Golf Tips: Hitting From Different Lies

Golf would be much easier, if every shot were fromThis time, at address, the ball should be placed more
a nice flat spot in the fairway. Part of being a goodforward in your stance, than if you were hitting from
golfer, is not only having a perfect shot from a flata flat surface. Again, take note of where the club
lie in the fairway, but having a nice shot at any lie.makes contact with the ground when taking a
Hitting a golf ball from a different lie, requires slightpractice swing, and use this to judge where to place
changes in the "normal" golf swing.the ball. As far as weight distribution is concerned:
Hitting on a Downhill Lieplace slightly more weight on the back foot for the
If the ball is on a hill sloping downwards, first youuphill lie.
must consider playing a different club than youHitting with the Ball Above Your Feet
normally would from this same distance. Playing fromWhen the ball is located above your feet, it will have
a downhill lie will cause the ball to ball travel further,a tendency to travel on a right to left trajectory. In
so play a club down. In other words, use a moreorder to compensate for the ball being above your
lofted club.feet, first choke down on the club. Then, make sure
Also, you will want to change where the ball is placedto aim right of the target, as the ball will travel left of
at address. Line up, so the ball is farther back in yourwhere it is aimed.
stance than normal. In order to judge how far backHitting with the Ball Below Your Feet
to place the ball; take a normal practice swing, andWith the ball below your feet, you may feel slightly
note where the club makes contact with the ground.awkward at address, because of having to reach
Line up so that the ball is where your club madedown to line up to the ball. In order to alleviate some
contact with the ground. Finally, you will want to putof this awkwardness, bend your knees, and try not
a slightly greater amount of weight on the front footto be reaching for the ball. In this case, the ball will
than the back.travel on a left to right trajectory, so aim to the left
Hitting on an Uphill Lieof the target.
If the surface from which you are playing is slopingRemember, in hitting from different lies, your swing
upwards, again consider playing a different club thanmechanics will all be the same; do not attempt to
you would from this distance on a flat lie. This time,change the rhythm or actual path of your swing. The
play a club up; meaning use a club with less loft. Thischanges that will be made in order to compensate
is because the uphill lie causes the ball to have afor these different lies involve changing your position
higher trajectory, therefore not traveling as far.at set up, not the swing itself.