When the ball comes to rest in a position below the feet, the left handed golfer will be faced with a difficult golf shot. However, most of the hard work and difficulty can be tackled by understanding what is likely to happen to the ball during flight and how you should adapt the posture and stance at address.

When the ball is below the feet, the first thing to consider is the club face aim. Because the club will be angled away from the player (the heel will be lifted higher when compared to a flat lie), the club face will aim more to the left. The left handed golfer should be aware of and learn how to adapt the body to suit. Rather than fight the club face tilt, left handed golfers should aim their body more to the right and allow the ball to turn to the right during flight. This fade will help ensure the player doesn’t fight against the slope but could take some distance off the overall shot.

Depending on the severity at which the ball lies below the feet, left handed golfers will have to alter their spine angle. The lower the ball is in relation to the feet, the more players should be looking to tilt over from the hips. When viewed from down the target line, the spine angle and tilt will appear increased. In reality the spine angle has moved with the level of the ball.

At set up, left handed golfers should also adapt their knee flex to match the slope. If the ball sits a long way below the feet, players may have to increase their knee flex significantly. If players don’t flex their knees enough, they could top the shot or even miss the ball all together! Because of the increased spine angle and knee flex, left handed golfers should pay attention to where their body weight is resting. The further the ball rests below the feet, the more likely the chance of a golfer’s body weight drifting on to the toes. Although it is not easy if you are faced with a ball below the feet, try to maintain the body weight on the balls of the feet rather than the toes. This should help you complete a balanced swing.

To help ensure you don’t have to tilt over too much or bend the knees excessively, hold the club at the top of the grip. This will help ensure the club maintains its maximum length. The more the spine angle is tilted toward the ball, the more upright the swing will become. It should begin to feel more ‘up and down’ rather than rounded. Again this is something which doesn’t need to be fought but rather embraced. This will create a steeper angle of attack into the ball which will usually result in a lower ball flight. Players need to consider this when selecting the type of shot they want to play.

Hitting shots with the ball positioned below the feet can be tough but by thinking through the shot and making the correct adjustments at address can improve your chances of hitting solid shots.