working the ball

[Ryanrocksfender]

so i went to a local vacant field and was hitting some balls with my 8 iron... i asked my instructor a week ago about working the ball he said i should expierment with it...so thats what i did i learned how to hit a draw i did it by closing the stance with my hands infront of the ball and just made my normal swing... this worked... so then i tried a fade by opening the stance and every shot just went straight. anyone got tips on hitting the fade?

[right handed phil mickelson]

For a shot to go left or right, it has to have side spin. Now depending on how far left or right you want it to go, is how much side spin you put on the ball. For the draw, you kind of closed everything up which worked well. What happened was the ball "slid" along the closed face of the club.

When the club face is square, the ball hits one part of the face and bounces off, with no side spin. When the club face is closed or open, the ball hits one part of the face and "slides" along the face, afterwards bouncing off. This sliding gives the ball the side spin to draw or fade. The reason you are not fading it is because your face is not open enough for the ball to slide along it to get the side spin.

If you don't get what I'm talking about, then take a ball, and take your hand and make it straight like this |

Put the ball on the table and make a straight path back and through with your hand straight. The ball goes forward hitting only one part of your hand. Now open your hand like this /

Do the same thing but go slower so the ball stays on your hand for longer. See how it hits in the same spot and then slides up your hand? That gives it the side spin to draw or fade. Try and open the clubface more at setup, and that should help. Have Fun!

~RHPM

[boilermaker711]

Pick a new target left of your desired target and then open the club face so that it is square to your desired target. Make a normal swing to the new target keeping a strong grip with your left hand so that the club does not turn over. This will result in a ball flight that will start out to the left and the right hand spin on the ball will carry it to the right. Good luck!

[Ryanrocksfender]

i think one of my problems is that im using GI irons witch have offset so its kinda hard to get the face open!

[JGulkCG]

i think one of my problems is that im using GI irons witch have offset so its kinda hard to get the face open!

at an 18 handicap, i wouldnt worry about working the ball. No offense. just something that should be left for when you hit single digits.

[shankapotamus]

You can tube Jack Nicklaus swing tip 2, and that has a basic way to working the ball for higher handicaps.

[ryohazuki222]

my argument is that the higher your handicap the more beneficial it is to work the ball on purpose.

you have to hit a lot of trouble shots around trees as a high handicap!!

[Eeryck]

I think trying to understand how to work the ball is important at all levels.

For instance, I have worked quite a bit so that my stock shot is a slight draw, this happens with a stance parallel to the target line and an in-to-out swing with a good release.

One of my misses if I tense up in the swing is a shot that starts slight right and curves slight right (2y-5y). What basically happened is the tension held off the release for me and left the face open through impact instead of turning the club over for a draw.

What this taught me is that, if I simply open my stance to the left and make this swing and actively holding the release of for a moment I can play a 2y-5y cut shot.

I am not terribly good at working the ball in the cut direction yet, as I don't need it that often right now and it is low on my practice priority

The open/close stance / aim club face at target method was not that effective for me last time I experimented with it, my swing has gotten quite a bit more repeatable since then so I may give it a whirl again soon.

Making a decision to make my go to shot a draw, allows my miss to be primarily a straight shot. Working it the other way well is going to take a back seat to short game for the rest of the summer though. I can let it rest though because I know how it will work for me.

[BigBoy]

anyone got tips on hitting the fade?

take a trip to a local public driving range and take note of all the hackers "fading" the ball 30-40 yards and copy their swings -

[SpringBokVol]

I have two bits of advice...

As you make contact keep your left wrist straight and hold off on your follow through. Finish with your hands high above your head.

[right handed phil mickelson]

Ha thats some good advice. Every single person over 20 handicap that I've played with has a slice/fade shot. Every time.

[ryohazuki222]

It should also be noted that if you understand how to work the ball ON PURPOSE.... you can better understand and fix working the ball ON ACCIDENT (slices.... etc)

[Ryanrocksfender]

none taken but my instructor told me to start working on it...

[wrx_junki]

I have two bits of advice...

This is how I do it when I attempt a cut. I still don't have the distances dialed in when I hit the cut shots.

[Brakkus]

Ha thats some good advice. Every single person over 20 handicap that I've played with has a slice/fade shot. Every time.

We haven't played but I occasionally struggle with a hook.I sliced for about the first 6 months until I went down the Mike LaBauve,Jim Hardy route.

I can hit a fade just by opening the club face as you say but I like to rely on my natural draw.I will actually cut the ball on much shorter distances with my wedges as they just stop dead where they land. I like working the ball in practice but will only shape the ball if I have too.If there's line of sight to the flag it's rinse and repeat with a stock draw shot.