Working the ball...

[fife321]

is it really as easy as set up?

I'm wanting to know how to really work the ball both off the tee and with my irons. I shoot in the low 80's - high 70's and have read a lot where it's really all set up i.e.:

Draw- Align where you want the ball to start, while you club face points where you want it to end and have the ball a little more back in your stance

Fade - Open stance, club face where you want it to end, ball slightly forward..

On occasion, the draw has worked, but with the fade i'll hit it really heavy and hit an 8 iron about 100 yds with a huge sweep from left to right...unplayable...

My typical ball flight is straight, tendency to move right to left on a good swing, so with that in mind, is it really just about set up, and if so, what am i doing wrong with both swings (draw/fade)...

thanks!

[spearfish]

Fade:

 

Setup as you normally would, ball in the same position. Except, your feet/shoulders should be aligned left of your target. Club face should be square. Swing the same...

 

Draw:

 

Same, just align right..

 

Remember, do not change your swing..

Also, if you setup for a big draw, you're gonna get more run and hit a low ball. A big fade will get your ball height right up there.

 

Get out on the range and try... I love practising the snap hook... Comes in handy when you hit left into the trees and have no line of sight at the pin..

[ej002]

Love the snap hook as well.

 

But when you say "swing the same" - you mean to swing down the same path as your feet (to the left or right of the intended target), and not at the intended target. . . Correct?

 

No change in ball position?

[Diesel]

any change in grip for either shot, assuming you already play a nuetral grip...?

 

yesterday i lined up for a big fade off the tee with a driver, and hit the ball right where i was aiming towards the left...

[spearfish]

Swing according to your shoulder alignment.

 

Try and thing of it as if you were aiming your shoulders and feet at the target and simply open up the clubface... Because your clubhead is open, when it comes to squaring your hands at impact, the club is open and will cause sidespin with a little push right of the target..

To compensate for this, aim right, with clubface at the target... it's the same thing.

 

There is an element of swinging across your line... But I can't comment on this and be 100% true as it's something I don't really take notice of when playing these shots.

 

You can strengthen/weaken your grip.. But just remember, if you setup for a hook, with your normal swing and a stronger grip, you're going to hit a pull-draw and go way left of target.

I do advise to weaken your grip when playing for the fade.

 

Good luck and let us know.

[ej002]

Yeah - I was a nightmare yesterday. I thought I could work the ball... NOPE... dead straight - right into trouble all day.

[DanZ]

The tricky part about setting yourself up to hit a fade or a draw is convincing yourself to swing as your feet are aligned and not as your club is facing. Once you do that it makes hitting fades or draws on command fairly easy with irons at least.

 

With woods you have to be careful since opening closing the fade too much has a big effect on loft.

[fife321]

thanks for the responses.....

 

does a little alingment change go a long way? As i said before, i've had mild success with a draw, but with the fade it starts really left and sweeps across the range (no guts to put this shot in play) and i lose about 50-60% of my club distance...should i feel just slightly open or have you been able to get solid distance having your stance open a lot when needed? also, if you want to change ball flight would you then move the ball up or down in your stance? I've never been able to hit a low fade without a massive shank into the parking lot....

 

I'm headed to the range tomorrow to see how this works...one of the reasons i think i've had limited capabilities working the ball is i've had a closed club face at the top and i wouldn't release it on the downswing (not by design) so i'd be holding the face open on most swings and either time everything just right, or hit weak fade/slices...now that i'm square i definatley feel the release and i'm hoping that i can begin working the ball sooon...

[HoganIsKing]

Yeah, you just gotta go out to the range tomorrow.. that's the only way YOU will know what YOU need to do to hit a fade/draw on command every time and how MUCH it's going to turn.

 

Good luck!

[clmax]

GO TO THE RANGE...

 

Keep your swing and swing path constant as you would for a straight shot.

 

Take an iron you hit well and hit some straight shots at a target. Once warmed up, and with the same alignment (toward the target you were just shooting at) start closing the clubface (maybe three degrees) at address and take your normal swing for about ten shots.

 

OBSERVE THE RESULTS paying particular attention to the initial flight path (how far left did the ball initially fly) and the amount of additional travel as draw spin moved the ball more left.

 

Continue in the same manner with the club face closed even more and more. Take about ten shots each time. Do this until you are hitting big hooks. It might be a good idea to hit a few straight shots in between to make sure you are still alligned with your original target.

 

OBSERVE THE RESULTS

 

Now that you have observed the ball flight with various degrees of a closed club face you should have an idea of the two pieces of a good draw shot:

 

1. You should know how much you need to close the club face to produce the desired amount of draw.

2. You should have an idea of how far right you need to aim to hit your target.

 

So, if a 3 degree closed clubface starts the ball five degrees left, and the spin moves it another 10 degrees left, you know you have to set up fifteen degrees right of your target.

 

Do the same thing for a fade by opening the club face.

 

Once you get a good feel for it, try it with all your clubs.

 

I feel anyone can learn to acurately work the ball in one range session.

 

Have fun!

[thenewbie]

the idea of moving the ball forward in your stance to hit a fade makes no sense to me at all. personally, I really only work the ball when I have to, to get out of trouble. but I'm quite good at it. I just try to combine turning the face open or closed with the swing plane to do what I want to do. I just go by feel and experience. . .

 

inside out with a closed face to draw (turn over through impact), over the top with an open face (held off) for a fade.

 

personally, the draw is MUCH easier for me. . .I'm working hard on getting a consistent fade.

[fife321]

the idea or theory of ball forward in the stance for a fade (from what i read) is to add loft to the club on the release with an open face helps promote a higher ball flight....

[thenewbie]

but opening the face in the first place adds loft in and of itself, just as closing the face takes it away. I can hit a high draw with my P wedge where I close the face and actually put the ball forward in my stance. I just make sure fully release the club and the ball goes high and right (HIGH AND LEFT, i MEANT HIGH AND LEFT, SORRY). I can also hit a low fade where I open the face and put the ball back in my stance.

 

you just have to mess with it and see what happens.

[progolf4life]

I just wanted to comment on the whole "do I change my grip for ____ shot" issue. NOOOOOOOOOO, I suggest you don't do this because it can result in major inconsistencies of the shot at hand. You should always keep your normal grip and just alter the clubface. After you alter the clubface make sure to grip the club like you would normally, then swing and if done correctly you should have hit whatever shot you have desired.

[thenewbie]

tim heron changes his right hand, weaker or stronger, to shape his shots.

 

just saying, I wouldn't recomend it, but some pro's do it that way.

[Diesel]

i like to take as many variables out as i can, so i'm going to work on trying to shape these shots with a strictly neutral grip...

[leekgolf]

There are many ways to hit both. In the end, it's about swinging on the line you want to start the ball, with the face pointing at the target at impact. This can be done by altering your path and plane, it can be done by rolling or blocking the arms/wrists, it can be done by the position of your left wrist at impact (bowed, flat, cupped).

 

What are you comfortable doing?