Fitness Friday: Five easy exercises to hit better shots from uneven lies

By Ron Kaspriske Illustrations by Brown Bird Design

October 16, 2015

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Photo By: Illustrations by Brown Bird Design

Awkward Lies

You might like to spend hours on the range grooving your swing, but from a neurological standpoint, that's probably not a good idea, says Golf Digest fitness advisor Ben Shear. If you only train on perfectly flat practice ranges, how can you expect your body to perform when you're trying to flush a shot off a downhill or sidehill lie, or standing with one foot in and one foot out of a bunker?"It takes a good amount of coordination, strength and flexibility to hit shots from awkward lies," Shear says. "Even something as standard as a deep-rough lie can give you fits if your body isn't prepared."That's why it's important to train your nervous system to be comfortable in any stance so it can coordinate muscle function to execute all types of shots. Shear offers five exercises to help when the ball isn't sitting pretty. Add these to your workout.

UPHILL

Get accustomed to fighting gravity's pull away from the target. Start from your address posture, and mimic a through-swing. The lead foot should stay planted on a platform while you resist the stretch band trying to pull the left shoulder back.

Photo By: Illustrations by Brown Bird Design

DOWNHILL

To swing down a slope effectively, stand with your back foot elevated and your shoulders matching the incline. Mimic a swing. Your weight should remain supported by the front foot, and the club should stay on the same plane (pointing downward).

SIDEHILL AND DOWNHILL

To keep from shifting too far toward your toes from this lie and mis-hitting the shot, hold a dumbbell in front of you with both hands, and then squat as you extend the weight away from your body. Feel pressure in your heels as you squat.

Photo By: Illustrations by Brown Bird Design

BUNKERS

An effective swing in the sand requires good arm speed and a stable lower body. Grab a two- or four-pound medicine ball and get into a semi-squat golf posture. While maintaining balance and posture, make a golf-like swing as fast as you can.

Photo By: Illustrations by Brown Bird Design

ROUGH

Controlling the clubface while getting it to rip through thick grass comes down to good hand and arm strength. While kneeling with your arms resting on a bench, lift a barbell up by bowing your wrists; letting your hands go from open to clenched.

Photo By: Illustrations by Brown Bird Design

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Fitness Friday: Five easy exercises to hit better shots from uneven lies

Shop This Look

Awkward Lies

UPHILL

DOWNHILL

SIDEHILL AND DOWNHILL

BUNKERS

ROUGH