UNEVEN LIE NEMESIS

By Erika Larkin on 8/21/13

Ever wonder why you can't hit well off of a certain uneven lie? From my experience teaching golfers, it's very common for someone to be predisposed to hit it poorly when faced with a lie that doesn't jive with their natural swing. It's also important to know how to adjust your swing temporarily to fit the lie.

Here are some examples of swing characteristics that make uneven lies challenging and how to better handle them:

• The Lie: A downhill lie (ball below the feet) typically requires a steeper angle of attack. A golfer who has a very flat swing or has a tendency to stand up or chicken wing through impact would likely thin a shot from here.
  
  The Fix: widen your stance and bend your chest down more at address to help steepen your swing. Make sure your take the club back on a straight path to create a more vertical plane. Stay low with your body through impact by feeling like you exaggerate a sitting feeling. REACH your arms. There is lots of room since the ball is farther away, avoid bending your elbows at all costs through impact.


• The Lie: An uphill lie (ball above the feet) is the nemesis of a golfer who has a very steep swing. This person will likely hit it fat.
  
  The Fix: narrow your stance and stand taller. Try and swing back flatter more like a baseball swing by working the club back slightly inside. Instead of swinging down, exaggerate the feeling of swinging out like you're going to hit it to right field(for a righty).


• The Lie: A sidehill lie where your lead foot is higher is hard for someone who has a poor weight shift- they will have a tendency to fall back and top a shot. Someone who has a steep swing will likely hit fat into the hill behind the ball.
  
  The Fix: Make sure your match your shoulders to the angle of the hill so the back shoulder is lower and then try to maintain your balance through the swing to the finish exaggerating a move to your lead leg.


• The Lie: A sidehill lie where your lead foot is lower is hard in general but really hard for someone who chicken wings through impact or someone who has a very flat swing.
  
  The Fix: bend your lead leg/knee so you actually put more weight on it and steepen your shoulder line to match the hill. Then allow your arms to really swing up on a vertical plane like you're lifting them immediately. Stay with the shot and try to follow the angle of the hill through impact. It should feel like you are reaching a little past the ball down the hill.

There is no question that uneven lies are uncomfortable to begin with and now I'm asking you to get out of your comfort zone even more and exaggerate certain things. But if saves you a few shots I know you will be happy you tried these tips and you might even learn something about your swing in the process!