Taking up the challenge of tackling lies

UPHILL LIES. Uphill lies tend to be the easiest of the uneven lies to play. The ball is sitting there, ready to be launched easily upward.

The main challenge here is to remember that because the ground is angling upward, more loft will be added to the club causing the ball to fly shorter than a regular swing would produce.

Your right shoulder will be a bit lower than normal at address on an uphill lie;

Your weight will be influenced slightly more to the right because of the slope;

Move assertively through the ball so that you don't fall back and pull the ball left;

Play the ball at your normal ball position;

There is a more of a tendency to draw this shot so aiming a little to the right of your target is desirable.

DOWNHILL LIES

This is one of the more challenging shots. The ball tends to go lower and often tailing to the right.

Your left shoulder will be a bit lower than normal at address on a downhill lie;

Your weight will be influenced slightly more to the left because of the slope;

Move the ball back in your stance - the steeper the lie, the further you move it back;

Align yourself to the left to allow for a slight fade;

Depending on the severity of the slope, select one or two clubs shorter than normal since the ball will shoot off the downhill lie with a lower and hotter trajectory;

Make a compact feeling swing with less weight shift and lower body turn;

Swing down along the slope and within yourself.

Practicing these shots will give you the confidence to pull them off when playing. At the Royal Golf Club Academy we have a sloping map which gives you the opportunity to practice on all the different slopes.

One last thought - keeping your swing feeling compact and controlled will help you become successful with uneven lies. From all of these lies, take a practice swing. This dry run will remind you of the most important aspect of all these situations - balance! Good luck!