How to Hit a Golf Shot When the Ball is Above your Feet

While it occurs more often in mountainside or links-y courses all golfers will still from time to time find themselves in situations where their stance is not level, in this case when their feet are lower than the ball. This sidehill lie situation demands several tweaks in order to make sure a clean hit at the ball is achieved despite the difficulties attached.

Review our tips below to learn how to hit when the ball is above your feet. For the reverse situation, check our tips for when the ball is below your feet.

Key Objective:

Avoid the risk of hitting it fat or left of the target

Get Into a Stable Setup Position

Depending on the severity of the sidehill you may find yourself in a situation where it is harder to keep your balance.

So while a small sidehill may not impact your balance too much, a more pronounced one will. Accordingly and while setting up, test the severity of the slope and make sure you are comfortable, that you are balanced and will be able to execute your swing without stepping back down the hill.

Grip Down on the Club

Through the simple fact that the ball is higher on the ground than your feet, the ball is therefore closer to your hands than it would normally be.

That means that unless you make some adjustments your clubhead is bound to dig deep into the ground as it makes contact with the ball, probably resulting in a fat shot.

In order to take this into account grip down on your club until you are satisfied with how the club sits behind the ball at address.

Use One More Club

Because you gripped down on the club in the previous step you are going to hit the ball a shorter distance than you normally would with a normal grip.

To account for that change in distance, use one more club that you normally would.

Yes, the lower loft would send the ball further but the shorter shaft length (through gripping down) will reduce that distance gain, resulting in about the same distance as you should need.

Aim Right of Target

When you are faced with a ball above feet lie you should expect the ball to shoot a little left of the target.

This happens because the sole of the club is at an angle rather than being perfectly level on the ground.

To account for that tendency to shoot left, aim a little right of the target.

Note that the shorter the club or the steeper the hill, the truer this is.

Swing Along a Flatter Plane

Some golfers swing along a flatter swing plane than others. Or in other words, some golfers have a flatter swing while others have a more vertical swing.

If you naturally have a more vertical swing, you’ll need to be particularly careful here.

Indeed, a very steep swing, combined with a ball above feet lie can result in the clubhead digging straight down into the ground.

Instead and in order to protect against this scenario try to swing along a flatter plane, along one that more closely matches the level of the ground.