Play the golf ball above your feet: shorter grip, flatter swing, adjusted aim. Honest about what measurements show, with milestones, rules check and safety.
With the ball above your feet, the ball sits higher than your feet on the slope. You grip down, swing flatter and aim differently, because otherwise the ball likes to start to the wrong side. The lie looks harmless but is uncomfortable.
The honest answer to “How do I play the ball above my feet?”: with less swing than on flat ground and a different aim. Measurements are rare. In a study with eight recreational golfers and a 7-iron, ball speed, swing speed, carry and apex were higher on level ground than with the ball above or below the feet [1]. In addition, the muscle activity of the erector spinae on the lead side during the acceleration was lower, which the authors associate with an increased back risk [1]. How far the ball deviates sideways was not examined there.
For uphill and downhill lies there are more measurements: elite golfers shifted their weight about 9 % towards the lower foot, and the ball started to different sides on uphill and downhill slopes [2]. That is a TRANSFER, not a direct finding for the ball above your feet.
All descriptions are for right-handers, left-handers mirror them.
On a sidehill lie you do not win with power, you win with balance.
Check how the slope runs and whether your stance is secure. Under the Rules of Golf you may take a stance as needed, but you are not entitled to a normal stance or swing and must use the least intrusive course of action [4]. Milestone: you can describe in which direction the ball deviates from the slope.
Stand a bit wider and slightly more upright than normal. The ball is closer to your hands. Coaching practice, not confirmed by the measurements. Milestone: you stand stable for ten seconds without pushing yourself away from the slope.
Grip lower on the club. This compensates for the shorter distance between ball and hands. Milestone: the clubhead touches the ground evenly at address.
The swing becomes flatter because the ball sits higher. Choose a three-quarter swing, not full throttle. Keep the body stable and hold the finish. Milestone: ten practice swings in which you do not push your weight away from the slope.
In practice the ball tends to start to the side to which the swing heads. For right-handers the ball above the feet tends towards a left curve, so you aim a little right of the target (coaching practice). On uphill and downhill slopes golfers tended to hit the ball left from uphill and right from downhill [2][5]. Milestone: seven out of ten balls land within about 15 metres of your target.
On a slope you can slip, especially in wet grass. Make sure of a firm stance and, if in doubt, play safely out instead of forcing the shot. Over a lifetime, more than half of golfers had an injury, and in professionals mainly the back, hands and wrists [6]. Stop if your back or wrist hurts. This guide explains and motivates, it does not replace supervised training or a coach.
Make a practice swing exactly at the spot where your club will touch the ground. Then you notice how much turf the club really takes. This is coaching experience, not a study.
With a shorter grip, a stable stance, a flatter three-quarter swing and an aim that allows for the slope. The ball sits higher than your feet.
For right-handers, by experience, rather to the left; that is coaching practice. The study on the ball above and below the feet did not examine direction [1]. For uphill and downhill slopes it was measured: uphill to the left, downhill to the right [2].
In a study with eight recreational golfers, distance and apex were higher on level ground than with the ball above or below the feet [1]. That is a hint to take more club.
No. Under Rule 8.1a you may not alter the surface of the ground or create or eliminate holes, indentations or uneven surfaces. Standing firmly is allowed [4].
A dynamic warm-up programme improved golf performance in a review, and static stretching was inferior to other methods [3].
Playing the Ball Below Your Feet: Sidehill Shot with a Low Posture