shot shaping

[wull]

the last few nights the guys have been talking more about shot shaping and being more creative and it got me thinking how many of us can actually play any shape of shot that we want,and actually make a point of doing it.

bubba watson loves to shape his shots,even when he doesn't need to.a wedge shot from 120-130 yrds and he'll be playing a huge fade,also phil mickelson holed out last night with a big hooking wedge shot.

i played 9 holes today and gave it a bash,i can play any shape shot but rarely do it unless i need to.but today i tried doing it more and with the strong winds it was quite fun.i don't think i'll be doing it in competition for the sake of it,i'll leave it for when i really have to.

shots i were trying today was just the big cut shot,even with my 56* from a 100 yrds and it was working well,trying to hit the 2 iron off the deck as low as i could(this will be handy when its windy) and the other one i play is the big hooking long iron shot when i'm trying to power it in from well out.this works well aswell.

what was strange was trying to play the fade with the driver,it was working but it just felt wrong.but when it works the confidence levels go up but when it goes wrong it looks bad,double crossing it is what gets me sometimes.

 

[Aztecs27]

Played a lovely intentional draw around a tree today off the tee at the 15th. I can do it but it doesn't always happen.

 

[granters]

I can pretty much shape it the way I want to,and will try to draw my driver when I don't have to,purely as I think I swing better this way.find it difficult to control a fade however,even though it's the easier *** to hit.I
Like you I never really do it in comp rounds but I do like a mess around in a bounce match. Get some really good results this way,suppose it's just a confidence thing.I think it helps focus the mind if you have a short shape in mind

 

[richy]

I can sometimes shape it both ways if I really really have to but tend not to as I find controlling how much it actually moves to be difficult to judge.

 

[swanny32]

I play off 18, my natural shot is a fade, most of the time a massive fade or "power fade" as we jokingly say. I know how to hit a draw shot but am really struggling to make that my natural shot, I'm so fed up seeing the ball move left to right as well! I do struggle knowing what to do to get the correct amount of shape to a shot so tend to go from one extreme to the other. I'll keep going though as its really rewarding for me to stand on the tee, say I'm going to hit a draw and actually do it. All that being said, I can't for the life of me hit a draw with my woods.

 

[JustOne]

I can shape it both ways although I tend to take it to the limit too often... 10yd draw no problem... 30yd draw just won't turn back in as I just can't swing that much 'out' at it right now.

Golfers... know your limits!!!

 

[kid2]

Well after a heap of tips from Bob and James i went from slicing the ball 2 years ago to fading it to going after the draw.....
Iv spent the past 12 months trying to draw the ball and my game fell apart....I now have a fairly flat swing plane that i was having trouble with the shanks with from attacking the ball from too much inside and after a few words from "Snelly" im now playing more freely without getting mechanical and playing some sweet golf.....

Im now playing a push fade rather than the pull fade i used to have which has plenty of power and i really like they shape...Im confident with the shape also which is a huge plus....Its doing heaps for my confidence...

Sorry i got a little side tracked....I can shape it both ways now but i dont...Simply because im not consistent enough and too many thoughts are going through my head with where to aim?
How far left or right i need to aim?
What if i dont get through the ball properly?

So for me its now no fear golf...The "Snelly" way and take one side of the course out of play....
The last 2 rounds for me with this approach have been 10 over gross and 9 over gross....If the short game was on it would have been better.

Roll on the summer...

 

[Foxholer]

what was strange was trying to play the fade with the driver,it was working but it just felt wrong.but when it works the confidence levels go up but when it goes wrong it looks bad,double crossing it is what gets me sometimes.

Could be a conceptual thing. As Slice is the high handicapper's affliction, the Fade just looks/feels wrong. And after years of in-to-out(perhaps -to-in) trainng, hitting out-to-in will certainly feel odd!

 

[DaveM]

I'll be quite happy with everything straight. Thank you very much.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I can shape it both left and right. Unfortuantely I can't control when these shots will appear. I'm trying to stick with straight or a slight draw at the moment and in an ideal world would like to lose the one that goes right altogether. At least if you can take one half of the course out of the equation it makes it easier to aim and play the shots (allegedly)

 

[DCB]

Sorry Gents, but, I don't believe anyone over 4-5hcp can move the ball to order, under pressure, to the exact distance required with the exact amount of fade or draw required.

 

[G1BB0]

why not DCB? a mid h/c'er may be a great player tee to green but can't putt or chip for toffee and this is what holds them back. Some people just dont have the feel/finesse.

 

[CMAC]

I play all the rights shots............not necessarily in the right order



paraphrased Mr Morcambe

 

[davidg2010uk]

Can fade and draw from the tee but no chance of doing this with a wedge!

 

[kid2]

Sorry Gents, but, I don't believe anyone over 4-5hcp can move the ball to order, under pressure, to the exact distance required with the exact amount of fade or draw required.

I wouldnt say i fully agree but i know what your trying to say DCB.

Off 16 i will hold my hand up and say i fit into your thinking......But i can swing it left to right to order....All the time....And vary the bend......

But right to left......No chance" and for that reason Im out"

 

[DCB]

Anyone see Mickelson talk through his shot and play his 'rolling hook' in to 10' at The Riveira Club tonight. That's what I'm talking about.

Anyone can move the ball left or right, but to control it to perfection is something else.

What we can't do is play a gentle 5yd fade or 5yd draw on demand with any consistence. What we call a fade or a draw would more than likely be called a slice or a hook by a Pro

 

[Aztecs27]

Anyone see Mickelson talk through his shot and play his 'rolling hook' in to 10' at The Riveira Club tonight. That's what I'm talking about.

Anyone can move the ball left or right, but to control it to perfection is something else.

What we can't do is play a gentle 5yd fade or 5yd draw on demand with any consistence. What we call a fade or a draw would more than likely be called a slice or a hook by a Pro

Yep. Sums it up perfectly I'd say. Hope I can find video of the mickleson shot!

 

[freshcat]

Anyone can move the ball left or right, but to control it to perfection is something else.

That sentence to me, sums up why I love this game. A played for fade with anything above a 7 iron is a thing of beauty

 

[bobmac]

I would say it's very difficult for most golfers to shape the ball BOTH ways.
Most find the fade the easier shot as their swing is out to in.
To be able to bend it both ways, you need to be able to swing the club both ways....not a lot can do that.
Once you know YOUR shape, groove it so it's reliable and enjoy it.

 

[JustOne]

To be able to bend it both ways, you need to be able to swing the club both ways....not a lot can do that.

Rubbish. You can move the ball both ways with the same swing..... I hit both draw and fade from the inside and so do the pros.