working the ball...

[Incognito]

My natural ball flight is a push-draw. The thing I've been working on at the range is working the ball. I know that there are several different ways that people move the ball. The thing that has worked for me recently is adjusting my swing plane to either bring the club more in-to-out or out-to-in. By this, I mean, I try to flatten my backswing more if I would like to create a larger draw/hook and steepen my backswing if I would like to fade/slice it. This has worked for me pretty well.

My main concern now is that "playing" with my backswing plane to adjust ball flight could have an overall adverse effect on my regular full swing. Currently, to get the correct feel at the range with my 7i, I'll hit one straight (push-draw), then one draw, one fade, one low, one high, and one straight again.

Is this something that I should continue to work on in this fashion, or am I playing with fire?


How do you work the ball?

What are some drills to get a better feel than what I currently have going?


Thanks!

[iacas]

How do you work the ball?

I change what the S&T; people call the "attachment."

Stock shot is a push-draw. Bigger draw = ball back a little, handle forward and maybe raised a little. Fade = ball forward a little, handle back a little. Outside of those I combine those moves with changes to my stance. Same swing feelings for all of them, basically, though for the SUPER slingers I'll sometimes try to push my hips forward more (hooks) or spin them more (slices).

[RobS]

Yeah, I do the same thing with my clubs. I attempt different types of shots with different clubs. I rather manipulate the clubface and not my swing path. Here's what I do, it may sound weird! I'll aim my clubface directly where I want the ball to start. I then get an idea of how open or closed the clubface must be in order to hit a particular shot to the target. For instance, I'm aimed 15 yards left of the target, my clubface must be open just a fraction on the downswing. Just before I make contact with the ball, I'll say "fade", "draw", "insert whatever you want the ball to do here". Of course I don't say it out loud, but I find it interesting how my subconscious takes over and does what I tell it to do.

If you do try this, be careful not to say it too early, especially at the top of the backswing or during transition.

[saevel25]

Go to the range and work out how to do it, best way possible, everybody has there own way. If tiger wants to hit a fade he stands a bit closer to the bal. When i want to it a fade, i grip my right hand a bit tighter and try to make it feel like my right hand goes towards the target a bit more through impact.

If i want to draw it more, i will lighten my left hand a bit, and finish the club a bit lower in the finish, this promotes more rotation in the hands through impact.

[imtomtomim]

I change what the S&T; people call the "attachment."

Exactly how I do it. Why practice 10 different swings which gives you more opportunities to mess up than playing your exact swing with a different set up? But hey, if you can do it all the time, go ahead.

[senorchipotle]

for me, it's all in the ''release.'' so essentially i work it with my hands. when i want to hit a draw, i change my right hand grip which makes my hands turn over sooner and i have a low finish. when i want to hit a fade i don't release the club at all with a high finish.

[SpringBokVol]

I change what the S&T; people call the "attachment."

This is good stuff. People don't often realize the effect handle position can have on ball flight. Do this along with moving your feet slightly and you should have no problem working the ball.

[CalBoomer]

I try to be very conscious of my swing plane. I absolutely agree with your comments. A flatter plane promotes a draw/hook; a more vertical plane promotes a fade/slice. I once saw Tiger hitting a pronounced hook out of trouble. It looked like he was swinging a baseball bat. Of course, as other posters have commented, there are quite a few other things you can do to promote various ball flights.

[NZGolfer]

I change what the S&T; people call the "attachment."

Can you please expand on what you mean. For example what do you mean by handle, forward or back and how does this effect the clubface and or swing path. I have been working hard on my swing and now have a push draw as my stock shot.

Cheers

[iacas]

The handle is the grip of the club. Forward is towards the target, back is away from the target.

[NZGolfer]

The handle is the grip of the club. Forward is towards the target, back is away from the target.

Thanks for that I thought so, just wanted to make sure. So how does this make the ball fade and draw more. Does moving the handle back open the clubface up in relation to the target and keep it open throughout the swing causing a push fade given that the stock shot is a push draw? And the same for a bigger draw?

[Gerald]

Why work the ball ....... the only need to do so ...... might well be the problems you got yourself into from the previous shot. In many magzines we read to do it this simple way, or do it that even more simple way, sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. Not seldom you'll try to work the ball from left to right to get around a tree to the green, you did this perfectly many, mant, many times at the range, but at the course, the hosel or heel catches the grass a nanosecond to early and out it goes straight to the left ..... on its way to the next trouble spot.

Many weekend golfers seem to think they can work their balls better than any tour pro .......

Adding a bit of course management, planning the position for your next shot to be played from, makes more sense than working the ball.

[sean_miller]

Adding a bit of course management, planning the position for your next shot to be played from, makes more sense than working the ball.

Depends on the shot in front of me - sometimes working the ball makes sense, sometimes it doesn't. Perfectly straight isn's as easy as it sounds.

[Gerald]

Depends on the shot in front of me - sometimes working the ball makes sense, sometimes it doesn't. Perfectly straight isn's as easy as it sounds.

I agree ......., but having to work the next shot means that the previous shot was not "just" a not so perfect shot. On most courses you'll have to be way offfffff track ...... if your next shot needs a supercurve to save your par.

[iacas]

Thanks for that I thought so, just wanted to make sure. So how does this make the ball fade and draw more. Does moving the handle back open the clubface up in relation to the target and keep it open throughout the swing causing a push fade given that the stock shot is a push draw? And the same for a bigger draw?

No, the face should stay where it is. Moving the handle will change the relationship of the circle. Move it forward and you move the circle forward, so you can effectively hit more out at the ball. Vice versa for moving the handle back.

Why work the ball ....... the only need to do so ...... might well be the problems you got yourself into from the previous shot.

I routinely have to work the ball after finding the center of the fairway. For example, to get around some trees to go for a par five in two.

[nevets88]

I change what the S&T; people call the "attachment."

What do you mean by raised? If you have your hands more ahead, it feels like you're lowering your hands, no?

[iacas]

What do you mean by raised? If you have your hands more ahead, it feels like you're lowering your hands, no?

Forward = towards the target. Raised = towards the ball just a little.

[nevets88]

Forward = towards the target. Raised = towards the ball just a little.

Ah thanks. Have only perused the S&T; book. Getting it from the library any day now.