How to Hit the Golf Ball From 7 Tricky Lies

Playing from an uneven lie on the golf course can strike fear into many amateur golfers and it's easy to get confused with the adjustments required in each swing.

Fear not, we've trawled through our favourite YouTube videos to help our favourite golfers (our Hole19ers) play each shot with confidence and avoid possible card-wrecking disasters.

Check out the 7 separate nasty lies below, each with its very own instructional video from some of the best golf coaches around.

The uphill lie

To hit the ball cleanly from an uphill lie you need to match the slope with your shoulders at address. This will put more of your weight on your trail leg and you'll hit the ball on the way up.

Given the loft you're adding to the shot, and the upward strike, you'll need to club up. Depending on the severity of the lie, this could be one club up, or perhaps as much as two or three clubs up.

The downhill lie

You can deal with a tricky downhill slope simply by adjusting the way you set up to the golf ball - and you can pretty much reverse the advice for an uphill lie.

Mirror the slope at address, which will result in most of your weight shifting to your lead leg, and play the ball back in the stance to reduce the chance of hitting it fat. Choose one club less to counteract the lower trajectory.

The sidehill lies

With the ball above your feet you're going to want to stand a little taller and choke down on the club to guard against slamming into the hill on the way down. Aim a little to the right to allow for an amount of draw spin (right to left shape for right-handed golfers).

With the ball below your feet, as you can't make the club any longer, you'll need to get lower to the ground and sit into the shot a bit more. Importantly, maintain those angles throughout your swing. You should expect the golf ball to move from left to right.

The fairway divot

Regardless of where you stand on the fairway divot debate, finding your golf ball in one after a booming drive is frustrating. When it does happen, you'll need to know how to tackle them.

Play the ball around two balls back from the centre of your stance, and move your upper body a little closer to the target. From here, your angle of attack will be quite steep and the trajectory quite low, so take one club less.

Nasty thick rough

Playing from thick, tangly rough will be a challenge if you fail to make the necessary adjustments in your set-up. It's all about creating a steep angle of attack into the back of the ball.

Play the ball closer to your trail foot and feel like you're more over the ball, rather than hanging back.

The tight lie

Bare/tight lies are undeniably difficult to chip from and you're only one wrong move away from thinning it off the back of the green.

Take the bounce off your wedge by placing your hands forward, and don't actively hit down into the golf ball.  Your set-up will achieve a downward strike without you needing to manipulate it.

The 'fried egg'

Given that many pro golfers fear this lie more than most, it's clear to see that hitting a plugged ball from the sand is difficult to execute. Chris Ryan has a few tips for you to employ in set-up, and in the swing itself, to promote the required steep angle of attack.

Place the ball in the centre of your stance then weight forward, hands forward, pick the club up and come down steeply with speed.