Mike Kinloch
Maintain a set-up perpendicular to the slope and don’t under club
Escape uneven lies with a simple set-up tweak.
Think about playing from an even lie whenever you find yourself on an uneven one. The key to escaping an up or downhill lie, be it in the fairway or the rough, is getting the right contact and ball flight.
To achieve this, simply adjust your balance so that your spine is perpendicular to the ground, the same as it would be if you were you playing from a flat lie. This makes swinging the club with the slope much simpler.
In this uphill position, I have placed more of my weight on my lower foot which sets my spine perpendicular to the slope. The amount of weight you place on the lower foot varies dependent on the severity of the incline. The more severe the slope, the more balance is required on the lower foot. I also tend to move the ball slightly towards the higher foot, the subtle change in position encouraging the feeling of swinging up the hill. This rule of balance on the lower foot, ball position to higher foot applies also to downhill lies.
Remember that the trajectory of the ball can be greatly affected by sloping lies. When you are set up correctly and make a good strike on an uphill lie, expect the ball to take off on a higher trajectory. The flight of a 7 iron can turn in to that of an 8 or even 9 iron so you may need to take more club in these circumstances. Likewise, a shot struck from a downhill lie will take off on a lower than normal trajectory, so consider more loft to get the ball up.