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Yes I have heard of and tried this drill. Works fantastic for irons. Woods, I'm not so convinced about. Look up Shawn Clement on Youtube, search for Hogan Power Move. He shows a similar drill in detail.

You'd be really suprised what sort of distance you can get when you really compress the ball and deloft the clubface. On a good day, I can hit a 6 iron 200 yards by really pronating the wrists. Otherwise, it's a 175-185 yard club. I probably deloft most of my irons by at least a club, it's just a facet of arriving with hands ahead at impact and a pronated left wrist. Btw, those numbers are not inflated. Measured both on a simulator and with range flags. And no, that doesn't include some rediculous 30 yard bounce . The fact is however that while you can play clubs highly delofted, you start taking big divots and loosing the ability to control trajectory and curve. It's a tradeoff. Tiger had that problem for a while, especially with short irons. He learned to back off, shallow his swing, and regained the ability to control trajectory and spin. He gave up about 15 yards on each short club, but when you're Tiger... who cares?

Sound advice, but I already grip the club in the fingers. The blister is right where any pressure from the overlapping pinky finger of the right hand would put additional pressure on the left index finger into the grip of the club. I can't stretch the pinky into the groove between the fingers (hurts to do so). I just use a standard vardon grip. I've had my grip reviewed by a pga pro, and it is apparently sound. I wear a glove, but still get the blister. Tried changing grips (both softness and size) with no effect. I have no problem going back to the interlock. It just feels really wierd at this point, and my hands are a bit sore overall just from the difference in placement and pressure. On a better side, my hands feel more unitized at the top of the backswing with the interlock. That's probably a good sign. BTW, I found if I overlay my hands with the pictures in "Golf My Way" they are almost exactly the size of Jack's. Maybe interlock is the way to go for me (I started that way and my instinct has always been to interlock, but after reading 5 lessons, I stopped interlocking and have done the Vardon ever since). I also have a relatively weak grip and wrists (exercising to change this, but that takes time). I have read interlocking is good for people with small or weaker hands and wrists.

I usually play this strategy on par 5s (barring any hazards to the contrary). I don't want anything beyond bogey on par 5s. Very conservative strategy below. 1st shot: Enough to get within short - mid iron range of the 150 stick. 2nd shot: Enough to get to the 150 stick or just past it. 3rd shot: Aim for the fattest part of the green. Usually at this point I am between 100 and 150 yards, a very comfortable zone for 8 iron through PW. Two putt and move on. It's great to have a strategy on par 5s. Makes the journey make sense. My driving is far too erratic right now to risk booming the driver, then hoping to make the green in two, or have to make multiple recoveries. Btw, I had a playing partner use this strategy last weekend. Dude has played less than 3 months. Parred the hole. Good lesson for him in smart course management and playing within your capabilities.

Well, I should have figured it would happen eventually. I have had a persistent calluse / blister on my left index finger, below the first joint, on the inside of the hand, as a result of pressure from the overlapping grip and the club shaft. Started hurting so bad yesterday, I had to switch to interlocking after 2 holes, just to keep it from aggitating it. Couldn't grip the club otherwise. Needless to say, the rest of the round was a crapshoot. Nothing quite like completely changing your feel for the game by switching grips in the middle of a round. I think I'm going to have to stick with the interlock. Any suggestions on how to make the switch and not totally lose my swing in the process? I'm thinking just start with wedges and work on pronation, 3/4 swings. Then move up, making sure I keep my hands solid on the club. Feels absolutely horrible right now. Can't get any sort of club head speed or return the face to square. Yesterday was 3 woods off the tee, weak 200 yard banana slices. Short irons were a pull hook festival. Aaaaaarrrggghhh.... ...amazing what a grip change will do.

The poster above is correct. You must learn to rotate the forearm and pronate the wrist. I had the same problem lately. My instructor put me in a very strong grip, and I could hit ok, but I hated the feeling and had no control. I'm back to a neutral grip, and had to reprogram my forearm and pronation to achieve the square contact. I will say it is much more effortless and I find it now easier to keep the club on plane versus my old "super strong" grip. Every golfer is different though, and many play just fine with strong grips. In any case you must pronate through impact. That's why chipping is connected to the rest of the swing. Practice chipping and pronating with a long iron. You won't believe how much it improves your contact and coordination.

Here's a strange topic. I was watching a lot of old golf videos, including the swings of some of the greatest ball strikers (Hogan, Snead, etc). While all of them had a smooth swing, they also had very quick tempos. This got me thinking . Looking at tour pros, you see relatively fast tempos, but not as quick in appearance as the old pros. Go to your range, and you see people swinging MUCH slower, almost as if they are trying to keep the swing slow for control. This really got me thinking. I headed out to the range and tried swinging with more of an old school tempo. Still smooth, but more accelerated. The difference was amazing. I could feel how I loaded the shaft, and my body began to respond to that feeling with a good lower body action, a square wrist action and very crisp strikes. It felt great and the ball flight was much stronger than my usual tempo. I know I was getting more clubhead speed, but it didn't feel out of control. On the contrary, with a little practice it has started feeling more controlled, but less like I am steering the club. 6 irons were flying long and true, 190 yards by the driving range flags. For me, that's fantastic, as my 6 iron was usually only good to about 170. I wondered if anyone else is having the same experience, or would like to discuss why tempo seems to have slowed down so much (or perhaps the advice given to amateurs has been misinterpreted?). I remember in 5 Lessons, Hogan said the average golfer should not fear swinging hard and full. You still swing within yourself and don't sacrifice form (right leg stability, spine angle, etc), but swing full. The swing began to feel much more like a repeatable athletic move, than a contrived positional motion. It was a sweet feeling. Comments?

Yardage, Wind, Slope of Green, Slope of Surrounding Terrain, Surrounding Hazards, Best Areas for Recovery, Worst Areas for Recovery, Tee Box Orientation, Green Conditions, Grass Species, Grass Cut and Grain, Water Flow patterns, etc...then the more complicated factors like... Geospatial orientation of the golf hole, magneto-polar lines of force, balance of chi surrounding the area.... you know, the regular stuff. Just kidding. Grab a club, aim, fire. It's only golf.

I wanted to share this with everyone. Hopefully it helps you as much as me. After practicing chipping yesterday and doing well at it (wrists firm, forward press, weight on left foot) I went to practice putting. I suddenly realized that putting and chipping are exactly the same. Ok, hear me out and give it a try. Square up to the putter and your intended line, with the ball just off the left heel. Then take your grip, forward press slightly, and put your weight on the left foot (for righties). Now just chip the ball, keeping the putterhead low and smooth, and wrists firm. You'll quickly find it's the same motion as chipping and the distance control feel is almost exactly the same. Because of the forward press and solid base, I found the sweet spot with the putter almost every time. It was fantastic for both line and speed. One note, I was using a blade putter, so I'm not sure how this would work with a mallet, or putter with more significant weight behind the head. But if you've never given thought to what foot your weight is on when putting, and struggle with putting consistency, give it a try. I was really impressed. I think finding these links in feel and technique between the different shots a great key to consistency.

I'm going to add one more to mine. 5) A feeling of constant connection of the upper arms to ribcage, both arms, for the entire swing. Keeps my swing compact and body controlled. Eliminates excess arm movement and helps the arms follow the body so impact occurs ball then ground. I hit some of my best shots ever yesterday keeping this in mind. It's a keeper.

There are some really great suggestions on here. I would strongly advise against reading too many full swing technique books over the winter. You'll just confuse yourself. The winter is the time to focus on putting, chipping, the mental approach, course management, and physical fitness. Add in some fun reading and you should be good to go. Michael Murphy's "Golf in the Kingdom" and "The Kingdom of Shivas Irons" are both excellent works on the mysteries of golf. Trust me, you won't be able to put them down.

Lots of people are coming up with the "New swing fundamentals" lately, challenging the old-school thinking about the golf swing. I think it would be interesting to hear from everyone what you think the fundamentals of the swing are, say in 3-5 bullet points. I'll give mine to start: 1) Consistent tempo, balance, setup, and posture 2) A smooth takeaway 3) A full release of the swinging club 4) A strike that hits the ball first, then the ground, resulting in forward divots. What are your "modern swing fundamentals"?

If your ball is starting on the correct line, but not curving the direction you want, it means the clubface is not aligned at impact. You need to work on your release. I am guessing your normal shot is slice, with the ball starting straight, but curving off to the right. Work on rolling the forearms to release the club through impact and make sure the club gets back to square. It's a timing thing, but once you get used to doing it, you'll see better contact and better ballflight.

Won some really nice pens today at the company picnic. They had a chipping contest, where you had a wedge and three balls, you were supposed to chip them all into this net about 8 yards away. People were having a really hard time with it. Stepped up, practice swing, first one dead center, practice swing, second one dead center, practice swing, third one dead center. The look on people's faces was priceless. Some guy says "I guess you play golf huh?" Oh how I love that short game!

Well, went to the range yesterday and sure enough, I need to get rid of those sneaker style shoes. Not enough support. I was striking the ball much better and with better balance wearing my old golf shoes. Maybe it's the shoe design, maybe it's just how they fit, or maybe it's mental, but I'm sticking with the old shoes.

Take notes and practice what your instructor says. You may start hitting bad shots for a while, but stick to it. Otherwise it is time and money wasted.

Interesting idea. I've done the "talcum powder" approach. It's very suprising once you start seeing exactly where you are contacting the ball.

I was not trying to imply that someone who never picked up a club before should simply go out and start trying to shape the ball flight. There is no argument that would lead to disaster. I was simply trying to get a discussion going on the benefits of shot shaping, and to help dispell the myth that "working the ball" is something only for the pros. I apologize for the confusion.

Ok, so per the title, this thread is to educate golfers on ways to learn to shape shots, to improve your chances at reaching par. Before we get into methods of how to shape shots, let's explain why it is important to your golfing success. Now, as you can see by my handicap, I'm no expert, but I have learned very quickly the value of shaping shots and playing what Jack Nicklaus called "percentage golf". According to Jack, you should never try to play a shot, especially a drive, dead straight. His reasoning is simple. A straight shot, has a chance to go either direction. A shaped shot cuts that in half. You know the shot will go right or left, you just have to control how much. We are no longer expecting ourselves to play a game of absolute perfection. Ben Hogan himself stated "I never tried to hit a straight shot". There is a wonderful diagram in "Golf My Way" showing an approach shot to a green with the pin on the right side (not tucked, just on the right side). The drawing shows why using a fade in that situation gives the best chance at par. Aiming for the fade to hit the pin, an accidental straight shot would land 15 feet left of the pin, leeving a 15 ft putt. If the fade is overdone, and becomes a slice, the ball will land 15 ft right of the pin, leaving a 15 ft putt. The perfectly executed fade will land at the pin. Now the argument has been made "well someone hitting straight may just draw a little, or fade a little, leaving the same chances". I would agree, except that the actual execution, and the margin for success at hitting that perfectly straight shot, are much harder. Consider how many things must be perfect to hit a straight shot. The more room for error we give ourselves, the better chances we also recieve to hit an acceptable shot. Shaping shots also has tactical advantages. Say you have a left to right sloped green with the pin on the left, high on the green. From a right side approach, what shot do you play? If your only shot is a fade, you may be out of luck. A draw would allow you to use the slope as a backstop and improve your chances of ending up on the high side of the green, nearer the pin. Driving is particularly well suited to shot shaping. Assume for a moment that the average fairway is only 30 yards wide. Hitting a straight shot, you only have 15 yards on each side for error. Hitting a shaped shot aimed down one side, projected to fade or draw into the center, you have 30 yards of error, knowing you can and will make the ball curve the desired direction. This is percentage golf, learning to play the course with your aresenal of shots to give you the best chance at par possible (or GIR as the case may be - if someone figures out how to shape putts, let me know). Ok, so onto the "how-to". I recommend trying the technique below with a mid-iron (7-8) until you get the feel of the shots. This technique was the favorite of both Jack Nicklaus and Ben Hogan. Ben had a great saying to describe it, "When you want to change the shape, turn the tool in the chuck. Don't go messing around with the entire machine." So hear it is, paraphrased from Nicklaus: Draw or fade: Align your stance to the direction you want the ball to start, then turn the club face, readjusting your grip, so that the line of the clubface faces your target. Now swing along you foot line as if you were hitting a shot in the direction you want the ball to start. Naturally, the ball flight will be lower and hotter with the draw, and higher and softer with the fade (depending on how much you change the angle on the face). The number one mistake with this technique is people overcook the shot by trying to control the wrist turnover and add more the shape. Just let the wrists release naturally. Also, be sure not to angle the face too much. Remember, we are looking to draw or fade the ball, not hook or slice it. High or Low: Move the ball forward in the stance and (optional) open the face to hit it high (and shorter), move it back in the stance and (optional) close the face to hit it lower. With some practice with the mid-iron, you will quickly get a feel for how much is too much using these techniques and shapes involved. My advice is to think of it like throwing a frisbee and trying to curve it into a target. I spent an entire day at the range once, just hitting 6 iron draws, working on gauging the amount of draw to hit the practice green as many times as possible. Eventually, I hit far more shots onto the green than I ever would have trying to hitting just straight shots. That mid-iron draw has proven very valuable on the course and is a favorite shot for me. I invite you to respond with alternative shot-shaping techniques, other shaped shots (cuts, punches, stingers) or your own personal stories with learning and executing shaped shots. Good luck, and don't hit 'em straight... hit 'em curved!

I wouldn't be the first person to assert the fact that Tiger Woods doesn't have the "best swing on the planet". He gets away with less than perfect because his timing and hand control is so good, so grooved. Combine that with the best mental game, and a very good short game and putting stroke, and that's what makes him a winner. He has the trained ability to compensate. There are other golfers out there whose swings are more fundamentally sound. They just aren't winners. Golf, afterall, is a game of misses and recovery.

The day someone makes a putter that you can hit hard at the hole, completely blow past it, but the ball backs up because of spin, I'm gonna be a scratch golfer.

Good thoughts there. I'm just really perplexed that the one day I switched shoes, I hit so much better. Maybe it was a confidence thing, maybe the shoes really have nothing to do with it. I do know in the sneakers I have a really hard time keeping the right knee flex in the backswing, and that's a major key in my swing. Straighten the right leg, I'm dead. Either way, I'm putting those shoes back on!

WARNING - I finally need to vent on this one: New golfers, young golfers, old golfers, all golfers.... Let's ban the following two words from the golfing lexis.... swing tip quick-fix If you want assistance with your swing, that's awesome, but don't expect an overnight miracle. The industry is doing enough with all the Golf-Digest "one easy move to longer drives!" and "this club with .001 higher MOI will help you hit the ball straighter!" to befuddle golfers and cause a serious pandemic of paralysis by analysis. Whoever first told his buddy "You need to keep your head down" had no clue what he started. I'm am not saying don't ask for help. Please, post videos and ask for a swing analysis. But expect to be given drills that will require time and dedication to iron out your swing. Maybe some of you expect this, maybe some of you don't, but a large number of threads seem to be: Hey look at my swing.... any magic tips? No-one here waves a magic wand on golf swings. Ok, Iacas swings a Mashie of Forum Justice, but that's not the same thing. Let's do everyone a favor and start changing the golfing mentality for the better. It has to start somewhere. The best advice to any golfer should include not just the problem (your rotating your hips too much) but advice on how to go about fixing it in a progressive, developmental matter. A learning approach. If this post strikes anyone as offensive, I am entirely sorry. However, it is about time that we started changing a few of the modern mentalities regarding golf. Everyone will start enjoying the game much more. And that's what we all want, to step on the golf course and enjoy ourselves.

You sir are correct. Those are exactly the things I expected to read when I first openned this post.

Thanks Rubbery, your post had me laughing. The OP really is rubbish spawned by the era of "power addicted golf". Just read any of the classic golf instructional books and you will learn that relaxed yet athletic poise is incredibly important. Restrict the hip turn? Lots of amateurs don't turn enough. Just look at Bobby Jones. His hip turn was huge. A good number of pros have large hip turn today, and they generate plenty of power. Peter Kostis drives me nuts with some of the same stuff. I have some of his golf books, and even he admits that the hips must turn, that you need some lateral transfer, some weight shift, etc. Then he goes on to the Konaka Minolta SwingVision BizHub Camera (man I hate that line already) and makes everyone think you need to swing with stiff hips, one-plane, flat wrists, etc. The golf industry needs to stop this "power mechanics analysis mentality" and get back to golf "the ultimate game of feel and control". The average golfer needs to learn smoothness and tempo, not "grip it and rip it". In regards to the hips, the X-Factor stuff is hogwash. Even the guy who came up with it later came out and said he was wrong and misleading. Now we have a generation of golfers who are physically trying to restrict the body's motion throughout the swing. In reality, the torque is created in the swing by a full turn, and the correct progression of motion on the downswing. Learn to manage the hip turn and you can release even more power from the body. Just look up Shawn Clement on Youtube if you want more proof. We need to stop teaching people to STRIKE the ball and start teaching them how to SWING the golf club. Golf is not a game restricted to the athletically perfect. Take it from Ben Hogan himself, I'll paraphrase, "a fundamentally correct golf swing is not a violent exertion, it is a physical pleasure" or his most famous line, again paraphrased, "any person of average coordination, with dedicated practice, is fully capable of breaking 80." And by the way, look at Hogan's hips. Those suckers rotated too. For me, golf is very much like learning to play the piano. I started learning piano at age 5, and I have played seriously ever since, taking classical and jazz instruction. You don't start a pianist with Debussy or Rachmaninoff. You learn the basics, in painstaking slow motion, you learn touch, you learn tempo, then you work up to greater and greater pieces of complexity. Approaching golf in the same way, we learn how to putt, we learn how to chip, we learn how to make short pitches, we learn how to hit short irons, long irons, then woods and drivers. All along we are focusing on tempo and feel, memorizing what works and what doesn't. In the end, it takes the greatest ingredients to success in any endeavor... patience, dedication, and time. I'll close by quoting Ben Hogan one last time: "The secret is in the dirt"