Need help choosing the correct shot shape.

[navitello]

Can someone help me out on weather I should fade towards a hazard or draw away from them?

Example:  On a 200yd Par 3 with water on the right of the green, should I as a righty, start the ball left and have it fade in? Or start the ball at the water and draw it back to the green?

I'm just trying to get a feel for the correct strategy.

Thanks,

Nick

[dkolo]

Can someone help me out on weather I should fade towards a hazard or draw away from them?  Example:  On a 200yd Par 3 with water on the right of the green, should I as a righty, start the ball left and have it fade in? Or start the ball at the water and draw it back to the green?  I'm just trying to get a feel for the correct strategy. Thanks, Nick

Depends on your typical shot shape and your common miss. My draws tend to get away from me and occasionally be a mild push. Fades I only hit to get around trouble. Try hitting it straight, haha. But do what you can to best keep water out of play, subject to your misses. I'd worry less about shaping shots of you can help it and try to get your stock shot consistent. Even the pros don't work the ball as much as TV announcers seem to make it out to be the case.

[bjfox10]

Welcome to the forum,

In my opinion you should play the shot shape that is more reliable for you. If that means you have to play away from the pin but are able to avoid trouble so be it. Your job is to score lower.

[DeadMan]

Welcome to the forum,

In my opinion you should play the shot shape that is more reliable for you. If that means you have to play away from the pin but are able to avoid trouble so be it. Your job is to score lower.

This is my answer, too. I very rarely try to shape shots on the course. Maybe, maybe once every other round, normally to try to get myself out of trouble. Stick with your normal shape and play it that way.

That said, if you really want to shape shots like this, I think the theory is to shape the shot away from trouble. I think the reasoning is that it is difficult to control how much your shot moves. So if you're trying to draw in a ball with water on the left, there's more of a danger that you overdraw and end up in the water. If you overfade that same shot, then you'll still be fine. And if you don't fade the ball at all, you'll probably still be fine unless your starting line was really bad.

[navitello]

I guess my problem is staying committed to the shot because I think maybe the other shape is the higher percentage shot.  As obvious as it seems, maybe hitting it straight is the best for me right now.  I need to pay more attention to my misses and go from there.

Thanks again all

[DaveP043]

Welcome to the forum,

In my opinion you should play the shot shape that is more reliable for you. If that means you have to play away from the pin but are able to avoid trouble so be it. Your job is to score lower.

I agree completely with Brandon.  I know that I do NOT hit a reliable fade, so unless I'm behind a tree, I never try to hit a fade.  In my 40 years of playing, I'm not sure I've ever met a 10 handicap, and very very few 5 handicaps, that can consistently and reliably bend a ball in both directions (some consistently bend a ball, in random directions, but not necessarily in the intended direction).  If you hit a shot you're comfortable with, you have a much better chance of success.

[bradsul]

My stock shot is a draw, I hit it 98% of the time.  So I would hit my draw starting towards the water and have it turn back onto the green.  However my usual miss is a straight push so rather than starting over the water I'll start on the flag (assuming it's in the center).  If I get my usual draw I'll be left of the flag but away from the water.  if I get my normal miss I'll be left of the water and hopefully on the right side of the green.

Most of the time the 'correct' shape is the one you're confident in.  Don't feel you need a different shape for every shot.  Watch pro-tracer videos on youtube, you'll see lots of examples of guys doing the opposite of what 'seems right' just because it's their normal shape and they have confidence in the outcome.

[DrvFrShow]

Knowing that the psi-gravitational force is stronger on the right hand side of the green, I will do one of two things: I will hit a push into the water or in an effort to hit a fade, hit a dead pull into thick woods on the other side.

Best to ignore the water and hit the stock shot.

[mmoan2]

I guess my problem is staying committed to the shot because I think maybe the other shape is the higher percentage shot.  As obvious as it seems, maybe hitting it straight is the best for me right now.  I need to pay more attention to my misses and go from there.

Thanks again all

A  couple of things - if you like this forum, buy Lowest Score Wins and pay particular attention to the final section. It talks about shot zones and course management strategy in a way that will allow you to answer this question not only for the shot you describe, but for every shot you play.

"Hitting it straight" sounds like an obvious answer, yes, and it's the right one. At a 16 handicap I would honestly forget about shot shaping at all. It's not important unless you want to feel good about pulling off a difficult shot for fun. If you want to score, hit your best shot at your shot zone. On a 200 yard par 3 it would be suicide to try and hit the ball at the water and draw it in. Your margin for error is too great. Even Zach Johnson would get a lump in his throat at that shot.

Also, as your swing improves, you'll find that straight is relatively impossible. Your ball will naturally fade or draw a bit, and this will likely be your stock shot shape. Use it 97% of the time. Pros do it 95% of the time, I've heard.

[jsgolfer]

I agree completely with Brandon.  I know that I do NOT hit a reliable fade, so unless I'm behind a tree, I never try to hit a fade.  In my 40 years of playing, I'm not sure I've ever met a 10 handicap, and very very few 5 handicaps, that can consistently and reliably bend a ball in both directions (some consistently bend a ball, in random directions, but not necessarily in the intended direction).  If you hit a shot you're comfortable with, you have a much better chance of success.

I'll also agree with both Dave and Brandon, I play a stock draw unless I'm forced to try and bend the ball left due to a poor tee shot location.  And even then if I can hit a hook, I'm more likely to hit that then a fade as i know I can pull off a hook at anytime and a fade sometimes.  I too have never really met many golfers who can consistently hit it left or right accurately.  Everyone I've played with can do it at times, but definitely not something that they would try on every other hole due to a pin location.

[JP golf]

Most of the time the 'correct' shape is the one you're confident in.

@navitello - Bradsul pretty much hit the nail on the head....   hypothetically many say you should typically work the ball away from a hazard.  Ultimately, you have to be confident in your shot and play for your miss.  Pick your target and commit with your miss still taking the hazard out of play if possible.

I typically play a small fade....  With water on the right on a 200 yard par three, I'm playing to the left side of the green (if I miss straight I miss left of green, my normal cut puts me on the left green, and a push or over cut puts me in the middle or right side of the green....

For the most part, unless you're scratch golfer - and even then sometimes, you can try to do to much working the ball both ways.  You are better off eliminating a side and just working with one ball shape...  and then let the shape choose you, don't work to hard on choosing a shape.

Edit:  In all honesty, unless I'm in a tournament - I've got nothing to loose and I'm pin seeking most of the time - it's not smart, but it's fun lol - it gets me in a lot of trouble and leads to a couple big holes a round but it's fun when it works out lol

Good Luck!