In Part 2 of this 3-part series on pitching in unusual situations, I tackle the subject of hitting off a downhill lie and touches on setup and club selection. Of course, you’ll have to make time to practice this, but it will be worth it for the shots you’ll save!

Club Selection

Because you will be playing this shot towards the back foot, club selection is again important. When the ball is back, and on a downhill, there will be considerable delofting of the club. So a lofted club like a lob wedge is required. You can play this with a sand wedge, but be prepared for the ball to run ut quite a lot, as there will be very little height to stop this shot.

Setup

Play the ball off your back foot with the hands considerably more forward than normal. This ensures that you will strike the ball first as the ground behind the ball is higher than the ground in front of it. Most of your weight will also be on your front foot so that the body will be leaning forward as well.

Technique

Hinge your wrists quickly, and as you swing through the shot, try and keep the clubhead traveling down the slope. Any attempt to lift this will cause a topped shot. Stay down on the shot a little longer than normal as well. The trajectory will be slightly lower because of the ball position, allowing for slightly less spin and more roll. Find a slope either on the range or on the course to hit a few shots to get the correct feel of this shot.