Why do "Tour" clubs have open faces?

[RC]

Eric,

I know what you are saying. Even with Butch, Tiger would practice 8 iron after 8 iron with his little hold on fade. But watching the golf channel last night (the episode with Tiger and Anthony Kim, when Tiger hit no shots due to his recovery in progress) I thought I heard him say clearly that he normally hit a baby draw (but it may have been in an earlier clinic supporting his foundation.) I agree with your point and think the majority of his shots look like slight fades, but unless my ears were defective, that is what I heard him say. I think this was a late 2008 taping -- but I don't know that for sure. Kim was funny... it was "I don't know what I'm doing, I just feel the shot and hit it."

With Tiger week on the golf channel, it has been especially fun to watch. But it is running all together at this point -- so many great performances. His 1996 US Amatuer was really specially because his swing looked so good, but he did not dominate that one. His second Masters was on really quick greens and while he missed a few, I think this was the one where the hint of his putting at this past year's US Open was fully on display. Will power putting.

[uttexas]

As much as Tiger emulates Jack, I think Tiger understands the benefits of a high fade. And from what I've seen on TV, he hits a high fade all the time. His "natural shot" might be a draw with the irons, but when I see him miss with the driver, it seems to go into the right rough more times than left.

[Laxplayer201092]

Eric,

I saw this too. It was during the "tee it up with tiger" segments.

Now, if your tiger woods.. i think you can hit whatever shot you want and get around just fine. Tiger, like some guys out there, does not hit just one shot tho.. Rocco certainly seems like he just plays draws, but guys like tiger, camilo, etc, certainly seem like they play draws, fades, etc etc at will, depending on how the hole plays. However in a go to situation, i cant imaine that he would hit a draw, As in the play off holes at torrey i know that he hit a fade on 18 driver. My thoughts.

[Dinxy]

Most Tour players play a fade. The open face lets them square the clubhead up without fear of hitting a draw (or a "quick draw" aka snap hook).

OK guys, there's a lot of discussion here around whether the top dogs hit a long draw or a lazy fade, but the the real truth here is not what comes naturally. The true masters of our game adapt and evolve according to the shot in hand, surely the purest shot maker drills it dead straight and adjusts the height and therefore the softness that it lands at will. The ability to bend the ball into the target at a top level is hole/shot specific. Faldo could hit the ball dead straight, but when he wanted a cut he'd set the clubface to target, aim to the intitial flight path of the ball and swing it and watch it fly in, same for the draw ball. I think we should all stop trying to decide whether it's best to cut the ball or draw the ball and correct ourselves so, think about it and make it a goal for 2009 to hit the ball straight on and target. Then and only then think about bending the ball in the air. Hang in there Seve, respect.

[hypergolf]

Eric,

I saw this too in golf channel here in Asia.

On a different note. According to my coach, pros usually play their natural ball curve rather than forcing a draw or fade. Meaning if you are a natural fader, you would calculate the fade when playing. Vice versa for draw players. Of course this is a generalization in the pro community and the pros will definitely play draw/fade if they really have to. However, he told me that they don't play draw/fade as much as people think. Mostly plain straight shots or their natural ball curve. This is what I heard and I am just sharing the info.

[golfire6]

Johnny Miller once stated that every good player at one point or another in his career fights a hook ... If you are a good player, you tend to hit more with your body than with your hands . If on occasion you use your hands a bit too much thru impact , you will have a tendency to hook one off the planet every now and again . Open faces help minimize that hook miss and keep it playable .

Tom Stites of Nike Golf has a driver in his office that belonged to Ben Hogan ( Stites worked for Hogan Golf before coming over to Nike ). It's exceedingly heavy , has a very stiff steel shaft and has a head that sits very open at address . According to Stites , most pros who came by his shop had a difficult time making the Hogan driver work for them . The only pro who was able to hit the Hogan driver well ? TW ... -- K.