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1) Defeating Downhill Lies
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Playing from a downhill lie--like hitting from an uphill lie--is tricky but
not difficult. Unfortunately, some weekend golfers let the shot throw
them, costing them strokes.

You need to consider three things with a downhill lie:
(1) your stance, (2) the launch angle, and (3) the club's loft.
If you factor these things into the equation, you'll defeat the
challenge of a downhill lie.

Below are five keys to hitting downhill shots:

   Select the right club

Tailor your stance to the slope

Keep your weight forward

Stay down on the shot

Chase the ball down the hill

Club selection is key with a downhill lie. The slope effectively
changes the loft of your club, making a 7-iron into a 6-iron, for
example. In a severe case a 7-iron becomes a 5-iron. This change,
in turn, alters the trajectory of the shot, so you use a less lofted
club with downhill lies. Experience will tell you which to use.

Stance is another key. Your spine should be perpendicular to the
hill's slope and your weight should be slightly forward, with the ball
back in your stance. Tailoring it to the slope sets up the rest of
the shot.

In the backswing, keep your weight on your front foot and concentrate
on making a wide takeaway. Also, keep your wrists quiet in the backswing's
early stages. Staying down on the ball at impact ensures solid contact.

To assist your balance, put more emphasis on swinging with your arms
and hands and less on turning your body. Since your lower body is less
active than usual, you'll have a tendency to pull the ball left. Chasing the
clubhead down the slope eliminates this tendency.

The best drill for hitting from a downhill lie is simply dropping a ball
on a downslope and hitting away. Work on the shot until it becomes
second nature and you'll build confidence in your capability.

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2) Overcoming a Dominant Left Side
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Has anyone ever told you: "Pull hard with your left sided. Don't use
your right side"? If they have, they've given you bad advice. The
golf swing is a two-side affair, with one side working in harmony
with the other. You must treat your swing as such, if you want to
get the most out of it.

Pulling hard from the top of your swing with your left side
(for right-handers) creates a series of complications that can impact
your swing dramatically. These complications then "block" your right
side from contributing to the swing. The end-result is a swing that
delivers the club too much from the inside and leaves you no choice
but using a "hands-oriented" release through impact to start the
ball on line.

Both sides of your body play significant roles in the golf swing, but
they do it at different times in the swing. While more emphasis is placed
on the left side as you start down from the top, the right side must take
the leading role at the half way stage. If you're in the correct hitting
position, you can fire through the ball with your right side as hard as
you like. It's all a matter of harmony.

Here's how to develop the feeling of both sides working in harmony:

Left Side Swing Drill
Everything starts with your stance. With the ball positioned in the middle
of your stance, drag your left foot back until the toe is even with the
heel of your front foot. Keep your hips and shoulders square to the
target line.

Then, from the top of your swing, you should feel the pulling motion
of your left side and the downward motion of your left arm moving in
conjunction. Your right foot, knee, and hip, however, remain in place,
resisting for a fraction of a second. About halfway through, your right
side (including the right arm and hand) should take over through impact,
just as if you were hitting a forehand tennis stroke.

If you do this drill correctly, you'll feel your left arms and hands being
closer to your body through impact as your chest opens up to the target
and the club moves back through the inside. Repeat the drill. After a
while,the two sides working in harmony will be second nature to you.

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If you want to truly discover the secrets of shooting like the Pros and creating a more
reliable and consistent swing, check out: http://www.howtobreak80.com

Until next time, Go Low!

Jack

Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book "How To Break 80 and Shoot Like the Pros!".
He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that has helped thousands of golfers from all
seven continents lower their handicaps quickly. His free weekly newsletter goes out to
thousands of golfers worldwide and provides the latest golf tips, strategies, techniques
and instruction on how to improve your golf game.

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