed golfer. We still need to set your spine angle at a right angle to that surface and that will allow your shoulders to remain parallel to the angle of the slope. So, in order to do that what you’re going to find when you adjust into that position, is that your weight goes on to your lower foot, and that’s absolutely fine because we want to get your shoulders horizontal or, sorry I should say, parallel to the slope that you’re playing off and your spine perpendicular to it. So, weights now on the lower foot and we’re just going to push the ball slightly towards the upper foot, so that we get a nice crisp connection and to ensure we get a really nice golf shot. So, weight’s on the lower foot, roll towards the upper foot and then we’re going to make sure as we swing back, we hold this spine angle and we rotate around it so the club goes down the slope as we swing back, and as we swing back in, the club comes up the slope and we can hit the ball up the slope and into the air. You’ll find it very difficult to follow through, so your follow through will tend to be back more on your right foot, that’s absolutely fine, that’s the effect that the slopes having on your swing. But also the slope is going to make the ball fly a lot higher. It’s a bit like hitting a ball directly up off launch pad. So bear that in mind, you’re going to get a higher flight so you’re going to get more vertical stop and drop on the ball. When it drops down it will, just stop, it won’t really run forward. So bear that in mind when you select the club, maybe take an extra club to allow for that and also because you’re going to get stuck on your right foot, your hands are more likely to turn over through the shot and you’ll tend to see the ball flying right to left. So, make sure you aim a little bit more to the right, but if you take those tips on board, you’ll be playing much better off uphill lies. 2014-07-30

What’s the best technique to use on uphill lies? Well, when you normally play a golf shot the ground and the surface you’re playing off are flat. What you do is you set your spine angle perpendicular to that flat surface so that your shoulders become horizontal generally. So, if we use the yellow alignment pole to represent the surface and the red pole to represent you and your spine, you tend to set your spine perpendicular at a right angle and that gives you a shoulder position which is then parallel to the surface you’re hitting from.

So, if we change the angle of the surface, we need to change your body position to still create a good swing from it. So now the surface has become an uphill lie. So the ground is gone upwards on the left of you, if you’re a right handed golfer. We still need to set your spine angle at a right angle to that surface and that will allow your shoulders to remain parallel to the angle of the slope.

So, in order to do that what you’re going to find when you adjust into that position, is that your weight goes on to your lower foot, and that’s absolutely fine because we want to get your shoulders horizontal or, sorry I should say, parallel to the slope that you’re playing off and your spine perpendicular to it. So, weights now on the lower foot and we’re just going to push the ball slightly towards the upper foot, so that we get a nice crisp connection and to ensure we get a really nice golf shot. So, weight’s on the lower foot, roll towards the upper foot and then we’re going to make sure as we swing back, we hold this spine angle and we rotate around it so the club goes down the slope as we swing back, and as we swing back in, the club comes up the slope and we can hit the ball up the slope and into the air. You’ll find it very difficult to follow through, so your follow through will tend to be back more on your right foot, that’s absolutely fine, that’s the effect that the slopes having on your swing.

But also the slope is going to make the ball fly a lot higher. It’s a bit like hitting a ball directly up off launch pad. So bear that in mind, you’re going to get a higher flight so you’re going to get more vertical stop and drop on the ball. When it drops down it will, just stop, it won’t really run forward. So bear that in mind when you select the club, maybe take an extra club to allow for that and also because you’re going to get stuck on your right foot, your hands are more likely to turn over through the shot and you’ll tend to see the ball flying right to left. So, make sure you aim a little bit more to the right, but if you take those tips on board, you’ll be playing much better off uphill lies.