Golf is a challenge, even when playing well off the tee and finding the middle of the fairway, you will usually be left with something to think about on your next shot.
When approaching the ball, even on the fairway, you must assess the lie and think about how it may affect the flight of the ball. You may have a tight, clean looking lie but if the ball is on even a slight slope uphill, it will have an impact on the shot.
In terms of playing the shot, if the ball is above your feet on the fairway it will tend to fly right to left, with a draw sidespin on the ball. You must have this in your mind when choosing which club to use when the ball is above your feet.
Judge what the yardage is from the ball to where you want to land it on the green or ahead of the green. If you would usually take a 7 iron for this shot, you should take a 6 iron instead.
The reason for this is because you will need to grip the club further down the shaft because the ball is above your feet and closer to your body. Moving your grip down the shaft of the club will essentially shorten the club for the shot.
You cannot afford to swing too hard on this shot because doing so on an uphill lie could lead to a loss of balance. Therefore, you will want to take a little off the shot to ensure you remain balanced when in motion. This is the second reason why you will want to take a longer club.
When thinking about your alignment, you must take into consideration the right to left ball flight. It may feel wrong but you should align yourself so you are aiming to the right of your target area. You should also open the face of the club slightly.
The ball should be back further in your stance than normal when faced with an uphill lie on the fairway. This should see it close to being in the centre of your stance.
You will need to stand at a slightly more upward body angle than usual when playing from an uphill lie. This will make you a little less balanced for the shot so try and move your weight further forward, towards your toes. Don’t do it so much as you feel you are leaning forward, it needs to be just enough to prevent you from falling back on the shot.
In terms of the swing, this should come quite naturally having moved into the correct position for the shot. Concentrate on making a smooth and controlled swing, with the confidence of knowing you have done everything right in your preparation for the shot.
If you can, try and find somewhere you can practice playing the ball above your feet. It is not an easy shot to become accustomed to and practice will help a lot.
