Instruction

How to strike it pure off a downhill lie, according to a Top 100 Teacher

By: John Dunigan, Top 100 Teacher February 6, 2022

Downhill lies can present some difficulty without the proper technique.

Getty Images

rickie fowler hits ball of downhill lie — Downhill lies can present some difficulty without the proper technique.

Getty Images

The biggest factor in your success as a golfer is your ability to strike the ball purely from any lie. And many times it’ll be from a downhill. Here’s an easy way to ensure crisp contact and — hopefully — a birdie putt.

From the top, shift your lower body so that the stick points downward and along the target line. This gets the bottom of your swing where it needs to be for a downhill lie. Michael J. Le Brecht

Through impact, point the stick upward and to the left of the target line. Michael J. Le Brecht

Slide an alignment stick through your front belt loops as I’ve done above. On your backswing, keep the stick pointed along the target line as you wind up. Start your transition by driving the front end of the stick downward and toward the target as you retain the coil in your shoulders. This move is crucial to moving the low point of your swing forward, which is what all good golfers do to strike the ball solidly.

After this downshift, point the front end of the stick upward as you rotate it away from the target line (to the left) on your downswing.

Using an external cue, like a stick, will help you ingrain this complicated movement. Keep your focus. You’ll be puring it like a pro in no time.

John Dunigan is a GOLF Top 100 Teacher and the director of instruction at Applebrook GC in Malvern, Pa.