Playing from uneven lies
Common Strategic Mistakes in Playing From Uneven Lies
The decisions that turn uneven lies from manageable trouble into wasted strokes—and how to avoid them.
The expensive habits
The biggest error in uneven lies is trying to make a level-ground swing from tilted ground. The second is pretending the first one was bad luck. Most doubles begin with a decision that left no room for an ordinary miss.
Uneven lies punish these habits:
- Chasing a flag when the center of the green is a win.
- Choosing a club from normal yardage instead of today’s conditions.
- Forgetting how the ball will react after it lands.
- Letting a playing partner’s aggressive choice set your target.
Replace ego with a rule
Create one personal rule before the round. In uneven lies, it might be “no shots over water unless I have the carry by 10 yards,” or “if I cannot finish balanced, I lay up.” A rule saves you when adrenaline starts negotiating.
Review the decision, not only the strike
A perfect swing at the wrong target is still a poor play. After the hole, ask whether the club, target, and miss were sensible. That habit turns one mistake into useful information instead of a mood for the next three holes.