Tom F. Stickney II is the Director of Instruction and Business Development at Punta Mita, in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Punta Mita is a 1,500-acre golf and beach resort located 45 minutes from Puerto Vallarta on a beautiful peninsula surrounded by the Bay of Banderas on three sides. Amenities include two Nicklaus Signature Golf Courses with 14 holes directly on the water, a golf academy, four private beach clubs, a Four Seasons Hotel, a St. Regis Hotel, as well as multiple private villas and homesites available. Read on for Tom’s tip for pitching off slopes around the green.
As we all know pitching around the green can be perplexing off the flattest of lies, not to mention the uneven ones! There are four lies you must master in order to have a complete short game. In this series we’ll cover the uphill lie, the downhill lie, the uphill Sidehill lie and the downhill Sidehill lie. Understanding how the ball will react off these lies will make your life much easier!
Pitching off Slopes Around the Green: The Downhill Sidehill Lie
This lie is the easiest one to lose your balance on because people tend to fall forward into their toes and the hosel comes out towards the ball and a shank can occur very easily. The key is to set up with your weight on your heels and a touch more knee bend to keep your center of gravity stable. If you do so, you will hit the center of the blade. If not, look for the shank!
To see this in action, check out the video below.
For more information regarding Punta Mita, golf outings, golf schools and private lessons, e-mail tom.stickney@puntamita.com.
For more golf tips from Tom, click here.