Hitting off Upslopes and Downslopes

• Posted on Grant
• in Course Management, Golf Fundamentals, Golf Set-up, Trouble Shots
• on February 19, 2014
• 1 Comment.

Setting up properly is the most important part of hitting off upslopes and downslopes. My goal is to set up so that the clubhead will swing parallel to the slope through impact. Below are my keys for mastering upslopes and downslopes.

Upslopes:

1. Lean to the right: For upslopes, I take a normal width of stance and put almost all of my weight on my right foot. Leaning to the right at address allows me to swing the club-head up the slope through impact. If I were to put too much weight on my left foot at address, the club-head would slam into the slope instead of swinging parallel to it.

2. Take extra club: Swinging up the hill adds loft to the club-head. The ball will travel higher and shorter which usually requires me to take an extra club. (Example: Take a 7-iron from an 8-iron distance.) Of course, how much extra club to take is a judgment call depending on how steep the upslope is.

3. Finish the swing: Once I have set up correctly on the upslope, my main goal while swinging is to finish with all of my weight on my left foot. This takes extra effort because I have to fight gravity and drive my body weight uphill.

Off an upslope, most golfers hang back and fan the shot to the right. To make sure this doesn’t happen to me, I like to walk toward my target and chase my ball  up the slope immediately after I have finished my swing.

Downslopes:

1. Lean left with a wide stance: Off a downslope, I take a wider stance and put almost all of my weight on my left foot. If I were to put too much weight on my right foot at address, I would tend to swing up and hit the top of the ball.

2. Take less club: Swinging down the slope takes loft off of the club-head. The ball will fly lower and usually roll a little farther than normal so I usually take less club off of a downslope. (Example: Take an 8-iron from a 7-iron distance on the downslope.) How much less club to hit is also a judgment call depending on the severity of the downslope.

3. Extend right arm down the slope through impact. My main focus while swinging on a downslope is to keep my right arm extending and driving down the slope as long as possible after impact. This ensures that I do not come up too soon and hit the top of the ball.

Have fun hitting off upslopes and downslopes. These keys have really helped me and I know they will help you!

GB