Anyone besides me try to force a shot shape?

[ericstamper]

Im a decent player but im beginning to think that if i just hit my natural power fade i could become a better player? just to start, i hate slicing the ball......i would rather hook 5 balls outta bounds then to slice one.........im a great scrambler, i get up and down it seems like everytime thats how i can score well, but im always trying to hit that 15 yd draw that 9 times outta 10 it stays out......in my mind i see myself lining up left and hitting the nice draw with every shot but it doesnt come back as much as ..........is it my mind game? where should i begin??

[Jay-Bird]

Learn to play the shot that the conditions and angle to the target dictate. But be able to rely on a go-to shot. Either dial in the fade and embrace it, or get the draw under control.

[Zeph]

By "natural fade", do you mean coming over the top, or aligning yourself up to the left to create sidespin?

If you do come over the top and want to hit a draw with the same swing, you have to aim a lot right and the club face a bit left of your swing path. This is maybe not the easiest way of hitting a draw, but if you come over the top, it's the only way, by keeping the same swing.

What would be better is if you got rid of the over the top move and started swinging square or slightly in-to-out. That puts you in a position where you get more power and can adjust your alignment to hit a fade.

[Blades4me]

IMO you will be much better served by working on a straight shot. I can fade and draw the ball and guess what shot I use 98% of the time,,,,,,,a straight shot.

[Zeph]

You will be best served by having a square swing. If you have a swing where you hit the ball dead straight when aligning your body and club face the same, you can make small adjustments in alignment of body and club face to create a draw or fade, using the exact same swing. The more your swing path moves out-to-in or in-to-out, the more difficult it will be to hit the opposite shaped shot.

If your swing path is in-to-out, you will have more difficulty hitting a fade.
If your swing path is out-to-in, you will have more difficulty hitting a draw.
If your swing path is in-square-in, there is no theoretical difference in difficulty when hitting a draw or fade.

[ry1808]

I am a big fan of shaping shots. I am starting to see a massive benefit of shaping the ball. I always used to struggle in the wind and kept trying to hit 'knock down' shots which I tended to loose control over. No with a cross wind I can hit in either direction against the wind. Also you tend to get far more margin for error when trying to hit a shaped shot. Give it a go, play a practice round and think, right I'm not going to hit a straight shot, everything is going to be shaped, even if it is not necessary.

[inthecup]

I know what you mean about wanting to hit a nice draw. I changed my swing this winter and I am still trying to get it correct and consistent. Last night I was struggling at the range. Towards the end I get everything going in sync and was hitting that perfect 5 yard draw.

I agree with the other poster that questioned why you hit a power fade. If you figure out what causes that and change it to a draw bias you will be better for it. I am going to guess that you get the draw using your hands which is impossible to time. Video, video, video.

[deronsizemore]

I'm the same way. I've always played a draw and still try too but I think as my swing has changed over the last couple years, I don't draw the ball like I used too. I know I don't draw it like I used too but I still insist on lining up down the right side of the fairway in anticipation of playing the draw and it usually just stays straight and will the a slight fade and I end up in the right rough. I too hate to fade the ball and have ever since I was young (because I used to slice everything). I know I would be a better golfer if I'd just embrace the fade and roll with it, but it's difficult to do.

[ericstamper]

I have a in to out swing i think sometimes i dont roll my hands over enough to draw it .........so it just stays out......

[Randy4h]

I have a in to out swing i think sometimes i dont roll my hands over enough to draw it .........so it just stays out......

If you are relying on rolling your hands to hit a draw, I think you will always be inconsistent. It is so difficult to accurately time the release of the club by manipulating your hands. If you absolutely must hit a draw, I would suggest you set your clubface angle closed a little bit, then grip your club, maintaining that angle. Then swing along your intended line without manipulating your hands.

(P.S. - The Stack & Tilt people will say to open the face relative to the final target rather than closed relative to the swing path)

[senorchipotle]

I have a in to out swing i think sometimes i dont roll my hands over enough to draw it .........so it just stays out......

make sure you're not laid off up top. cause when i'm fading the ball and i'm trying to draw it that's usually the cause. it's really hard to shut down the face when that's happening.

[iacas]

make sure you're not laid off up top. cause when i'm fading the ball and i'm trying to draw it that's usually the cause. it's really hard to shut down the face when that's happening.

You're aware of the ball flight laws, yes? If you play a draw you want the face open relative to your target at impact... Laying the club off typically affects the path, not the clubface much.

[deronsizemore]

If you are relying on rolling your hands to hit a draw, I think you will always be inconsistent. It is so difficult to accurately time the release of the club by manipulating your hands. If you absolutely must hit a draw, I would suggest you set your clubface angle closed a little bit, then grip your club, maintaining that angle. Then swing along your intended line without manipulating your hands.

Not just stack and tilt people... The ball will start along in the direction the face is pointing and curve away from your swing path (assuming the face is closed relative to that path). If you close the face at address and put good swing on one, the ball will end up left of the target. If you start closed and swing in-to-out, it will start left and draw/hook. Opening the face relative to your target is the wise move if you plan on drawing the ball as the ball will start right of the target and draw back (if your swing path is enough from the inside to support the draw). I was resistant to this at first because I had been taught the opposite for so long, but it really does make sense once the concept sinks in. Here's a great video explaining it.

[Randy4h]

Not just stack and tilt people...

I agree, the video is very good. I am not trying to disprove ball flight laws; I understand why the ball flies the way it does. I was attempting to suggest that trying to manipulate the clubface to impose a draw leads to inconsistency. It is far better to preset the face angle, regrip the club,then swing along the path line. The ball will draw back to the final target. I did not suggest the clubface should be preset to the final target, only that it should be closed relative to the path. As the video says, the difference between the swing path and the clubface at impact will determine the amount of sidespin.

[Teklabz]

Im a decent player but im beginning to think that if i just hit my natural power fade i could become a better player? just to start, i hate slicing the ball......i would rather hook 5 balls outta bounds then to slice one.........im a great scrambler, i get up and down it seems like everytime thats how i can score well, but im always trying to hit that 15 yd draw that 9 times outta 10 it stays out......in my mind i see myself lining up left and hitting the nice draw with every shot but it doesnt come back as much as ..........is it my mind game? where should i begin??

In answer to your original question, absolutely, I'm trying to "force" a straight shape. Then once I get that figured out, I'll try to figure out what makes them tend to go right, then once I have that down, I'll try and figure out how to make them go left!

[deronsizemore]

I agree, the video is very good. I am not trying to disprove ball flight laws; I understand why the ball flies the way it does. I was attempting to suggest that trying to manipulate the clubface to impose a draw leads to inconsistency. It is far better to preset the face angle, regrip the club,then swing along the path line. The ball will draw back to the final target. I did not suggest the clubface should be preset to the final target, only that it should be closed relative to the path. As the video says, the difference between the swing path and the clubface at impact will determine the amount of sidespin.

Yes, but with your advice, assuming his intended line is at the flag, if you preset your face closed and swing in-to-out (since he's wanting to draw the ball), the ball will start left (closed clubface) and end up farther left (inside-out swing path) after it draws/hooks. I was just trying to point out that with your advice, he/she must line up well right of the target to have a chance at ending up anywhere near it. If someone wants to play a draw that ends up at the target, their clubface must be OPEN (so the ball starts right of the target) but closed relative to their path (so it draws back to the target); that or just aim right of the target and hit it with a square face so it takes off right of the target and then draws back. Setting the clubface closed before gripping it is about as bad as trying to release and close the face in the milliseconds before impact.

[Randy4h]

Yes, but with your advice, assuming his intended line is at the flag, if you preset your face closed and swing in-to-out (since he's wanting to draw the ball), the ball will start left (closed clubface) and end up farther left (inside-out swing path) after it draws/hooks. I was just trying to point out that with your advice, he/she must line up well right of the target to have a chance at ending up anywhere near it. If someone wants to play a draw that ends up at the target, their clubface must be OPEN (so the ball starts right of the target) but closed relative to their path (so it draws back to the target); that or just aim right of the target and hit it with a square face so it takes off right of the target and then draws back. Setting the clubface closed before gripping it is about as bad as trying to release and close the face in the milliseconds before impact.

My advice is not based on trying to swing in-to-out. It is based on trying to swing square to where you are aiming (which may or may not be the flag). Say the flag is back left, and I want to draw the ball into it. I could set up so the flag is my "target", open the face a little, then swing in-to-out some amount more than the face is open -OR- I could set up so the middle of the green is my "target", close the face a little, then swing squarely toward the middle of the green. Either way would work, if done correctly. My opinion is that it is easier for the average golfer to preset the clubface and swing normally, than to either manipulate the clubface or manipulate the swing. Others may/will disagree, I guess.

[ericstamper]

Great video....ive never seen it before....makes alot of sense......will work the range