Is this actually a good drill?

[dnaygs]

Someone taught me this drill a long time ago, and I've heard mixed reviews.  Do you think it could be helpful?

Hit the following shot types:

pull draw

pull straight

pull fade

straight draw

straight straight

straight fade

push draw

push straight

push fade

[Abu3baid]

That doesn't sound like a drill to me.. However, if you can call on those ball flights at your fingertips then that is pretty good! I know I can't.. I just want to be able to hit one of them consistently mainly push draw!

[David in FL]

Not in my opinion, and certainly not for an 18 hcp.

Learn to hit a "stock" shot.....one that's repeatable and holds up under pressure, and stick to it.

[rehmwa]

sounds like a variation of the face angle drill.  I'd say at 18 handicap, you very likely have other things to work on first.

But I'll see if I can find that drill, these guys have ther S5K drill videos in here somewhere.

Shaping shots is fun to learn how it all works and to help eventually define your stock shot and what - but if you really want to practice something like this, I'd simplify to working it as a:

push draw -

(nearly) straight -

pull fade

those three get you what you need rather than all 9 paths

even some of the best in the world just hit a single stock shot - the rest hit the stock shot 90 of the time saving off stock shaping for odd moments.

When I would do this drill, I found that my stock shot tightened up considerably (your mileage may vary).  But I focused on this drill to work club path and face angle control as my purpose (i.e., I used it to develop 'control' not necessarily to be able to shape shots at will).  I've neglected it lately and my horizontal dispersion is much less consistent.

later edit:  Erik and Mike posted a couple vids here

http://thesandtrap.com/t/66486/drills-to-improve-face-angle-consistency

one of them "Nail your Start Lines"  has you hitting around a vertical alignment rod and I've gained a LOT from this type of drill......and little variations on it.

[Zeph]

What is the goal? Being able to hit different types of shots? This is simply a list of the possible shots you can hit with a golfclub and a golfball.

I would avoid working too much on hitting a variety of shot shapes. Even the best players in the world hit their stock shot almost every time. For an amateur, I fail to see this doing any good. I would much rather suggest you work on producing [b]one[/b] good repeatable swing and shot shape, than trying to hit them all. It's simply too difficult to master, even for the best players in the world. I see no reason why an amateur should attempt it. Learning the theory behind the shots is useful in your work, but not being able to hit them.

[isukgolf]

Not in my opinion, and certainly not for an 18 hcp.

Learn to hit a "stock" shot.....one that's repeatable and holds up under pressure, and stick to it.

Truly my dream goal ... is just one "stock" shot ... that I can actually repeat with most of the clubs in my bag ...

I can only dream of having all those shots in my wheelhouse at a 22 HC.

On the lighter side:

For a golfer like me the drill is:

1) don't chunk ,

2) over correct then  top it

3) then good contact, but don't slice

4) remember to move hips forward,  move weight forward, inside-out

5)  rinse and repeat back to step 1 until bucket is gone

(note, steps 1 and 2 or interchangeable)

range bonus:  No one is looking, run out and grab the chunk balls ...  repeat cycle ..

[Patch]

If the practice drill helps you learn to hit all those shots on command, then it's a good drill. At some point in future rounds, you may need some of those ball flights. I would have some reservations on the "straight-straight" shot. To me that is one of, if not the hardest shot to hit in golf. Reasonably straight maybe, but not straight-straight.

I have heard about a drill that resembles your example. It was called the "1/8" Drill". It was useful after the golfer had learned to hit a repeatable, usable ball flight shot. A shot the golfer could rely on, that kept their ball in the fairway most of the time. The idea of the drill was to turn the club grip (not the hands) one way, or the other, in 1/8" increments, which of course turned the club face open, or closed. There was even a piece of tape that acted as a guide with 1/8" increments marked off that wrapped around the shaft just below the club's grip. I was of the opinion it was was to help the golfer fine tune an already good connection to the club grip, with out moving the hands. Not so much for different ball flights, although it would probably help with different ball flights by changing the club face angle at impact.