Six Steps to Help You Play a Side-hill Shot
by Robert Linville, Director of Instruction
One of the toughest shots in golf is the side-hill lie when the ball is below your feet. I’ll give you a quick checklist to help you play these shots with more consistency.
Step 1…Don’t choke down on the grip. It’s important to use the full length of the club.
Step 2…Move slightly closer to the ball. The steeper the incline, the closer you get to the ball because the ball is farther away from you.
Step 3…Play the ball a little farther back in your stance. This will help contact the ball earlier in your downswing helping you strike the ball more solidly.
Step 4…Adjust your aim based on the club you are playing. You will aim father left than normal will all clubs (for right-handed players) but you have to adjust based on the club. You will need to aim father left with the longer clubs than you do with the shorter clubs because the ball will fade more with the longer clubs from this lie.
Step 5…Make a 3/4 swing. It’s difficult to keep good balance on these lies, so therefore don’t try to hit full shots. Make a 3/4 swing and adjust your yardage accordingly. You will probably hit the shot about one club shorter than usual.
Step 6…Start the backswing outside. You don’t want the club coming into the ball too far from the inside because you will strike the ground before you contact the ball. By singing to the outside, you are adjusting for the ball being below the level of your feet.
Try this checklist next time you have this shot, and I promise you the results will be better.
