You're Correct!

Facing awkward lies need not be daunting if you know how to play from the slope that you are faced with. If you make a few alterations to your set up position, you will have no problem playing effective golf shots when faced with a downhill lie the next time you are out on the course.

When you set up to play a golf shot from a flat lie you set your spine perpendicular to the ground. You need to set up on the downhill slope and recreate this perpendicular position with your spine and the slope you are playing from. In order to do this, position the ball further back in your stance than usual and your weight further forward. Your weight goes towards your low foot and the ball moves towards your high foot. This will allow you to set your spine perpendicular to the ground - generally work on getting your shoulders parallel to the floor.

From this position, with your weight more on your low foot and your spine perpendicular to the ground, you will now be able to swing the club head of the golf club up the slope on your back swing and then down the slope through impact. If you do not alter your spine position at address you will set up too vertically from the slope in an attempt to feel balanced. However, this will result in you swinging the club head into the slope on your back swing and then off the slope through impact, rather than swinging with the slope that will produce an effective strike.

You also need to align your feet more to the left than usual as a ball struck from a downhill lie will produce a shot that flies left to right in the air, so allow for this and aim left. The greater the slope, the more the ball will curve during its flight.

The ball will also fly lower and further than usual because of the slope so take this into account. Use a higher lofted club than usual for the shot distance and allow for the fact that the ball will roll more due to the lower trajectory.

If you do not alter your set up position to allow for the downhill slope, then you will swing the club head into the slope on your back swing and then off the slope through impact, rather than with the slope angle. This will result in you mis-hitting the golf ball and striking the top of it, producing a very low shot that finishes short of the target.

If you set up with your spine in a vertical position, rather than perpendicular to the slope, you will find that it becomes difficult to swing the club and strike the golf ball well. Rather than setting up for comfort and standing more usually, work on setting your spine more appropriately for the different slope condition.

A downhill lie will produce a shot that flies left to right in the air. This is because of the effect that the slope and a more upright swing has on the ball as the club head strikes it. Aiming to the right of the target will result in your shot missing even further to the right. Aim left if you want your shot to finish next to the flag.