September 4, 2025 11:54 am

Lies where the ball is either hanging above or below your feet can cause golfers many problems. The first point to bear in mind is never to change your swing in either of these scenarios. However, there are some other adjustments you can make, that will help you stay on track for a good score.

Ball above your feet

When the ball is hanging above your feet, it is not dissimilar to when you are on a green putting and there is a slope. In this case you aim up the hill to allow for gravity bringing the ball down the hill. The same will happen with your golf shot on a hanging lie, above your feet. If you are a right-handed golfer, you should aim slightly to the right. The ball will almost certainly fly left of where you are aiming.

Ball below your feet

The risk when the ball is hanging below your feet is that you are prone to hitting the ground behind the ball. This is because the ground is slightly closer to you than it would be if you were on flat ground. To allow for this, hold the club lower down the shaft. How much depends on the severity of the slope you are on. Try a practice swing or two before playing the shot until you feel you can just brush the grass perfectly.

You should also follow the same principle for aiming, as described above. This time, if you are a right-handed golfer, with the ball below your feet, you aim slightly left. The challenge now, because the ball further away from you, is not to top it.  To alleviate this problem, you need to bend from the knees, not the waist. In effect, squat. Not the most comfortable, or elegant position, but necessary in this situation.

Beware of one other problem. Because the squatting posture you have adopted feels strange, you are prone to lifting back up to normal position during the swing. Try to stay down on the shot.

Follow my advice and you’ll soon be as comfortable on the slopes as you are on flat ground.

By Jon Woodroffe – Master Professional, World of Golf London

Categorised in: Tip of the month, World of Golf London