Fewer and fewer golf courses these days are relatively flat. In fact, the ones are mostly flat are those that were probably just cut out of the landscape before it became normal to sculpt the land more. And, if you live in an area where the land is naturally hilly, then even old courses will be undulating.

That means that it’s very important to understand how to hit shots from uneven lies. Even a perfectly struck drive will very rarely end up on flat ground. That’s one reason (among a few) why some players hit the ball well at the driving range and then aren’t as precise on the course.

The adjustments aren’t terribly complicated. Understanding how to modify your setup and swing and what the shot tendencies are will help make your results more reliable from uneven lies.

Uphill Lies

With uphill lies, The main thing to remember is that when you set up to the ball, try and set the angle of your shoulders to the angle of the slope so your shoulder line is parallel to the hill.

Also, the ball should be played slightly forward of your normal position.

You’ll want to use more club because the uphill stance will add loft to the club, making the ball fly shorter.

Make a smooth, balanced swing, trying to make your swing follow the slope. Try and get your weight left (for a right hander) on the follow through, if you can. Otherwise there will be a tendency to pull the ball left because your lower body turn is restricted and your upper body will outrace it. You can compensate by planning for the shot to go left, or by “holding on” through impact and keeping the club face from shutting down.

The keys for uphill lies:

• Shoulders match the slope
• Ball forward in your stance
• Take more club
• Swing with the slope
• Smooth, balanced swing
• Keep the face from shutting down at impact, or allow for the shot to go left.

Downhill Lies

Downhill lies are similar to uphill lies in that you should also try and match your shoulders to the slope of the hill and swing with the slope.

Take a little wider stance for stability and play the ball a little further back in your stance than normal to encourage ball-first contact. You’ll want to take less club than normal because the ball will come out in a much flatter trajectory with more roll.

As with the uphill lies, take a smooth, balanced swing. Your weight will stay more on your left side during the swing. Plan for the ball to fade to the right some.

The keys for downhill lies:

• Shoulders match the slope
• Ball back in your stance
• Take less club
• Swing with the slope
• Smooth, balanced swing
• Allow for a fade

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One thing you don’t want to do in either case is try and kill the ball. If you over swing and get off balance, the result is going to be bad.

It’s good to practice these shots if you can. If you’re out on the course alone in the evening, try hitting some extra balls from uneven lies to get the feeling of doing these things correctly. That also lets you gauge how the slope will affect club selection, carry, roll, shot direction, etc.

If your driving range has a grass tee, sometimes they’re elevated so you could simulate uphill and downhill lies on the front and back of the tee. That’s a good way to get in some practice, but check with the range operator to make sure that’s OK (and safe).

In the near future, I’m going to cover sidehill lies as well, so stay tuned.

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