GOLFING NEWS - Imagine playing a ball, which lies in a deep hole, almost the size of 2 soccer balls.
You can understand that the ball is now about 5 inches lower than your feet, forcing you to bend lower to the ground to reach the ball. Playing on a slope reaching down to the ball like that will be “ball below your feet.”
If you play a hole with the fairway being severely downhill, looking at the green, it will feel like falling forward – or your toes bearing most of the weight with them being lower than your heals.
Addressing a ball on such a fairway, you will be playing a downhill lie. Then the slope will force you leaning on your left foot, if you are a right-handed player.
Ball below your feet
For right handed golfers:
1. Aim left of your target with both clubface and feet, as the ball tends to turn very easily from left to right in the air.
2. Grip the club to its full length. If you’re not careful you may easily connect the top half of the ball, because of the ball being lower than your feet.
3. Take one extra club. Chances are you might not connect the ball perfectly, therefore play it safe and take one extra club.
4. Lower yourself a bit more from your hips and knees and be careful not to raise them during the swing.
5. Position the ball in the center of your stance for cleaner contact and swing with good tempo.
Downhill lie
For right handed golfers:
1. Aim left of your target with both clubface and feet, as the ball will turn easily from left to right in the air.
2. Take a more lofted club. The ball flight would be lower than usual, that will lead to the ball traveling a bit further.
3. Let your weight favour your lower foot and adjust your shoulder levels according to the slope.
4. Position the ball nearer your back (higher) foot. If the ball position is closer to the front foot, chances are you will connect the ball thin because the club will be moving away from the slope very quickly.
Hope these tips will help you when playing on uneven golf courses.
Tip by KeNako PGA Teaching Professional, Carlo Kok
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