Techniques for Hitting a Golf Ball Below Your Feet

← Golf Instruction & Improvement | Common Faults & Fixes

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Quick Answer

• Lower your body, widen your stance, and aim for the higher part of the clubface.
• Pick a club with more loft and keep your swing smooth.
• Expect the ball to curve left and adjust your aim accordingly.

Who This Is For

• Golfers who find themselves struggling when the ball is below their feet.
• Anyone looking to improve their ball striking and control on uneven lies.
• Players aiming to shave strokes by mastering tricky downhill lies.

What to Check First When Hitting a Golf Ball Below Your Feet

• The Lie’s Severity: Get a good look at how far below your feet the ball is sitting. This is the biggest factor in how much you need to adjust your setup and swing. A slight downhill is one thing; a steep one is another beast entirely.
• Your Grip: Make sure your hands are on the club nice and snug, but not so tight you’re squeezing the life out of it. You’ll need solid control here. I usually grip down an inch or two, which helps me keep the clubface steady.
• Club Selection: This is crucial. You’ll almost always want a club with more loft. Think mid-irons (like a 7-iron, 8-iron) or even a wedge. These clubs have loft built-in to help get the ball up and out of tough spots.
• Target Line: Take a moment to really visualize your target. Because of the lie, your natural aim will be different. You’ll need to account for the ball’s tendency to curve.
• Ground Conditions: Is the turf firm, soft, or a bit bare? This can influence how you approach the shot and what club you choose. A firmer lie might let you use a slightly lower-lofted club than a very soft one.

Step-by-Step Plan for How to Hit a Golf Ball Below Your Feet

1. Assess the Lie’s Severity: Take a good look at how far below your feet the ball is resting. Mistake to Avoid: Misjudging how steep the slope is. If you think it’s less severe than it is, you’ll likely come up short or hit it thin. If you overcompensate, you might dig too deep.

2. Select Your Club Wisely: Grab a club with more loft. A 7-iron, 8-iron, or even a pitching wedge is often a good choice. Mistake to Avoid: Reaching for a driver or a low-lofted fairway wood. These clubs are designed for flat lies and will have a tough time getting the ball airborne from this position, often leading to chunking the shot.

3. Adjust Your Stance for Stability: Widen your stance considerably – maybe a couple of inches wider than normal. Then, lower your body by bending your knees and hinging at your hips. You want to feel grounded and stable. Mistake to Avoid: Standing too upright or keeping a narrow stance. This will throw off your balance completely and make it nearly impossible to make consistent contact. You need to get down to the ball’s level.

4. Grip Down on the Club: Shorten your grip on the club by about an inch or two. This gives you more control over the clubface and helps prevent you from hitting the ground too far behind the ball. Mistake to Avoid: Holding the club at its very end. This reduces your leverage and makes it harder to manipulate the clubface through impact. It’s like trying to steer a boat with a super long oar – you lose fine control.

5. Swing with a Smooth, Controlled Tempo: This is not the time to try and muscle the ball. Focus on a smooth, unhurried swing. Think about making solid contact rather than hitting it hard. Mistake to Avoid: Swinging with excessive force. Trying to “kill” the ball from a downhill lie is a recipe for disaster. You’ll likely get off-balance, swing too hard, and make poor contact, leading to a shank or a topped shot.

6. Aim to the Right of Your Target: Because the ball is below your feet, the clubface will naturally tend to close more through impact, causing the ball to curve left (for a right-handed golfer). You need to aim a bit to the right of your intended target to compensate. Mistake to Avoid: Aiming straight at your target. If you do this, the ball’s natural leftward curve will take it well off to the left of where you want it to end up.

7. Focus on Hitting the Ball First: Try to make contact with the ball slightly higher on the clubface than you normally would. This helps to counteract the downward slope and ensure you’re lifting the ball rather than digging into the turf. Mistake to Avoid: Trying to hit the ball perfectly on the sweet spot. Because of the slope, your natural instinct might be to try and hit down on it. However, the clubface is already angled upwards relative to the ball, so aiming for the middle can actually result in a topped shot. Aiming slightly higher helps you lift it.

8. Maintain Balance Through Impact: Keep your weight balanced and your body stable through the swing. Don’t let your lower body get ahead of your upper body. Mistake to Avoid: Letting your lower body spin out too quickly. This will cause you to lose your posture and balance, leading to a loss of power and control. Feel like you’re rotating around your spine.

Common Mistakes When Learning How to Hit a Golf Ball Below Your Feet

• Standing too upright — Why it matters: This throws off your entire balance. You’re not grounded, and making solid contact becomes a gamble. It’s like trying to do a plank with your knees bent too much. — Fix: Bend your knees and hinge more at your hips to get your body lower and more stable. Get closer to the ball than you think you need to.
• Gripping the club too high — Why it matters: Holding the club at the very end reduces your control over the clubface. It can also lead to a loss of power because you can’t get the proper leverage. — Fix: Grip down on the club shaft by an inch or two. This feels a bit awkward at first, but it gives you much better control and feel.
• Swinging too hard — Why it matters: This is a classic mistake. When you try to muscle the ball from a difficult lie, you almost always lose balance and make poor contact. It’s tempting to try and compensate for the lie with speed, but it backfires. — Fix: Focus intently on a smooth, unhurried tempo. Think about making a controlled, balanced swing, not a power swing. The goal is solid contact, not maximum distance.
• Not adjusting your aim — Why it matters: The ball will naturally curve left from this lie. If you don’t account for this, you’ll consistently miss your target to the left. — Fix: Aim a few yards to the right of your target. The amount depends on the severity of the slope and your typical shot shape, but a slight adjustment is almost always necessary.
• Using too little loft — Why it matters: A club with less loft will struggle to get the ball up and out of the downhill lie. You’re more likely to hit the ground behind the ball, causing a chunked shot that travels nowhere. — Fix: Always opt for a club with more loft. A mid-iron or a wedge is usually the safest bet. The extra loft helps lift the ball cleanly.
• Trying to hit the ball perfectly in the sweet spot — Why it matters: On a downhill lie, the clubface is naturally angled upwards relative to the ball. Trying to hit the exact center can lead to topping the ball, as the club will swing through the lower portion of the ball. — Fix: Aim to hit the ball slightly higher on the clubface. This helps ensure you’re lifting the ball rather than digging into the turf or topping it.
• Ignoring your lower body stability — Why it matters: The downhill slope makes it easy for your lower body to get ahead of your swing, causing you to lose balance and hit off-plane shots. — Fix: Focus on keeping your weight balanced and your lower body stable throughout the swing. Feel like you’re rotating around your spine, rather than letting your hips spin out too early.

FAQ

• What is the most important adjustment to make for a downhill lie?

The most critical adjustment is lowering your body and bending your knees and hips significantly. This provides the necessary stability and balance to make solid contact from an uneven lie.

• How much should I aim to the right of the target?

The amount you aim right depends on the severity of the slope and your natural shot shape. For a moderate downhill lie, aim about 5-10 yards right of your target. For a steeper slope, you might need to aim even further right. Experimentation on the range is key.

• Should I change my swing path?

You don’t need to force a specific swing path. The downhill lie will naturally encourage a slightly different path. Focus more on maintaining your balance, tempo, and hitting the ball first. Your body will naturally adjust to the lie to some extent.

• What club should I use from a downhill lie?

Generally, you should select a club with more loft. Mid-irons (like a 7-iron or 8-iron) or wedges are usually the best choices. These clubs have the loft needed to get the ball up and out of the slope.

• How do I avoid hitting the ground behind the ball (chunking)?

Chunking often happens when you use too little loft or try to scoop the ball. To avoid it, select a club with more loft and focus on hitting the ball first, slightly higher on the clubface. Maintaining your balance and posture through impact is also crucial.

• Will my ball curve left from this lie?

Yes, for a right-handed golfer, the ball will almost always curve left from a downhill lie. This is because the clubface tends to close more through impact due to the slope. You must account for this by aiming right.

• How much should I shorten my grip?

Gripping down an inch or two on the club is a good starting point. This gives you more control over the clubface and helps prevent you from hitting the ground too far behind the ball. You might adjust this slightly based on the severity of the lie and your comfort level.

Sources:

How to Hit a Golf Ball Below Your Feet
How to Hit a Golf Ball When It’s Below Your Feet