A side hill lie is one most trying to an amateur, yet it is one which an expert would often select. With such a lie, because of the unnatural and unsteady stance, it is better to play with the ball opposite the centre of the body and to swing easily. The worse the lie, the more quietly should the swing be made; many players using a half swing as direction is more important than distance, and a ball sent to the right or left is generally in the same difficulty with the next stroke.

When the Line of Flight is Up Hill

If the club head is to follow through, it should be swung in a circle and not in an ellipse. But when the slope is too steep to follow through, the surer method is to take no account of the slope but to hit well under the ball and deliberately dig into the ground, slicing the ball if the hill is particularly steep.

When the Line of Flight is Down Hill

In playing down hill the swing should also be in a circle so that with the backward swing the club head can travel along the slope without any extra turning of the wrists or other device which would make the stroke a failure. When playing against the wind, a better lie could not be asked; as the forward spin, which the ball receives, not only keeps it low but gives it great running power, the slope of the hill preventing its being driven into the ground if it is topped.

When the Line of Flight is along the Side of a Hill and the Stance Below the Ball

With such a lie, the stroke is far from easy, the difficulty not being in getting a long drive but in making a straight one. As the nose is apt to dig into the ground, the club should be grasped with the hands well down the shaft, in order to bring the heel lower and the nose higher. Because there is always an unconscious effort to keep the body from overbalancing backward, one is apt to counteract it by bending too far forward and pulling the ball. Some players, therefore, allow for this by playing to the right of the line of flight, others by standing further back from the ball.

When the Line of Flight is Along the Side of a Hill and the Stance Above the Ball

When standing above the ball, the equilibrium is at best uncertain and nothing is easier than to lose one's balance with the forward swing. The swing therefore should be easy and the ball hit with less force than usual with the thought not of getting distance but direction. As the heel of the club is now apt to dig into the ground, grasp the shaft higher than usual to bring the heel higher and the nose lower. When standing above the ball as there is always an effort to keep the body from overbalancing forward, one is apt to counteract it by pulling back and slicing the ball. To prevent this some players stand half facing the hole and take a half swing and others stand nearer the ball.