Changing your natural shot shape - has any one done it?

[USER1999]

My golf has stagnated this season, and my swing has not become as consistent as I would like after the lessons and practice I put in over the winter. On my day I can still knock it round in decent numbers, but on other days it is a horror show. Normally reserved for when I play with Rickg.

Although I have rebuilt a lot of my swing, I still have many of the same old issues.

Lack of lag
Flicky hands
Too much lateral hip movement
Getting crossed at the top.
Hips not level through the swing.

All of which can lead to inconsistent contact, and at worst a massive pull hook, and I do mean massive.

My normal shot shape is a high draw. Especially off a tee peg. This can cause a few issues with left. Right is off the menu. I don't do right.

I had a lesson last night (first for 8 weeks, and tbh I have not been working on what I have supposed to be working on, too busy playing). All my old bad habits were back. No surprise there then. We looked at a few cures, but these all lead to making one of the above better, and the rest worse.

There is one change that fixes all the above, pretty much instantly. Hitting a low punched fade. Every club in the bag.

On video, this looks so much better. Like a totally different golfer. It doesn't really lose any distance over the high draw, the contact is better, I am more over the ball, hands quiet, and a touch ahead at impact, no crossing at the top. It really does work.

The issue I have is that I feel clueless with it. I have no idea where I'm aiming, where the ball will go, and more than anything, I hate hitting a fade. No idea why, but it just does not compute. If this gives me the strike that I want, and the consistency, then I guess I'm going to have to get used to it, but I think the next few weeks could be a bit of a roller coaster.

The bad shot with this is when I forget that I'm meant to be hitting a fade, and let my hands take over. Left is not the word for how far off the golf course I can hit it.

I can practice tonight, but then I am playing corporate golf tomorrow, swindle on Saturday, Medal on Sunday, and then Hankley Common on Monday.

I need to do a 'Homer', and get a complete swing rebuild done and dusted tonight!

 

[Alex1975]

Last year I was hitting a HUGE fade, the bigger the club the bigger the ball swing so with my driver I was moving the ball all the way across the fairway. This had to stop and I have put huge work in. I should not call the draw my stock shot now as I do have to think about it and make sure my hands are where I want them with some practice swooshes but it is now the show I try and play more of the time, so kinda stock.

From reading your posts though out the winter you did some great work, sounds like you have just let it slip a little. I was hoping to play with you this weekend with Rick to see how you were getting on but another time maybe.

Are you fretting or do you feel the work you have done has just slipped and that you were are on track?

 

[One Planer]

I'm just going through a dose of the pulls at the minute.

I'm a natural fader of the ball, and don't really want to switch to a draw, but it's a pain in the arse starting a ball fractionally left to allow for the fade and the ball goes dead left on the target line.

I'm pretty sure I know what's causing me to throw the club as the same as you, I know what causes my bad shot (I think), so like you, it's just more practicing the right things to get the groove back.

 

[USER1999]

Are you fretting or do you feel the work you have done has just slipped and that you were are on track?

The work we were doing wasn't finished, it was on hold for the summer. I have let it slip a bit though. The last lesson we talked about the low fade as a possible next move, but I just hated it. It does look like a permanent answer though.

 

[One Planer]

The work we were doing wasn't finished, it was on hold for the summer. I have let it slip a bit though. The last lesson we talked about the low fade as a possible next move, but I just hated it. It does look like a permanent answer though.

Are you talking more of a "Stock shot" Murph? or every ball you play?

 

[Alex1975]

The work we were doing wasn't finished, it was on hold for the summer. I have let it slip a bit though. The last lesson we talked about the low fade as a possible next move, but I just hated it. It does look like a permanent answer though.

You dont really want to work as hard as you have been and then settle for what is basically a compromise do you?

 

[chrisd]

I have every sympathy Murph as I do the same.

I have a lesson, make a good change, slip back into an old habit that feels right and suddenly hit poorly again until I sort it. I think the way forward is to write down the bits and pieces that make up the swing as a checklist and refer to it regularly.

 

[Curls]

The work we were doing wasn't finished, it was on hold for the summer. I have let it slip a bit though. The last lesson we talked about the low fade as a possible next move, but I just hated it. It does look like a permanent answer though.

Hi Murph, first of all fair play for embarking on such a massive rebuild, its something Im considering myself and I'm not sure I have the commitment to do so. You've got a lot of golf to play, and by the sounds of your post here even more going on in your head. Can I just ask what you're thinking about when you stand on the tee? If you're not sure where you're aiming etc etc it might just be that youre letting the tiny mechanical aspects of movement of specific parts of your body over-ride the bigger sweeping arc that should be your swing, and more than that what you are there to do, which is send the ball to a target area. If it's at all possible when you hit the range try switching everything off and just concentrate on your tempo, just pick a flag (about 100 or 120, something youre comfortable hitting) and just focus on that, go through your routine as if you were on a course with plenty practice swings ingraining a nice even tempo, stand behind and line up etc. just as if you were on a course. If any mental chatter creeps in step back off the ball and go again until you can step up and the ball is on its way without you having thought anything except felling the tempo. Trying to rebuild an entire swing is ambitious, but getting your tempo back isnt, you can obviously hit a golf ball, you can put it dead to 120 on any given Sunday, just get out of your own way and let your body do what it knows how to do when you stop trying to control a small aspect of it. Thats what Id do anyway, I got mentally tied up in swing mechanics to the point I couldnt get the ball off the ground. Give control over to your motor senses and they do a pretty good job themselves as long as youve tuned in the tempo and target. Best of luck chap

Ps its not a long term solution, ultimately youre working towards your body doing this better with lessons, but this might help for the weekend!

 

[Lump]

Surely its not a case of a "natural shot" but more of case of shot choice.
Like Alex my goto shot was a fade with every club, but through time and effort I can now move the ball both ways. I still prefer to fade the ball from the fairway but draw it more from the tee unless there is trouble down the left

 

[brendy]

In a similar boat myself too murph, only with my half/three quarter shots though.
I was shanking a fair bit and having had a wee lesson with Michael Bannon he was straight onto thae fact I had gradually turned my shorter swings into harsh in-to-outs. The fix was to lay an empty club box along the line I wanted to hi and place the ball about 2 inches away from it, the task is to hit the ball not the box and I have to say it feels like I am having to cut the legs off the ball just to keep away from the box as my swing had gotten so bad. I went out for nine holes afterwards and played some of the worst golf in recent games but I didnt shank a single ball and I intentionally left myself 40-70 yarders.

 

[USER1999]

Are you talking more of a "Stock shot" Murph? or every ball you play?

If I need to hit a slinging draw I will still be able to, but if there is no desperate need to hit right to left, my stock shot is to be a low left to righter.

The idea is to narrow it down over time to the point where unless you are standing behind me, looking down the line, you wouldn't know it was fading at all. At the moment though, the plan is to get the ball moving, left to right, with as little height as possible.

I guess once I can do this consistently, I could add a low draw, provided I am still using the same swing, and not just throwing my hands at it.

 

[USER1999]

Can I just ask what you're thinking about when you stand on the tee? If you're not sure where you're aiming etc etc it might just be that youre letting the tiny mechanical aspects of movement of specific parts of your body over-ride the bigger sweeping arc that should be your swing, and more than that what you are there to do, which is send the ball to a target area. If it's at all possible when you hit the range try switching everything off and just concentrate on your tempo.

This is what I am doing tonight. According to my coach, the thing which is holding me back the most is my brain getting in the way, and not letting me hit the shot. If I quit on it, then it's not pretty. He is telling me I have to hit it full on, as hard as I can without thrashing at it. If I can get this, then my head won't be getting in the way, and my body can just get on with it on it's own.

As to what I am currently thinking 'don't hit it left' is high up there.

There are a few technical aspects, such as keeping my chest over the ball which I am thinking about too. I need to groove this, so I can forget about it.

 

[One Planer]

In a similar boat myself too murph, only with my half/three quarter shots though.
I was shanking a fair bit and having had a wee lesson with Michael Bannon he was straight onto thae fact I had gradually turned my shorter swings into harsh in-to-outs. The fix was to lay an empty club box along the line I wanted to hi and place the ball about 2 inches away from it, the task is to hit the ball not the box and I have to say it feels like I am having to cut the legs off the ball just to keep away from the box as my swing had gotten so bad. I went out for nine holes afterwards and played some of the worst golf in recent games but I didnt shank a single ball and I intentionally left myself 40-70 yarders.

Here you go fella. Try one of these :thup:

http://www.direct-golf.co.uk/golf_w...ward_anti_shank_wedge_golf_wedges/p14287.aspx

 

[Robobum]

I like the fade, but then it's natural shot anyway, as long as it doesn't become a weak upshooting slice which goes nowhere.

The trouble I see with only having the low one though Murph, is using it when you need carry - uphill drives, wet fairways, downwind or genuine obstacle carries??

 

[Monty_Brown]

At the moment though, the plan is to get the ball moving, left to right, with as little height as possible.
.

Is there anything in particular your pro has you working on to keep the ball flight low? Ballooning ball flight is really costing me, especially off the tee, and I'd be interested to hear if you have any specific tips on keeping it low.

 

[USER1999]

I like the fade, but then it's natural shot anyway, as long as it doesn't become a weak upshooting slice which goes nowhere.

The trouble I see with only having the low one though Murph, is using it when you need carry - uphill drives, wet fairways, downwind or genuine obstacle carries??

Hitting it low is kind of a swing training thing, rather than a shot shaping thing. My idea of low is probably very different to your idea of low. At the moment, the lower the better to get used to the correct feeling.

The high draw has me hitting with my hands almost opposite my back thigh, where as the low fade has my hands in the middle of my forward thigh, where they should be. This encourages some lag, and a later hit. I really do need to work on getting my hands more over the ball at impact, or I am permanently at risk of thinning it with longer irons.

I would guess that once my swing is more text book, I'll be able to hit any shot I want to, but keeping the same basic feeling of being over the ball, and not flicking at it.

 

[JustOne]

Murph...

where does your ball start with your irons? left/right/straight

where does the ball start with your woods?
left/right/straight

 

[USER1999]

Is there anything in particular your pro has you working on to keep the ball flight low? Ballooning ball flight is really costing me, especially off the tee, and I'd be interested to hear if you have any specific tips on keeping it low.

Sorry Monty, Bob is your man for this. The things I am working on are specific to my swing issues, and hitting it low is getting me into a better impact position. If you are already in this position, they won't help you.

Effectively I am trying to keep my chest more over the ball, maintain my spine angles better, and get my hands more forward at impact. Apparently, being a rangy 6' 2" makes this difficult.

 

[USER1999]

Murph...

where does your ball start with your irons? left/right/straight

where does the ball start with your woods?
left/right/straight

Good ones with both start right, then turn over.

Bad ones start left, then turn over, and then a bit more. Like a boomerang.

 

[Monty_Brown]

Effectively I am trying to keep my chest more over the ball, maintain my spine angles better, and get my hands more forward at impact. Apparently, being a rangy 6' 2" makes this difficult.

If it's any consolation, being 5' 9" with short legs doesn't seem to help either