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Uneven Lies Irons Beginner / Intermediate ⏱ 9 min 🇬🇧 Video in English, summarized

Playing from Slopes Made Simple: Danny Maude

Do slopes make you hit the ball fat or top it? Danny Maude, head pro at a club in Kent, speaks to amateur golfers: he boils all slopes down to one simple rule about ball position and weight, then shows how to keep your balance on downhill and uphill lies and with the ball below your feet.

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Danny Maude
Danny Maude · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

To be continued

13 minNext Level UpIrons Downwind and on Slopes: The Morikawa SchoolCollin Morikawa · Intermediate / Expert6 minNext Level UpBunker shot down the slope: Rory McIlroyRory McIlroy · Intermediate / Expert8 minFrom the same proShort Game at Home: Putting Arc and Chipping to a FinishDanny Maude · Beginner / Intermediate

What the lesson shows

For Danny Maude, the principle is to follow the slope: On flat ground, stand up straight, and when the ground slopes, your body slopes with it. Rule to remember: The ball favors the higher foot; the weight favors the lower foot.. On a downhill lie, tilt your body with the slope and move the ball back a few inches. Most players lean back to help the ball up and top it. Keep your weight on your left foot, swing up the slope on the backswing and down it on the downswing, and use a club with more loft: a 6-iron behaves almost like a 4- or 5-iron, so play a 7-iron or an 8-iron.

In his view, the ball below your feet on a downhill lie is the trickiest: it will go right, in the direction a ball set on the ground would roll. Widen your stance a little to get lower, position your body more over the ball and make a smooth three-quarter swing. On an uphill lie, the same principles apply in reverse: ball farther forward, body perpendicular to the slope. Before you play, make practice swings to “calibrate” the club to the ground, until you hear the club brush the grass. The finish stays short: never force the power.

The Exercise, Step by Step

  1. Identify the higher foot and the lower foot.
  2. Place the ball a few inches toward the higher foot.
  3. Shift your weight to your lower foot and lean your body with the slope.
  4. With the ball below your feet, widen your stance a little.
  5. Make practice swings until you brush the ground.
  6. Take a three-quarter swing, following the slope, and finish short.

Key Takeaways

The body follows the slope of the ground.
The ball favors the higher foot, the weight the lower foot.
Swing along the slope, on the backswing and the downswing.
When going downhill, use more loft.
Short, balanced swings, after practice swings that brush the ground.

Mistakes to Avoid

  • Leaning back on a downhill lie to help the ball up.
  • Going back to a flat-ground weight distribution.
  • Going for maximum distance while off balance.
  • Keeping the same club on a downhill lie even though the slope takes loft off.

Driving Range Mode

Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.

  1. Practice swings on a slope until you brush the ground
  2. Three balls from a downhill lie, weight kept on the lower foot
  3. Three-quarter swings, holding a low finish

Your Questions

What rule should be used for all slopes?

According to Danny Maude, the ball favors the higher foot and the weight favors the lower foot, with the body following the slope of the ground.

Why do so many golfers top the ball on a downhill lie?

Because you lean back to help the ball up. Keep your weight on your left foot and take a more lofted club instead.

How do you play the ball below your feet?

Widen your stance slightly, position your body further over the ball, and take a smooth swing. Expect the ball to go to the right.

What does it mean to “calibrate” with the ground?

Keep taking practice swings until the club makes contact with the grass in the right spot. The first few swings may hit the ground—that’s normal on a slope.

Learn More

All “Slope Shots” videos →Find the lesson that's right for you Irons Downwind and on Slopes: The Morikawa SchoolRead the lie and the wind, then choose between two shots: Morikawa demonstrates three shots with an iron and a wedge—downwind, downhill, and uphill. Bunker shot down the slope: Rory McIlroyRory McIlroy adjusts his setup for a downhill bunker shot, shoulders matching the slope, and invites you to lower your expectations on this shot. Ball Above Your Feet: Find the Plane with GravityBall above your feet: find the plane and the distance from the weight of the club, with horizontal swings, then a double grass brush around the ball. Danny MaudeAll of his lessons

Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Danny Maude). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons without hosting them.

* Amateur competitions with guidance from the pros