This is a very helpful post. Our (former) club pro had me trying slight differences in ball position to control shape (no change in swing), which I could get to work a little bit. Seems like that is in your "harder" or "more extreme" (in combo with alignment changes). Then this summer I watched a video suggesting strong and weak grip changes to control the shape...and I guess I knew that this affected the face but in reading your article it wasn't clear to me that you're achieving an open or closed face through grip (not when setting the clubface to the ball).
To clarify (is this correct?):
Open 4° = Weaken grip whatever amount achieves ~4° open at ball strike
Closed 4° = Strengthen grip whatever amount achieves ~4° closed at ball strike
Also...
When you talk about changing alignment at setup, I'm hearing that there is no change in ball position, only a change in aim to the R or L of target. Because changing ball position forward or backward (fade and draw, respectively) adds to shape.
All with the same swing, never changing the stock swing (which I believe in very much, especially for us middle-aged newcomers...I'll never master 250 "different" swings, I think you have to be an adolescent playing all day in the summer to learn that!).
Thus, to get a little bit of shape (assuming a straight neutral shot), use strong or weak grip and body aim, to get more shape, perhaps combine grip and fore-aft alignment. And generally try to keep this stuff to a minimum, primarily hitting one's regular (preferably straight) shot.
One last question:
With higher and higher lofted clubs, I hear people talking about shaping 8, 9, wedges....but mine just go high and straight (which is fine, as it comes down mainly to aim on short approach shots). So I'm thinking that shaping mainly applies to 7 irons and longer?
Thanks for a very useful thread.
