Shaping the Ball

[LSU_justin]

How do you approach your setup when making alignment changes? Do you first setup parallel to your target line and move the left or right foot back? And where should the shoulders be aligned?

[mvmac]

Great post Erik, I might reference this thread in the future

[iacas]

Originally Posted by LSU_justin

How do you approach your setup when making alignment changes? Do you first setup parallel to your target line and move the left or right foot back? And where should the shoulders be aligned?

I typically set the face down (because I like to spot-align the face) and then I will set my body up to that.

Does that answer your question?

[owood235]

ya i like to spot along the fence as well.

[newtogolf]

Great stuff Erik, when is the lefty version coming out?

[iacas]

Originally Posted by newtogolf

Great stuff Erik, when is the lefty version coming out?

Send $10 and a self-addressed stamped envelope to....

[newtogolf]

It would be worth $10 to get a ball flight diagram for left handed golfers.  I know much of it is just reverse, but sometimes it would just be nice to look at a diagram or read instruction books and not have to translate right = left and left = right every time.

Originally Posted by iacas

Send $10 and a self-addressed stamped envelope to....

[LSU_justin]

Originally Posted by iacas

I typically set the face down (because I like to spot-align the face) and then I will set my body up to that.

Does that answer your question?

I think I got it now, thanks.

[boogielicious]

Erik,

Thanks again for this.  I went back to basics with the driver and think I found my issue.  Your fundamentals listed above helped a lot.  Had a good range session and round with the driver.  Reviewed the Golf Evolution video, etc.

Can you also touch on the vertical adjustments, hitting the ball higher and lower?  I have been adjusting ball position a bit forward and trying to get weight more forward if I want to get a higher flight. But, I would rather have you sum it up correctly.  I believe you stated before that pros more often adjust the height of their shots than their shape.

[MbolicGolf]

I have a question regarding GI clubs and Players clubs. if you hit the ball in the center of the club face shouldn't both GI and players clubs shape the ball just fine?

[mvmac]

Originally Posted by MbolicGolf

I have a question regarding GI clubs and Players clubs. if you hit the ball in the center of the club face shouldn't both GI and players clubs shape the ball just fine?

Players irons, or GI irons, it's still works the same..... strike the ball with the center of the face, and the ball will start in the direction the face is pointing, and will curve relative to the face angle/path.  Where the GI irons differ is that off-center strikes will fly less off-line because GI heads are generally built around a higher MOI, or the ability to resist twisting about it's CoG.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by mvmac

Players irons, or GI irons, it's still works the same..... strike the ball with the center of the face, and the ball will start in the direction the face is pointing, and will curve relative to the face angle/path.  Where the GI irons differ is that off-center strikes will fly less off-line because GI heads are generally built around a higher MOI, or the ability to resist twisting about it's CoG.

In addition to what Mike said, the CG location can shift slightly for GI irons, and that will have a small impact on the work-ability of an iron. It's more to do with the trajectory (height) of a shot, though, and even then it's subtle, so don't worry about it on shaping shots sideways.

[Deryck Griffith]

I love this post.  It's one of the best ever on this forum.

You mention going with a stock shot...what do you say to students who have a two way miss?  How do you get them to decide and or develop a stock shaping shot to go to?  And in these cases, do you encourage to groove in and shape the ball only one way for an extended period of time?

[mdl]

Originally Posted by Deryck Griffith

I love this post.  It's one of the best ever on this forum.

You mention going with a stock shot...what do you say to students who have a two way miss?  How do you get them to decide and or develop a stock shaping shot to go to?  And in these cases, do you encourage to groove in and shape the ball only one way for an extended period of time?

This!  I've wondered about this too.

[jshots]

Nice post, I've been shaping the ball a lot more this year and all I've used is the easy method of alignment. It's reliable and easy, and I've yet to find a shape of shot that I needed to hit that I could not using this method. I don't really understand the point of the more complicated methods. It's hard enough to get a consistent swing that will hit the ball straight, why throw in all those other ideas.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Deryck Griffith

You mention going with a stock shot...what do you say to students who have a two way miss?  How do you get them to decide and or develop a stock shaping shot to go to?  And in these cases, do you encourage to groove in and shape the ball only one way for an extended period of time?

A two way miss isn't a playable shot. :) So I say "develop a pattern" to those people. A pattern doesn't have to be shots that all curve the same amount. Pushes and push-draws are part of the same pattern. Push-draws and pulls or push-draws and push-cuts are not the same pattern: http://thesandtrap.com/t/39974/shot-cones/

If someone has a two-way miss going on, they need to prioritize the pieces that allow them to have a pattern - even if the "pattern" isn't great. For example, a guy who swings into the ball pretty straight but doesn't always control the clubface (i.e. pull-draws and push-cuts) should decide to either push-cut everything or pull-draw everything on the golf course while slowly working towards a more ideal ball flight with his instructor.

[sean_miller]

Originally Posted by iacas

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deryck Griffith

You mention going with a stock shot...what do you say to students who have a two way miss?  How do you get them to decide and or develop a stock shaping shot to go to?  And in these cases, do you encourage to groove in and shape the ball only one way for an extended period of time?

A two way miss isn't a playable shot. :) So I say "develop a pattern" to those people. A pattern doesn't have to be shots that all curve the same amount. Pushes and push-draws are part of the same pattern. Push-draws and pulls or push-draws and push-cuts are not the same pattern: http://thesandtrap.com/t/39974/shot-cones/

If someone has a two-way miss going on, they need to prioritize the pieces that allow them to have a pattern - even if the "pattern" isn't great. For example, a guy who swings into the ball pretty straight but doesn't always control the clubface (i.e. pull-draws and push-cuts) should decide to either push-cut everything or pull-draw everything on the golf course while slowly working towards a more ideal ball flight with his instructor.

If the player is able to consistently get the ball to their intended target (distance and line) then that ball flight sounds pretty ideal to me.

[Deryck Griffith]

Originally Posted by iacas

For example, a guy who swings into the ball pretty straight but doesn't always control the clubface (i.e. pull-draws and push-cuts) should decide to either push-cut everything or pull-draw everything on the golf course while slowly working towards a more ideal ball flight with his instructor.

Makes ALOT of sense!