Breaking 100

MATCH THE SLOPE ON UNEVEN LIES

By Don Hurter with Matthew Rudy
Photos By Chris Stanford October 2008

The downhill lie is usually the most difficult to deal with, because most players already try to lift the ball to get it in the air. Going downhill, the slope works against that lifting action, and you'll probably top the ball if you try to help it up.

To play this shot, start with your shoulders parallel to the slope. Make a shorter backswing--which helps you keep your balance--and finish with your weight on your front leg, extending your arms so you feel as if the clubhead is chasing the ball down the slope.

Let the loft of the club do the work, and accept that this shot won't fly as high or carry as far as one struck from a flat lie.

: BUILD THE RIGHT WOOD COMBINATION; To figure out which woods you need in your bag, start with your 3-wood. It has to perform double duty from the tee (on narrow driving holes) and the fairway, so pick one that doesn't produce a ballooning, high-spin ball flight--most likely a 15-degree model. Your 5-wood needs to have 19 to 21 degrees of loft and produce shots that land softly on the green. The 7-wood should have 25 to 27 degrees of loft and serve as a multipurpose utility club out of the rough and fairway bunkers or even on long chip shots. Keep in mind that increased loft reduces sidespin: If you need help hitting the ball straight, you should pick clubs at the higher end of the loft ranges described here.