I Always Struggled With My Ball-Striking From An Uneven Stance... But These 3 Expert Tips Changed Everything!
Finding your ball in a tough spot and facing a tricky stance can be overwhelming for many golfers, but these three expert tips are complete game-changers...


All golfers will encounter tricky stances, whether the ball is above our feet, below our feet or on varying degrees of slope. These, along with all sorts of other difficult stances, occur regularly during most rounds of golf... especially if you are playing on undulating courses.
It's easy to fall into some common traps with these types of shots, often because players don’t understand how to adjust their set-up and technique to counteract the lie or slope.
However, with a few small adjustments, it's a relatively simple problem to solve. In this article, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Katie Dawkins shares her expert tips for brilliant ball-striking when playing a shot with an uneven stance...
1. Golf Ball Below Feet
The main mistake here is having the ball position too far forward in the stance. It should be fairly central, as the downswing will be quite steep and the ball is further away than on a flat lie.
Exaggerate your knee flex and tilt your posture over until the club hits the ground. Don’t sit back and fight gravity, because gravity will always win!
2. Golf Ball Above Feet
To play this shot, you need to imagine you’re swinging a baseball bat and flatten out your swing. Rehearsal swings with the club at waist height will help groove this rounded move.
Keep the ball position central – if it’s too far forward, you’ll either catch the ground early or top it. Again, the key is to be at one with the slope. Don’t fight it.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
3. Upslopes and Downslopes
On downslopes, the biggest mistake is with finding the perfect grip. Try moving your hands lower on the club, while on upslopes it’s important your shoulders are perpendicular to the slope.
If you’re on an upslope your weight should favour your lower foot, while on a downslope it should favour the upper foot. Making these small adjustments will give you a much better chance of achieving the strike you are looking for, and could just save you a shot or two over the course of your round.
Want To Read More Expert Golf Tips?
The Golf Monthly archive is a gold mine of brilliant reads, documenting a journey through the history of golf dating back to our first issue in 1911. Take advantage of over 100 years of invaluable tips from the best tour professionals and coaches in world golf, by subscribing to the online Golf Monthly Archive.
Katie is an Advanced PGA professional with over 20 years of coaching experience. She helps golfers of every age and ability to be the best versions of themselves. In January 2022 she was named as one of Golf Monthly's Top 50 Coaches.
Katie coaches the individual and uses her vast experience in technique, psychology and golf fitness to fix problems in a logical manner that is effective - she makes golf simple. Katie is based in the South of England, on the edge of the New Forest. An experienced club coach, she developed GardenGOLF during lockdown and as well as coaching at Iford Golf Centre, The Caversham- Home of Reading Golf Club and Salisbury & South Wilts Golf Club.
She freelances, operating via pop-up clinics and travelling to clients homes to help them use their space to improve.
She has coached tour pros on both LET tour and the Challenge Tour as well as introduced many a beginner to the game.
Katie has been writing instructional content for magazines for 20 years. Her creative approach to writing is fuelled by her sideline as an artist.
Katie's Current What's In The Bag
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 9degrees.
Fairway: TaylorMade Qi10 5wood
Hybrid: TaylorMade 4 & 5
Irons: TaylorMade 770 6-AW
Wedges: TaylorMade Tour Grind 4 54 & 58
Putter: TaylorMade Tour X 33"
Favourite Shoes: FootJoy HyperFlex with Tour Flex Pro Softspikes on the course.
-
‘It’s The Craziest Thing In The History Of Sport What Tiger Woods Did’ - Brandel Chamblee Questions 15-Time Major Winner’s Swing Changes During Peak Of Career
Speaking on the Dan on Golf podcast, Chamblee claimed that Woods' move to coach, Hank Haney, in 2004 was one of the 'craziest things in the history of sport'
By Matt Cradock Published
-
What I Learned From My First Golf Competition: The Unexpected Importance Of Preparation
Playing in your first golf competition can be a daunting experience. Here are 5 tips to help you prepare for a stress-free round
By Carly Cummins Published
-
Is Your Golf Swing Failing You? This All-Encompassing Drill Can Instantly Save It
Are you struggling with your golf swing? Discover the all-encompassing drill that can fix common swing faults and restore your game. Get back on track today!
By Tom Motley Published
-
I Attended An Exclusive Tee To Green Masterclass With A Top Golf Coach... Now I'm Sharing His 6 Transformative Tips With You
Few golfers get the chance to spend an entire day with a top golf coach, which is why I can't keep his six expert tips to myself. Get ready to play better golf!
By Barry Plummer Published
-
5 Things The Biggest Hitters Do To Generate Power In Their Golf Swing (And How You Can Copy Them)
Generating more power is a great way to improve your handicap and shoot lower scores. So, we analysed the biggest hitters in golf to help you hit it further...
By Barry Plummer Published
-
Vijay Singh's Secret To Playing Better Golf Has Been In Our Archive Since 1992... And 33 Years Later It Could Still Radically Improve Your Swing
I scoured through the Golf Monthly archives to find expert golf swing tips from the best players in the world. This gem from Vijay Singh did not disappoint...
By Barry Plummer Published
-
I'm Confident These 5 Tips Will Transform Your Golf Game In Time For The 2025 Season... Because They Come Straight From The French Open Champion!
Golf tips from a two-time DP World tour winner don't come around everyday, but Dan Bradbury's expert advice will help you to shoot better scores in 2025...
By Barry Plummer Published
-
Short Putts... Dead-Weight Or Firm? Our Experts Debate This Common Conundrum
Standing over a short putt with the match on the line is enough to make even the best putter feel a little uneasy. But, is it best to hit dead-weight or firm?
By Barry Plummer Published
-
Bunker Play... The Lowry Way! 3 Simple Tips To Sharpen Up Your Short Game From The Sand
Shane Lowry is a short game wizard, consistently producing magical shots around the green, so we asked Top 50 Coach Tom Motley To Analyse His Majestic Technique
By Barry Plummer Published
-
12 Practical Winter Golf Hacks To Help You Shoot Lower Scores In 2025
Getting ready for the 2025 golf season this winter couldn't be easier thanks to these expert winter golf hacks from Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Adam Harnett...
By Barry Plummer Published