To any Tour Pros or good players

[Golfer6586]

Do good players tend to hit a straight shot most of the time? Or do they hit a stock fade/draw depending on the person's choice. I've always heard the saying that the straight shot is the hardest shot, and am wondering if pros don't have a stock fade/draw and instead just aim to hit it straight all the time.

[John L.]

I preferred a draw shape on the ball to eliminate a miss to the right for many years.

 

Then I went to a fade for quite a few years.

 

Now I don't know WTF I'm doing. (not kidding either) ............. I'm still sorting things out since my return to the game.

 

But yes, most better players prefer some sort of shape to help eliminate a miss to one side.

[Sebmour]

They have stock shots. More predictability and ball turns toward target. A straight shot is hard since if you are a fraction off and you aimed at the pin, your ball is now going away from the flag.

 

I play a draw and sometimes strong draw.

I have a shut face with a steep shaft during downswing and impact. It currently is very hard for me to it a fade.

[cwglum]

Their fades and draws look like the 1 super straight shot I hit all day long. Ball only falls in one direction or the other, not curving on the way up.

[Boricua Golf]

At least from my experience, they like to have a stock shot, either fade or draw, just knowing what the ball will do it is a confidence builder...I hit a fade (have since day one), predictable and eliminates the side of the course I don't like...they have a go to shot as well, low punch (stinger) if they must hit the fairway or to keep it in play...

[bladehunter]

No such thing as straight. It's moving one way or another . Even if ever so slightly.

[Boricua Golf]

No such thing as straight. It's moving one way or another . Even if ever so slightly.

 

I agree, I caddied for Mark Leishman at the Sony Open a few years back, he hit (I thought) his best shot of the day on 18, straight over the palm trees about 190 out, his response was "I missed it", I asked him what happened, his reply "it went straight", he wanted to hit a high draw over the palm trees, his go to shot is a fade, but can hit anything if needed...so I agree that the ball moves on every shot, ever so slightly...

[Obee]

It greatly depends on the player. Some move it a LOT on virtually every shot (Kenny Perry), while others much less so (Murayama?)

[DavePelz4]

Bruce Lietzke was a natural fader...everything went a bit to the right...

[KirkNo-yes]

I would say the same as Bladehunter- no such thing as a straight shot and guys all have the ball move one way or another . But the caveat is that it is VERY straightish and it falls one way or another. When I am playing I tend to play a slight draw or a slight fade. I hit start the ball away from trouble and move it toward it. If I miss I tend to miss on the side I'm moving the ball from. the safer miss

[moegolfer11]

I am by no means a "good" golfer but I normally hit what I came to the course with lol. If its a draw, I'll play it. And viceversa. I can only inference here but I'm going to say a lot of tour players focus as much as they can on where they want to land it rather than how it is going to get there. Of course there are exceptions (shots that call for certain shot types). But most good players try to make it a "reactionary" feeling. Much like a good quarterback leads his receivers well or places the back shoulder pass in such a way that the DB cannot reach it. Remember when Speith used to putt with his eyes to the target. Same concept.

[beitel21]

Just look at tiger. In the early 2000s he was hitting predominantly draws, and only fades when the fairway or green required that shot shape. Maybe 2010ish he changed to hitting a fade about 90% of the time.

Now from what I seen he's hitting draws all day. This was the best player in the world and I don't think straight was ever an option for him

 

[PowderedToastMan]

Just look at tiger. In the early 2000s he was hitting predominantly draws, and only fades when the fairway or green required that shot shape. Maybe 2010ish he changed to hitting a fade about 90% of the time.

Now from what I seen he's hitting draws all day. This was the best player in the world and I don't think straight was ever an option for him

His path with the driver has always been way from the inside, essentially making a straight drive nearly impossible (other than his pushes, which usually have little curve). You could tell that Foley tried to zero out the path, but then Tiger started dealing with a two way miss. He spent 35 years saving shots with his hands, and now when he tried to do that, badly hooked shots.

 

He's stuck in between so many swing patterns it's ridiculous. He's trying to get back to the way he swung when he was younger, while still keeping a lot of the Foley stuff. Even with a good back, it's a bad recipe.

 

 

[MidwestGolfBum]

I am by no means a "good" golfer but I normally hit what I came to the course with lol. If its a draw, I'll play it. And viceversa. I can only inference here but I'm going to say a lot of tour players focus as much as they can on where they want to land it rather than how it is going to get there. Of course there are exceptions (shots that call for certain shot types). But most good players try to make it a "reactionary" feeling. Much like a good quarterback leads his receivers well or places the back shoulder pass in such a way that the DB cannot reach it. Remember when Speith used to putt with his eyes to the target. Same concept.

 

How you approach the game is exactly how I approach it and am also not a "good" golfer.

 

I tend to hit, as I call it, the fat guy pull cut, but there are days that it's a baby draw so adjustments need to happen. I learned long ago that if I tried to force the stock shot to happen on the days that it really didn't want to it was going to lead to way worse things than just adjusting aiming points.

 

Of the Tour players and down through to the mini tour guys that I have played with they all have a "shot" that they prefer to see, but will go with the flow if that's not going to happen on a given day. Only reason that they would sway from that shot and work the ball the opposite way would be they need to to hold a green, fairway, etc.

[RBImGuy]

Do good players tend to hit a straight shot most of the time? Or do they hit a stock fade/draw depending on the person's choice. I've always heard the saying that the straight shot is the hardest shot, and am wondering if pros don't have a stock fade/draw and instead just aim to hit it straight all the time.

 

based on the way a golf club is designed then a straight shot isnt the easy shot.

[mguhler]

I swing and hope