Uneven lies, the humbler for me...

[Sluggo42]

So I played at my new favorite track again yesterday, Tierra rajada. From the blues it's about 6500. For the second straight time, it kicked my behind.

What's happening is that I seem to never have an even lie. It's always uphill, down hill, or side hill. It's somewhat skinny, but the actual areas that are actually flat to hit from are scarce!

So, while I'm getting hammered on the scorecard, I think I'm gaining some valuable experience in how to execute tough lies. Perhaps a few more rounds and I'll figure out where the flat spots are...

[Walkerjames]

Ya I hear you Sluggo! It is very hard to find an even lie at that course. But it's a great track.

[Moecat]

Trump National is like that as well.  Hopefully more practice ranges will do what Jack Thomsen does in Wisconsin ... http://golfrange.org/jack-thomsen-utilize-circular-mats-and-variable-lies/

[Walkerjames]

I have heard that about Trump! I like the idea of those mats.

[SMRT]

I just played Pevely Farms, near St. Louis, and when I asked the guy in the pro shop if it was considered a tough course, his response with a chuckle was, "Tough, it's only tough if you only practice hitting off of a flat surface."

He was not kidding, some fairways were so sloped that if would have been dryer I am not sure the ball would ever stop rolling. I hope as well as you that the nasty score leads to good experience for next time.

[RookieBlue7]

My home course is similar. Rarely a flat lie. My problem is on side hill lies regardless of above or below my feet, I always manage to hit a draw or a hook. #5 Sunday is a prime example. Dogleg right and I can reach the corner easily. Usually you can hit it to the corner and into the bank and it kicks right down the fairway. My drive stayed up on the bank. Ball below my feet by a good foot or so. So I line up 15 yards left of the green expecting it to go right. I was hitting a hard 5 iron because I wanted it to carry on the front edge and land soft from the fade I should hit from that lie. Hit it on line exactly and drew it 15 yards. Ended up on the adjacent tee box and had a pitch down to the green some 30 feet below(not OB). Pisses me off. Every time I line up to play that shot, especially on that hole, it rarely fades like it should. I stay balanced and make good contact and what I feel is a good swing. Evidently I subconsciously turn my hands over a little premature.

[Sluggo42]

The side hill-uphill is my favorite. Just pretty well lucky to get the face on the ball period. Anything past that is purely coincidental

[Blade]

Played a course like that a couple weeks ago. Overshot a dogleg left and ended up in the rough with ball way above my feet. Hit 9i left into bunker. Played again same day from back tees this time, but still put it there. Aimed right with PW this time. Hit it dead straight into an arroyo under a ponderosa way below the green. Pulled off a great shot from there off the pine straw though. Had to keep it fairly low to clear the branches but still get it high enough to get on the green. Hit it past the pin but managed to have enough spin to stop it and roll back close to the hole with the help of a little slope in the green.

 

I know what I did to end up down there at least. I aimed right AND opened the face some. One or the other would have been fine, but not both. I tend to get myself in more trouble from those lies. Makes the score add up quick.

[kygolfer1980]

I remember a couple years ago the Golf Channel had a show for the next big golf invention.  A little clip to put on the club so the grip doesn't get wet won I think.  The idea I thought was the coolest was an uneven lie mat.  It was on a platform and you could spin it in an direction to practice literally an lie.  Great idea but it didn't win for some reason.  I'm guessing they were worried about production cost and marketability to the general public.

[RookieBlue7]

They sold those podiums in the local PGA TSS. Forgot their name. But they sold so few that 2 of them made their way into their wedge area for people to hit on.

[revkev]

I used to relish uneven lies - grew up in Connecticut where they were the norm - now I stink at them - not the norm in Florida, at least not in my part of Florida, water, sand, trees, rough, wind but very few of those uneven lies.

 

I especially hate down hill lies to uphill greens.

[BIG STU]

I remember a couple years ago the Golf Channel had a show for the next big golf invention.  A little clip to put on the club so the grip doesn't get wet won I think.  The idea I thought was the coolest was an uneven lie mat.  It was on a platform and you could spin it in an direction to practice literally an lie.  Great idea but it didn't win for some reason.  I'm guessing they were worried about production cost and marketability to the general public.

I remember that also I thought it was a great idea. I did check into it and if I remember correctly it was pretty costly. I also agree on the marketability. The general public at least around here seems to go for the "gimmicky" things like the grip clip thing and those funky pouch club cleaning towels than really good training aids that could improve their game. But unlike the people on here most people I see improve their lies sometimes drastically but its their game what ever floats their boat.

[BIG STU]

My home course is similar. Rarely a flat lie. My problem is on side hill lies regardless of above or below my feet, I always manage to hit a draw or a hook. #5 Sunday is a prime example. Dogleg right and I can reach the corner easily. Usually you can hit it to the corner and into the bank and it kicks right down the fairway. My drive stayed up on the bank. Ball below my feet by a good foot or so. So I line up 15 yards left of the green expecting it to go right. I was hitting a hard 5 iron because I wanted it to carry on the front edge and land soft from the fade I should hit from that lie. Hit it on line exactly and drew it 15 yards. Ended up on the adjacent tee box and had a pitch down to the green some 30 feet below(not OB). Pisses me off. Every time I line up to play that shot, especially on that hole, it rarely fades like it should. I stay balanced and make good contact and what I feel is a good swing. Evidently I subconsciously turn my hands over a little premature.

Turning the hands over too quick is probably a good assumption. That comes under the heading of Ask me how I know. I am guilty of that myself especially with a mid or long iron. Up until a few years ago when I got older I fought a violent snap hook from all type of lies due to fast hands and a premature turning over

[revkev]

Usually you can go to the far side of the range to work on uneven lies - alternate practicing on one side or the other each session and hit a few from the side. 

[Tyk]

We have a few courses like that, I don't mind side hill lies so much, I don't always judge it quite right, but I usually hit a decent shot from them.  I stuggle more with uphill and downhill lies.  Can't ever really seem to get good contact with those, thin or fat usually, and seems to me the should be easier, I know the whole idea of paralleling my shoulders to the slope, I just seem to not execute that well!