Blogs

Help for your 2nd shot on hole #1 at River’s Edge Golf Course

Here is the technique for handling the downhill second shot on hole #1 at River’s Edge Golf Course in Bend Oregon.  On a downhill lie, the golf ball is higher than your target side foot and lower than your foot that is further away from the target.  This lie makes it difficult to transfer weight up the slope to your back foot during your backswing.  It is also hard to stay behind the ball on the downswing when the hill is pulling you towards the target.

The best golf technique to handle this type of shot is to take less club and choke down to reduce the distance you hit your shot.  The ball will come off the clubface lower and with less spin, which will make the ball travel further.  Aim to the left (for a right-handed player) and draw your back foot back until you level your hips.  This will provide a stable base and also square your shoulders to the target.  Now, tilt your shoulders so that they match the slope and position the golf ball in the middle of your stance so that the bottom of the swing is at the bottom of your swing arc.  Be sure to toe in your forward foot to keep you from swaying down the hill during the swing. 

From this point you just need to make a backswing while your weight is firmly planted on your forward foot, using your forward hip as an axis point for the swing.  The normal reaction during this type of lie is to swing up in order to help the golf ball rise off the turf.  Be sure to swing down the slope so that you strike down ever so slightly to make the ball rise into the air, letting the clubface to the work for you during the downswing. 

Using a three-quarter swing for your downhill shots should be plenty of effort to receive the desired results you are looking for on the difficult lie.  As a rule, this shot should fly slightly right for a right-handed player and slightly left for a left-handed player.  Be sure not to swing any harder on this shot to control your ability to make great contact.