Irons · Tip
How to Hit From an Uphill Lie
Part of our irons programs for push or pull, uneven lies. Build a program with it
An uphill lie sends the ball high and left. The club can also dig into the slope. Tilt your shoulders to match the hill, with more weight on your trail foot. Play the ball a little forward. Take one or two more clubs, because the slope adds loft. Swing up the hill, not into it. Aim a little right if you tend to pull these.
Step by step
- Match your shoulders to the slope.
- Ball slightly forward.
- Take one or two more clubs.
- Swing up the slope.
- Aim a touch right.
Why it works
On an uphill lie, the slope raises the ground at the front of your stance, so the club meets the ball with more effective loft. That sends the ball higher, shorter, and often left. When your shoulders match the slope and your weight sits more on the trail foot, the club bottoms out at the right point and travels up the hill instead of into it. Taking more club offsets the added loft.
Common mistakes
- You stand square to the vertical and keep your shoulders level, so the club digs into the slope.Tilt your shoulders so they run parallel to the hill, and let your lead side sit higher than your trail side.
- You hold your weight on the lead foot and hang back or lean into the hill as you swing.Keep more weight on your trail foot and swing along the slope so the club follows the ground up the hill.
- You take your normal club and aim straight at the target, then the ball balloons and finishes left and short.Take one or two more clubs and aim a touch right to allow for the extra loft and the pull.
How you'll know it's working
- The ball flies higher than normal but starts on your target line or just right of it, and does not hook left.
- You strike the ball first and take a shallow divot, with no heavy fat contact from the club digging in.
- You finish balanced with your weight over your trail side, and you do not fall back or stumble up the slope.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Start with a mid-iron on a gentle slope and make slow half swings to get the shoulder tilt and weight feel before you add speed.
Harder: Move to a steeper slope, or hit to a specific target and judge your club choice by how far the ball lands short of your normal distance.
Common questions
Why does the ball go left from an uphill lie?
The slope adds effective loft and tends to close the clubface relative to the ground, so the ball launches higher and pulls left. Matching your shoulders to the slope and aiming a touch right helps to counter it.
How much more club should I take from an uphill lie?
Take one or two more clubs. The steeper the slope, the more loft it adds, so the more club you need to reach the same distance.
