Uneven lies can ruin a round. Here’s how to own them

Welcome to Shaving Strokesa GOLF.com series in which we’re sharing improvements, lessons and tips from amateur golfers just like you—including some of the speed bumps and challenges they faced along the way.

Uneven lies are inevitable – and can be stressful when you encounter them.

Of course, when the ball is sitting or above or under your feetor you’re forced to hold your stance with your body contorted in a way it’s not used to, most players can only think about what will go wrong rather than everything that could go right.

While part of mastering uneven lies is building confidence, achieving this requires trusting your routine and believing you can hit a good shot no matter how the ball sits.

So how can you achieve it? In the following video, GOLF Top 100 Teachers Mark Hackett shares some important tips that can help as he works with a junior college golfer named Yvette O’Briena future TCU Horned Frog. See how both of these can help you improve your results from uneven lies.

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“The ball is on the downslope, so it’s going to be easier for her weight to move down the slope and it tends to twist the club,” Hackett says. “So we’re going to add more loft to help raise the ball because it’s going to come out a lot lower.”

Hackett then talks about O’Brien’s process. With this ball sitting beneath her feet on the downhill slope, the first order of business is to make practical moves to find the low point of the club — which helps her determine her ball position.

“It’s a little further forward, so I tend to hit a little behind it on the downhill,” says O’Brien.

This is the opposite of a ball that would have landed on your feet on an uneven lie, as it would be more toward the bottom of your stance.

Hackett then explains how O’Brien should be positioned for this pose, which involves repositioning her hips and legs.

“We have to flatten the hips, so she’ll put her leg back and have her shoulders match the slope,” says Hackett. “So you can see how her main shoulder is much lower.”

O’Brien talks through her approach to this kind of uneven lie should she come across it on tour.

“Straightening your shoulders and aligning your hips with the slope, then making sure you get that contact right before the golf ball is very important,” she says. “I’m really just thinking about rolling the ball (onto the green) because it’s going to roll because it’s downhill, so it’s going to come out a little bit hotter with a lower trajectory.”

So when you encounter an uneven lie where the ball is under your feet, instead of fearing the outcome, use the tips above to confidently address your ball to hit the ideal shot.

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Nick Dimengo

Editor of Golf.com