How does an intended draw or fade lessen the results of a bad shot?

[iacas]

Originally Posted by onephenom

Well I was about to put my 2 cents,  then Erik posted the greatest explanation... ever of any question I've had in golf.

Thanks. How about a little thumbs up. Y'know, for the effort. ;)

Originally Posted by dozu

always thought that the shot shaping is more about going with the shape of the hole (i.e. shape of the fairways and greens and where the pin is)... than about margin for error.

in other words, if every fairway is dead straight, and every pin is in the dead center of a perfect circle green..... how much advantage is still there to shape the shots... I do agree with Jack N's theory about 'fading has advantage'... but I think it comes also from the fact that a fade has more underspin and holds the green better.

on the other hand, if we are dealing with doglegs and corner pins, yeah, shot shaping definitely has advantage.

Most golf courses don't require shaping that much, and almost never really did. Occasionally (say a fairway that tilts at 10 degrees down the centerline from the angle of the tee) playing a shape will help the ball stay in the fairway longer, but most golf is aerial and point-to-point, so the "target line" is straight.

We're not so much talking about "shot shaping" which implies to me changing the shape on a good portion of your swings, but rather, developing a pattern so you KNOW what the ball will do, and then playing that pattern to the best and most logical extent that you're capable.

[saevel25]

Quote:

Goal #1 of any player we tend to teach is give them a pattern. Whether it's fades or draws, we give them a pattern, because playing a pattern-free game leads to frustration and high scores.

I have to agree, i went through a time in golf were i didn't know were the ball was going. It all came to a head when i was standing on this par 3, and i took my backswing, at the top, i just stopped my arms, and dropped the club. I just didn't want to hit the ball, i had no clue were it would go, and i had no feeling of the club in my hands, it was the 2nd most depressing time in my golf life. First being the time i had the shanks for about a month. I rather have the biggest hook in the world, or the biggest slice, i can play golf with that.

Quote:

in other words, if every fairway is dead straight, and every pin is in the dead center of a perfect circle green..... how much advantage is still there to shape the shots...

Alot, is there trouble on the right or left, is there a bunker that takes up part of the green if you hit the middle of the fairway, is there overhanging trees, does the fairway have slope on it? All of these can play into were you aim, and will benefit certain shot shapes than others.

[dozu]

well, i was trying to make a point about margin for error, so bunkers / trees actually make a straight fairway not straight :)

golf being aerial is not relevant... if the ball follows the shape of the hole, then both the aerial and the ground (run off) part have more chance to end up in good places than bad.... dogleg to the left, does a draw have more chance of staying on the fairway, or does a fade... that's pretty obvious.

but for the purpose of this discussion.... i think the bottomline question is, does a intended draw/fade reduce spray angle... and the answer to that question depends on the player.