GOOD CONTACT at Practice But Rubbish on the Course? This video explains why!

23 July

GOOD CONTACT at Practice But Rubbish on the Course? This video explains why!!

Let me tell you about a range session I had a few seasons ago. I was hitting the ball beautifully, one perfect shot after another. My ball striking felt crisp, and I was flushing my irons right down the middle of the range. I left that practice session feeling like a tour pro, convinced that the next day's round would be a career low. But when I got to the course, the reality of my game came crashing back down. I found myself hitting shots from the side of a hill, with the ball above my feet, or a slight downhill lie, and my swing completely fell apart. The crisp contact I had on the range was replaced by fat shots, thin shots, and shots that went a different direction entirely. It was a humbling and frustrating experience, and it's a feeling I know many of you share.

The question I asked myself that day was simple: why was I so good on the range but so bad on the course? I realized the answer was equally simple: the range mat lied to me. I was practicing on a perfectly flat, manicured surface, which gave me a false sense of security about my ball position and swing path. But on the course, a flat lie is a rarity. Even on the flattest fairways, there are subtle undulations and slopes that change the way your club interacts with the ground. I had to unlearn my over-reliance on a fixed ball position and learn to adjust to the reality of the golf course.

I've since developed a simple but powerful technique that has completely transformed my ability to hit from uneven lies. It's a method I call "discovery swings," and it's all about gathering information before you ever hit the ball. By taking a moment to understand how the slope of the ground is going to affect your swing, you can make a small adjustment that will lead to solid contact and a much better outcome. This technique is the key to unlocking your best ball striking on the course, and not just on the practice range.

The Problem: Why Your Range Game Doesn’t Translate

To truly understand why we struggle on the course, we have to look at the differences between a practice range and a real golf course. The biggest and most crucial difference is the ground. The range mat is perfectly flat, level, and often elevated slightly. This means your swing, if executed with the right mechanics, will always bottom out in the same place. Most golfers learn to place the ball in the middle of their stance, assuming this is the correct position for every shot. This works perfectly on the range.

But on the golf course, the ground is dynamic. It's almost never perfectly flat. The low point of your swing is not static; it's a moving target. The low point of the swing is the point at which the club head reaches its lowest elevation. It's the point where you want your club to interact with the ground after it has made contact with the ball. On a flat lie, the low point is typically forward of the ball, so the club makes contact with the ball and then the ground. On a slope, that low point changes dramatically.

On a downslope, your body is tilted with the hill, and the natural low point of your swing moves backward. If you keep the ball in the middle of your stance, you will likely hit the ground behind the ball, resulting in a fat shot. The club's path is already moving downward, and a fixed ball position makes it almost impossible to avoid hitting the ground prematurely. Your body is trying to compensate for the slope, but your ball position is working against you.
On an upslope, your body is tilted in the opposite direction, and the low point of your swing moves forward. If you keep the ball in the middle of your stance, you might miss the ground completely and hit a thin shot. The club’s path is already moving upward, and if the ball is not positioned correctly, the club will soar over the top of the ball.
On a sidehill lie, with the ball above or below your feet, your entire swing plane changes. It becomes flatter when the ball is above your feet and more upright when the ball is below your feet. These changes are subtle, but they are enough to cause a huge mis-hit if you aren’t prepared.
- When the ball is above your feet, your swing plane becomes more shallow, and the toe of the club is often closer to the ground than the heel. This can cause you to hit the ball off the heel and send it to the left. The ball position will naturally feel closer to you, so you must adjust for that.
- When the ball is below your feet, you have to bend more at the waist, and your swing plane becomes more upright. The heel of the club is often closer to the ground than the toe. This can cause you to hit the ball off the toe and send it to the right.

The problem isn't that your swing is bad. It's that your approach to ball position is wrong. You’re assuming the ground is flat, when in reality, it’s not. My method of "discovery swings" is designed to solve this exact problem by helping you find the true low point of your swing on any lie.

The Solution: The Power of Discovery Swings

A "discovery swing" is a practice swing with a purpose. It's not a small, tentative motion; it's a dress rehearsal for the shot you are about to hit. The goal is to figure out where your club naturally bottoms out on a specific lie. I use these swings to "discover" where the ground is, so I can adjust my ball position accordingly. This small adjustment is the difference between a great shot and a disastrous one.

How to Perform a Discovery Swing:

Stand next to your ball on the lie you'll be playing from.
Take a practice swing that is the same size and effort as the actual shot you intend to hit. This is a crucial detail. A small, wimpy practice swing won't give you a true read of the ground. It has to be a full, committed motion. [0:36]
Pay close attention to where your club hits the ground. Did it hit the ground in front of where the ball is? Did it hit behind it?
Adjust your ball position based on this information. [0:52]

This simple routine takes just a few seconds, but the information you get from it is priceless. It removes the guesswork from ball position and allows you to play with a higher level of precision.

Applying the Technique to Different Lies

The beauty of this method is that it applies to almost any lie you'll encounter on the course. Here's how I use my discovery swings to conquer the most common uneven lies:

Downhill Lies: This is one of the most challenging lies for many golfers. Your body is tilted with the slope, and the natural low point of your swing moves backward. If I were to take a discovery swing on a downhill lie, my club would likely hit the ground well behind where I would normally have the ball. To fix this, I simply adjust my ball position backward in my stance to align with the low point of my swing. This helps me to achieve ball-first contact, which is the only way to hit a good shot from a downhill lie. [0:52]
Uphill Lies: On an uphill lie, the opposite happens. Your body is tilted backward, and the low point of your swing moves forward. My discovery swing on an uphill lie would likely hit the ground in front of where the ball is. To fix this, I move the ball forward in my stance. This allows me to make a clean strike at the low point of my swing, which helps me get the ball in the air with a good trajectory. [0:52]
Sidehill Lies (Ball Above Feet): When the ball is above my feet, my swing plane becomes flatter and more around my body. My discovery swing will likely show my club bottoming out much closer to my feet. In this situation, I don’t necessarily change my ball position, but I do choke down on the club to account for the change in my swing plane. Choking up on the club brings the face closer to the ball and helps me avoid a fat shot.
Sidehill Lies (Ball Below Feet): This is another tough one. The lie forces me to stand more upright, and my swing plane becomes more vertical. My discovery swing will likely bottom out further away from my body. To fix this, I'll need to reach for the ball a bit more and make sure I maintain my posture throughout the swing. I'll also aim slightly to the left, as this lie often encourages a fade or slice.

The point of all these examples is that the discovery swing works on all of them. It gives you the information you need to make the right adjustment, so you're never guessing.

The Importance of Realistic Practice Swings

The success of this technique hinges on the quality of your practice swings. A small, tentative practice swing is useless. You have to treat the discovery swing as a "dress rehearsal" for the actual shot. It has to be the same size, with the same amount of effort, and the same tempo. [0:52]

Why is this so important? Because your swing motion and the low point of that swing change with the amount of effort you put into it. A soft, half-swing will bottom out in a different place than a full, committed swing. To get an accurate read on where your club is going to hit the ground, you have to swing with the same energy you’ll use for the real shot.

I’ve made this mistake myself. I used to take a half-hearted practice swing and think I had a good read, only to hit the ball fat on the real shot. I learned that my discovery swing needed to be a true representation of the swing I was about to make. The few seconds it takes to make a real, committed practice swing are worth it for the improved contact and the added confidence you’ll have over the ball.

The Mental Game and Uneven Lies

This technique is not just about the physical mechanics; it's also about the mental side of the game. The fear of an uneven lie is a major psychological hurdle for many golfers. That fear can lead to a tense, rushed swing, which is a recipe for a bad shot. My method of discovery swings helps to eliminate that fear.

It builds confidence: When I know where my club is going to bottom out, I can stand over the ball with a clear plan. I'm not guessing; I'm executing a strategy. This confidence allows me to make a more free-flowing, athletic swing, which leads to better results.
It removes the guesswork: The discovery swing provides tangible information that you can use to make a decision. You don't have to wonder if the ball should be forward or backward in your stance. The ground tells you exactly what to do.
It makes the game fun again: The game of golf is supposed to be enjoyable. The frustration of bad shots from uneven lies can ruin a round. By having a solution to this problem, I can play with more joy and less anxiety.

Comprehensive Practice and Application: Making it Part of Your Game

To make this a part of your game, I recommend a few simple drills:

The Slope Drill: The next time you're on the practice range, find a slope. It doesn't have to be a big one. Take a few balls and a wedge and practice hitting from that lie. Use the discovery swing technique, pay attention to where your club hits the ground, and adjust your ball position accordingly. This will help you get the feel for the technique without the pressure of a round.
The Backyard Drill: If you have a backyard with a slope, grab an iron and practice your discovery swings. You don't even have to hit a ball. Just get a feel for how the low point of your swing changes on different slopes. This can be a great way to build muscle memory without having to go to the range.
The On-Course Routine: The most important step is to make this a part of your pre-shot routine on the course. Take a few seconds before every shot from an uneven lie to perform your discovery swing. It will feel strange at first, but it will quickly become a natural part of your game. The results will speak for themselves.

This concept of discovery swings and adjusting for the lie applies to full swings as well, not just chips. By incorporating this simple step into your routine, you can significantly improve your contact on the varied lies you encounter on the golf course. Even on seemingly flat courses, drainage features and subtle slopes mean you'll rarely have a perfectly flat lie. This technique has saved me from countless fat and thin shots and has allowed me to play with more confidence and enjoyment. Give it a try, and I’m confident that you’ll see the same improvements in your own game.

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