Extreme uphill lie

[Slowcelica]

A few of the courses I play at have extreme uphill lies, one of them in particular is a par 5 dog leg right. You pretty much have to hit your tee shot 225 or so to get it to the sharp dog leg, and then from there it's about a 200 yard shot to an elevated green probably a hundred feet up, so I usually end up having to hit my 3 rd shot off a pretty steep uphill lie. This usually costs me at least one shot because I usually hit the shit fat and come up short because I don't know how to adjust to hit off this type of lie. What adjustments do I need to make for these types of shots, for example I really have trouble getting my weight to shift forward on these shots because of how steep of a hill it is.

[Dave2512]

For me it's a balance and matching my body to the contour thing. Just played one of these holes today. It's just a 360 yard par 4 but the elevation gain tee to green is probably around 100 feet. The tee is flat so no adjustment just hit is as far as I can. Approach shot different story. Today I was 121 out, that's between GW and PW for me but I hit a 8i. I couldn't see where the ball stopped and honestly I though it was long but when I got to the green I was hole high.

But it's a lot of guess work based on hoping for the best shot and result. I average around 155-165 with 8i but looking at my shot stats it's all over the place. Tonight I hit what would have been close to average so it was  3.5-4 clubs up choice. But I damn sure took measures to make sure my body angles matched the lie before anything.

[John S]

I find a very quiet lower body helps. Similar to a fairway bunker in that the lower body is very quiet. Quite different from a typical swing.

[awmgolfer]

My local course is very hilly, very rare you actually have a flat lie and some of the lies are pretty severe ranging from above/below to uphill/downhill and at times a combination. The key for uphill/downhill lies is to match your shoulders to the slope, for an uphill lie move the ball position forward in your stance just a little bit and from there pretty much take a normal swing. If it is a really severe uphill lie you may have to choke down on the club a bit.

[Dave2512]

All about where the club shallows out. Experience is a major factor so is body control. It's not a technique as much as can you adapt your best possible swing. Replicate what you can by positioning and pick your shallow point and hope you hit the mark. the rest is hoping the bad you doesn't appear. A bad shot isn't because you misjudged the lie as amateur. You suck.

[dchoye]

I like opening my stance and try to hit a high cut on these lie. If I stand more square I sometimes pull the ball feeling off balance. I aim as high up as comfortable above the pin and slightly left of the pin and make a normal swing for me I think one of the problems for me is that I try to swing up and cause too much chunky fat mishits. I do much better feeling like I'm still swinging downwards like normal swings but not taking as big divot as on other lies

[Slowcelica]

  awmgolfer said:

My local course is very hilly, very rare you actually have a flat lie and some of the lies are pretty severe ranging from above/below to uphill/downhill and at times a combination. The key for uphill/downhill lies is to match your shoulders to the slope, for an uphill lie move the ball position forward in your stance just a little bit and from there pretty much take a normal swing. If it is a really severe uphill lie you may have to choke down on the club a bit.

I've heard this before and I don't doubt this is the best way to play the shot, but what if the grade is just too steep to do this? Where I play if I try to match my shoulders to the incline of the hill, I am going to fall and probably roll down the hill for 50 yards, now while my playing partners would love that, I'd like to avoid it =)

[Mr. Desmond]

  Slowcelica said:

I've heard this before and I don't doubt this is the best way to play the shot, but what if the grade is just too steep to do this? Where I play if I try to match my shoulders to the incline of the hill, I am going to fall and probably roll down the hill for 50 yards, now while my playing partners would love that, I'd like to avoid it =)

I must dig my right foot into the turf at an angle to not fall down - my downhill leg is into the turf - while my spine angle/shoulders are along the slope' and take more club. Depending on the slope, a LW shot may turn into a Gap.

[Slowcelica]

  Mr. Desmond said:

I must dig my right foot into the turf at an angle to not fall down - my downhill leg is into the turf - while my spine angle/shoulders are along the slope' and take more club. Depending on the slope, a LW shot may turn into a Gap.

Thanks I'll give that a try. I'll probably have to do a trial and error on the right club, but I'll give going down 2 clubs a try.

[MrDC]

This how I play the hills, both fairly wide stance, feet flared-

Uphill- no long clubs, accept it, ball will fly left so aim right of target, really fire the hips, no divot, just pick it clean.

Downhill- quiet lower body, bend the knees and hold it strong, ball will fly right so aim left of target, fire the shoulders through.

[Fourputt]

  MrDC said:

This how I play the hills, both fairly wide stance, feet flared-

Uphill- no long clubs, accept it, ball will fly left so aim right of target, really fire the hips, no divot, just pick it clean.

Downhill- quiet lower body, bend the knees and hold it strong, ball will fly right so aim left of target, fire the shoulders through.

I don't think I understand this.  Why no "long" clubs for an uphill lie?  Doesn't make any sense.  When I have an uphill lie the proper stance will add loft, so I will usually play a longer club than I would for the same distance on a flat lie.  It's actually more difficult to hit a longer club on a downhill lie, because if you don't get your shoulders parallel to the ground at address, it is almost a guarantee that you will hit it fat - it's pretty easy to chunk the ball from a downhill lie.

I wonder if you are confusing this with a sidehill lie where the ball is above or below your feet?

[boogielicious]

  Fourputt said:

Quote:

Originally Posted by MrDC

This how I play the hills, both fairly wide stance, feet flared-

Uphill- no long clubs, accept it, ball will fly left so aim right of target, really fire the hips, no divot, just pick it clean.

Downhill- quiet lower body, bend the knees and hold it strong, ball will fly right so aim left of target, fire the shoulders through.

I don't think I understand this.  Why no "long" clubs for an uphill lie?  Doesn't make any sense.  When I have an uphill lie the proper stance will add loft, so I will usually play a longer club than I would for the same distance on a flat lie.  It's actually more difficult to hit a longer club on a downhill lie, because if you don't get your shoulders parallel to the ground at address, it is almost a guarantee that you will hit it fat - it's pretty easy to chunk the ball from a downhill lie.

I wonder if you are confusing this with a sidehill lie where the ball is above or below your feet?

I agree with you. I've used as low as a 3W on uphill lies. I was also taught to play the ball back up to one ball width depending on the slope of the hill.  As you swing, your body will want to move back down the hill or want to.

[Mr. Desmond]

And typically, if I remember correctly, higher lofted clubs going uphill have a tendency to go left ... adjust as needed.

[MrDC]

  Fourputt said:

I don't think I understand this.  Why no "long" clubs for an uphill lie?  Doesn't make any sense.  When I have an uphill lie the proper stance will add loft, so I will usually play a longer club than I would for the same distance on a flat lie.  It's actually more difficult to hit a longer club on a downhill lie, because if you don't get your shoulders parallel to the ground at address, it is almost a guarantee that you will hit it fat - it's pretty easy to chunk the ball from a downhill lie.

I wonder if you are confusing this with a sidehill lie where the ball is above or below your feet?

Yes I am, I've always said uphill/downhill for the ball below/above my feet, sorry for my confusion.

[Slowcelica]

  Mr. Desmond said:

And typically, if I remember correctly, higher lofted clubs going uphill have a tendency to go left ... adjust as needed.

I don't think I've seen this with higher lofted clubs, I have seen that lower lofted clubs go much higher and left, because I am basically falling backwards instead of being able to get my weight forward into the ball.

[Mr. Desmond]

  Slowcelica said:

I don't think I've seen this with higher lofted clubs, I have seen that lower lofted clubs go much higher and left, because I am basically falling backwards instead of being able to get my weight forward into the ball.

It was a Dave Pelz research issue from one of his books - I tend to open the LW slightly on uphill lies and they tend to go where I point, just too short because I tend to take a shorter swing on severe uphill lies around the green, and I need to man up...

At the least, experiment with it. Square it up, Open it up, see what happens on various lies.

[rkim291968]

I have one hole that usually requires extreme uphill lie shot.  I align myself to hit right, and/or set my ball position near my right foot.    Take a much shorter club, and make number of practice swings, noting where my swing ends.   I adjust some more based on practice swing and hit.  Works for me.

[dchoye]

I been having problems with this lie lately as it favors a cut swing and I have a draw swing....

I been playing it as though Im going to pull the ball left , alignment open .....but istead of a strong grip, I  neutralize my grip and  keep my head down with the shot....and play a anti -draw which looks like a high cut...

Also for ball below my feet I been setting up the same way except it promotes a low pull if I try my draw swing. ..so I been adjusting my grip weaker and stay down throught the shot with my chin.