Playing from a downhill lie can be tricky for so many reasons. Your feet aren’t level, which means your weight and attack angle are thrown off, which can cause a chunk or a topped shot.
The key to hitting these wonky-looking shots is having solid fundamentals — with the setup being most important.
That’s where GOLF Top 100 Teacher Shawn Callahan comes in.
Below, Callahan offers up tips for those who struggle with downhill lies and provides some guidance to gain more confidence, find more success, and, eventually conquer uneven lies without any fear.
Make these adjustments to master downhill lies
OK, so you’ve hit a great drive down the middle of the fairway and are beaming with confidence. But then you realize your upcoming approach shot has left you with an uneven lie — a tricky shot to negotiate.
Since it’s common to hit this shot either fat or thin, Callahan says you need to first focus on your setup, and avoid shifting your weight back.
“The inclination for a lot of golfers is to keep their weight on the back foot and try to help the ball into the air by swinging up on the shot,” he explains. “This can cause you to either hit behind the ball (producing a fat shot), or glancing the top-half of the ball (producing a thin shot).”
Instead, Callahan offers up simple techniques to use that’ll keep you from ruining a great drive with a poor approach shot.
“First, take one less club for the distance, since the slope decreases the dynamic loft of the shot,” he adds. “Next, play the ball slightly forward in your stance, square your shoulders to the slope that you’re on, and make sure to feel your weight is slightly forward at address.”
After locking in your setup, Callahan says shortening the backswing can lead to more success on downhill lies.
“I suggest making a three-quarter-length backswing, since over-swinging in this situation can cause a mishit. Keep it short like a punch shot,” he instructs. “Control is the main objective, so make sure to swing down the slope, feeling the club stay closer to the ground on the follow-through.”
By following the tips above, you should produce a solid shot with a lower ball trajectory.
“Ball control and scoring are the name of the game, and a lot of golf is simply avoiding big mistakes,” Callahan adds.
