Trouble hitting a cut.

[lawsonjc]

My natural ball flight is a slight draw. I can make the ball move left to right but I'm inconsistent with how much it moves. I really need this shot to be more consistent.

Typically the ball will start down my line and fade more than I want it to and it makes it basically a slice with my longer irons. When I play this shot I usually cup my wrist a little at the top instead of trying to keep it straight like I would with a draw. I just can't get a consistent flight when I try this shot. Any tips that have helped you master the fade? 

[saevel25]

1 hour ago, lawsonjc said:

My natural ball flight is a slight draw. I can make the ball move left to right but I'm inconsistent with how much it moves. I really need this shot to be more consistent.

Play the draw if you are consistent with it. Most PGA Tour players play only one ball shape a good majority of the time. Most of the time they don't move the ball that much. Keep it simple, stick with one ball flight. 

[lawsonjc]

2 hours ago, saevel25 said:

Play the draw if you are consistent with it. Most PGA Tour players play only one ball shape a good majority of the time. Most of the time they don't move the ball that much. Keep it simple, stick with one ball flight. 

I do agree with playing your stock shot most of the time. I think at times you need to be able to work the ball the other way if the need arises. I just want to get more consistent with it. 

[saevel25]

2 minutes ago, lawsonjc said:

I do agree with playing your stock shot most of the time. I think at times you need to be able to work the ball the other way if the need arises. I just want to get more consistent with it. 

Your index is a 2. I doubt you will end up in many conditions where you would need to work the ball the other way. How many times are you blocked out by a tree?

[span3636]

I recently started play a little push fade and I love it. Don't get me wrong it has taken time. What I started doing was lining up about 20 yards left of my target and then worked on pushing and cutting it to my target. It works quite well. I used to hit a cut by swiping across it, but I lost a lot of distance. You may want to try this.

[Etzwane]

To the OP: I'd use the exact same swing but align you body left and open the club face at address wrt your alignment (half way between body alignment and target for 6 iron as a rule of thumb, less open for longer clubs). As span3636, "push fade" wrt to your body alignment can be a good thought.

[span3636]

Here's a different way to look at it. Just play your draw on every shot. Look at Kenny Perry. He's made a decent living doing that. Yah, some pins you can't go for, but so what. Just wait till you get that pin that's tucked right where you can draw it in. I think working the ball is overrated. Go with your strength. Hey, Nicklaus played a fade his whole career.

[klineka]

Read through this, it should help.

Or if you dont want to read through the entire thing, quoted from @iacas in the thread I linked. Goes along nicely with what @span3636 mentioned.

"95% of the shots a pro plays (Tiger Woods may be one of a group of very small exceptions, and even he isn't as different as many think) are their stock shot. They don't curve much, but if a player is a drawer of the golf ball, 95% of their shots draw. It's the most reliable, dependable way to play - with a pattern.

Kenny Perry (a pronounced drawer) was playing at Doral a few years ago and someone asked him what he does with a pin on the right side of the green. He said he aimed at the flag and if his ball didn't draw, he got lucky, but otherwise he was content to have a 25-footer for birdie.

Then the person asked him what he did when the pin was on the left side of the green. "I make birdie" he said. :)

You'll get better, faster if you develop a pattern. Shaping the ball is over-rated - not even the pros do it all that often. Shaping the ball can get you out of trouble. It can be a good shot when the ball needs to be worked around an obstacle (reaching a par five in two, the tee shot on a dogleg, etc.). But if you've got a look at the flag, take the Kenny Perry approach: aim for your shot cone and play your pattern."

Edited May 16, 2017 by klineka

[rehmwa]

On 4/1/2017 at 2:40 PM, lawsonjc said:

When I play this shot I usually cup my wrist a little at the top instead of trying to keep it straight like I would with a draw.

I can't visualize what you are doing here.

I just adjust path (only path, keep it simple) for shot shaping, and then just line up to my start line to accommodate that - that usually comes down to how tightly I keep my right elbow to my torso through the swing (I'm right handed).  I try not to be too conscious about it, else I then overdo it and draws or fades turn quickly into hooks and slices.  Just visualize the shot and most of the time I get a decent result.  But I'm a hack, so even good contact makes me happy, and I try to hit the shot that leaves me an out if I mess it up.

On a similar philosophy as 'just hit your shot'.  I think if one wants to expand that and start shaping his shots - then it's still best to just have a single sized fade and draw (don't try to be the guy that thinks he can draw 5 yards, 10 yards, 15 yards, etc).  and then the full on hook and slice....trying to own the continuum sounds super daunting to me.  5 shots - straight(ish), small fade, small draw, big fade, big draw.  Forget the in-betweens.

 

(but...you know....shaping is a heck of a lot of fun.  If it's about fun, then great, if it's about scoring low, then I'd be a single shot type of guy)

Edited May 16, 2017 by rehmwa