Best Way to Hit Golf Shots from Uphill and Downhill Lies

Uphill and downhill lies can cause even more problems in a bunker than they do on grass. The most difficult bunker shot is a downhill bunker shot from near the back of the bunker. We have two problems. The first is to make a good contact without catching the sand behind the ball. The second is that the downstroke takes off loft.

Address the ball with a very wide stance, much wider than any other shot you ever play. Keep the right foot straight in front, the shoulders following the slope with the right shoulder as high as possible. Allow the left arm to bend slightly. Have two or three rehearsals of the backswing, making sure that you don’t inadvertently scrape the sand behind the ball. Keep your left shoulder low and your right shoulder high and feel that you really can get up and down the slope. If you are a very accomplished golfer you might be able to open the clubface slightly, but be sure to keep the ball towards the toe of the club in so doing. Leave a 5cm (2in) gap between the club and the ball as with a normal splash shot, and focus on taking sand and the ball, following down and through the sand beyond impact. At address the clubshaft should point directly to you. Don’t allow the hands to creep forward or you lose too much loft.

But the real problem with a downhill bunker shot is that the ball will travel off far lower than you expect. It is difficult to get a ball up from a downhill lie and over a bank in front of you. Think of going out sideways if you have less height to negotiate or even think of chipping out backwards. If you do get the ball up and out over the bunker, expect it to run. For advanced golfers playing this shot – and that means four handicap or better – try opening the clubface and almost scooping the ball out with the right hand so that the clubshaft flops onto your shoulder at the end of the followthrough. Open the clubface if you can, keeping the ball well way from the neck of the club and up towards the toe.

The standard uphill shot from under the face of a bunker is easy. If you get right under the face, approach the ball from above, kneeling on your left knee and with the right foot in the bunker. Remember that you simply smash forwards into the bottom of the ball and the upslope will take it up.

A ball from a slight upslope in a bunker can be awkward. As with other uphill lies there is a choice of two methods. One way of playing this shot is to use your pitching wedge or sand wedge and simply to chip the ball out, taking the ball and then the sand beyond it. This requires a slow, firm swing with a perfect contact of ball and then sand. If you inadvertently catch the sand before the ball, you are likely to lose length and the ball may not pop out. But this is usually the safest method for higher handicappers.

The other wav of playing from a slight up-slope is to play a splash shot, taking sand with the ball. But on an upslope there is no sand behind the ball, only air! To play a splash shot, lean out at right angles to the slope, shoulders following the slope. Address the ball with a 5cm (2in) gap between the club and the ball, focus on the sand and play as normal a splash shot as you can, taking the sand with the ball. You will find your weight hangs back on your right foot. Good contact with sand is crucial. The ball should come out with good height.