The other day, I watched one of my students absolutely stripe his drive down the left side of the dogleg-right 13th hole. He ended up in the left rough and a little out of position, about 130 yards out with a clear shot to the pin. But when he got to his ball, his face dropped. The ball was sitting about three feet below his feet on a steep sidehill lie.
What happened next was predictable: he took his normal setup, made his normal swing and watched his ball sail 30 yards right of the green, out of bounds. He turned to me with that familiar look of confusion, like the golf gods had betrayed him.
Here’s the reality, golf fans: Sidehill lies aren’t course design miscues or bad luck. They’re scoring opportunities that most golfers turn into disasters because they don’t understand how to make the necessary adjustments. After two decades of teaching, I can tell you that ball-below-feet lies are actually more manageable than most players think, but only if you understand what’s really happening.
Why your ball goes right every time
When the ball sits below your feet, physics takes over, whether you like it or not. Your swing plane automatically becomes more upright and the clubface opens relative to your target line. This isn’t a swing flaw you can muscle through with better timing or more concentration.
Think about it: You’re essentially swinging on a steeper angle because you’re reaching down to the ball. That upright plane, combined with the natural opening of the clubface, sends every shot sailing right of your intended target. Most golfers fight this by trying to swing harder or aim further left, but that only makes the problem worse.
