Down-hill lie

[woody]

Can anyone help with this problem that is driving me crazy!! On my local course with a good drive on the 1st I have a 70 yd pitch to the green over a small greenside pond. As this is on a slight down-hill lie I always either top the ball or slice it wickedly.
After starting well this usually ends with a 6 on this par 4 and scrambles my brain for the next few holes.

[GregJWillis]

My first question is:

Is there a flat spot 100 yds in? If so, hit your 3W. A full SW/PW is always better then a 3/4 SW even on a flat lie.

But if you are on a downhiller, here are the basic rules to follow:

1. You will slice it. It is the resulting shape of a downhill lie. The club face is open on impact, so Aim left. There is nothing you can do to prevent it.

2. To help you not top it, position the ball slightly in the back of your stance. Not a lot, just 1 ball (but this also depends on the severity of the hill..the steeper, the more you play it back).

3. Position you shoulders level with the hill. This makes your swing plane level with the ground. This will allow the club to strike the ball as if you were on level ground. But this will have the affect of delofting the club...a PW becomes a 9I..etc. So play a SW instead of a PW.

4. Your weight will need to be moved more to your forward leg to support the tilt of the shoulders. Don't let this affect your brain too much. You will have to quiet your hips a little in the through swing because you will loose your ballance if you try to turn hard. So, don't turn as aggressivly and let the shoulders to most of the work.

All this should give you a basic approach to the downhillers. Good luck.