SIDEHILL BUNKER LIE: KEEP THE FLEX IN YOUR KNEES

Will Zalatoris knocked his tee shot into this massive bunker on the par-5 second hole and found himself having to play from a tough lie (below). Just like when you have a downhill-sidehill lie on firm turf, this is one of the most challenging scenarios for amateurs to get good contact.

With any uneven lie, you’ve got to set your body so it matches the angle of the slope. In this instance, Will likely set up feeling more weight on his left side with his left shoulder lower than it normally would be at address. A downslope shot is hard enough, but the addition of sideslope means the ball is below your feet. To make sure gravity doesn’t pull you in the direction of the ball, it’s smart to stand a little wider and add more knee flex like you see Will doing here.

The last thing to remember is that you can’t lose that exaggerated flex when you swing. What happens is that players come out of this stance fairly often as they swing down, usually thinking they need to help the ball over the lip. That’s a mistake. If you keep your angles and finish in a somewhat restricted followthrough, you’ll give yourself the best chance of a good strike.

DOWNHILL-SIDEHILL LIE: CHASE AFTER THE BALL

Unlike the downhill-sidehill lie Will Zalatoris had, Cam Smith’s lie on the ninth fairway poses a different kind of issue at set-up. Namely, you can’t dig in with your feet to make sure you keep your balance when you swing. You have to stand a little wider for better stability. Another set-up key is to feel like you’re a little lower to the ground, almost like you’re about to sit down on a stool. Keep that “low” feeling when you swing. This uneven lie is going to encourage you to swing down on a steeper angle than normal, which is why I often use it as an effective teaching aid for players who have a backswing that’s too flat. When you do swing down on more of an upright angle, be sure to marry that with this great swing thought: Chase the ball down the hill with the clubhead. Hitting down the slope is going to produce the best result, even to the point where you could actually walk down the fairway after the shot. One more thing to remember: The ball will tend to fly lower and move left to right for righties and right to left for lefties, so adjust your aim and club selection.