Instruction

How Tiger Woods handles Augusta-like lies

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With the Masters just two weeks away, Tiger Woods’ focus has shifted toward Augusta National. Part of the reason Woods has had so much success there is his ability to hit shots off uneven lies. With Augusta’s hilly terrain, players rarely have a completely flat lie. And typically speaking, the guys in contention are those who feel comfortable executing shots no matter the angle or severity of the slope.

In Episode 9 of “My Game: Tiger Woods—Shotmaking Secrets, Presented by Geico,” Woods speaks in detail about how he plays from every type of uneven lie.

Here’s how he goes about setting up for a shot off a severe uphill lie, like one he might face on Augusta’s par-5 8th hole: “The whole idea of this shot is to try to swing along the slope line. The easiest way to do that is to adjust my shoulders,” Woods says. “So right here, I’m putting my weight in my right foot, adjusting [tilting] my shoulders a little bit, so I can swing up the slope as well as I possibly can and stay balanced.”

And the swing itself: “I’m trying to hold this face off from this grass taking it left and missing it left. I’m really going to try and feel as if that right hand really gets underneath that golf ball, and it has a lot of loft to it.”

For more of Woods’ insights into playing every type of lie, check out the full episode.