Usually, practice is done on a flat mat, but the actual field is mostly inclined in either direction. Therefore, the shot often shakes in the round even though he was good at playing at the practice field. Slope swings are tricky, but if you keep a few basics, you can respond without much mistake.”
Kim Dae-eun, a professional who teaches golfers of various levels at Jeongjun Golf Academy, began by saying, “Even masters find it tricky to swing on the slope, but if you understand the principles, you can hit the hole without any problems. First of all, there are four major slopes that golfers meet. When the address is made with the hole as the target point, there is a high uphill slope on the left foot and a low downhill slope on the left foot. And when the ball is on the foot, it’s when it’s under the foot.
Pro Kim said, “In general, it should be noted that if the ball is under your feet, the ball bends to the right (slice rotation), and if the ball is higher than your feet, you will find an orbit that flies to the left (hook rotation).” This is because if the ball is under the foot, the swing orbit naturally becomes outside-in, and if it is above the foot, it becomes inside-out. Swinging along an uphill slope increases the ballistic, and swinging along a downhill slope lowers the ballistic.
Pro Kim said, “Since swing trajectories are created naturally along the slope like this, golf becomes easier if you don’t try to win the slope and follow it.” Swing using a slope is to adjust the slope of the shoulder to the slope of the ground.
Pro Kim continued his explanation by taking the case of an uphill left foot as an example. “If your left foot is uphill, you will put weight on your right foot. In this case, it is easy to make two mistakes. If you move your weight toward your left foot as you do on a flat place, the club will not be able to escape and will be stuck on the slope. The second mistake is when you put your weight on the right side with the idea of floating the ball, and your posture collapses backward. There are cases where the direction of the ball is not good and the body moves away from the ball and cannot hit the ball at all.”
Then how should I swing when it’s uphill on the left foot? Think of adjusting the horizontal of your shoulders to the slope of the ground, but don’t tilt your body too much to the right. The ball floats naturally, so I don’t try to float it. The backswing feels like you’re pulling it out low. If the backswing is large, the body can be pushed back. Don’t let your body go out to hit the ball and swing as if only the club is leaving.
Kim Dae-eun, a pro, said, “Let’s remember three points when you swing uphill on the left foot.” “First, hold the center well, and second backswing is not raised high but pulled low. The third swing allows the club to follow the slope to the end. If you stand with your left foot in an open foot position, you can swing the club out without any burden.”
One of the fundamentals of slope swings is to reduce lower body movement and focus on hitting the ball correctly.
Swing around the upper body instead of moving a lot of weight. Remember, when it’s uphill, the distance is shorter because the club and the ball are close. It’s better to choose one club longer. On the downhill side, I remember that it is most important to keep the balance by expanding the position of the foot. Pro Kim said, “It’s better not to hit only on a flat mat even at the practice field, but to gain experience in slope swing by using simple assistive tools.