When did you start playing "Shots"?

[MagnoliaGolfer]

If you play "shots" in your game--like a high fade into the pin, or a draw off the tee--something intentional and shaped--I'm curious when you started doing so.  Is this something that comes once you're single digit?  Did you start as a mid-handicapper?  And, how did you start shaping your shots?  

 

I can manage a low punch shot into the wind.  That's about as specialized as my shot making gets.   But I can sometimes manage a cut, so I'm thinking that, if I want to foray into shaping shots, I might try with cutting a few approaches into the green???

Edited January 13, 2021 by MagnoliaGolfer

[FirstFlight]

I was taught to "punch" my way out of trouble from day one...lots of OJT and experience with this shot, cause I had to.

 

Lots of chipping shots learned early...the up and down, along with the bump n run, using the 6-8-10 method. Again, cause I had to.

 

As far as full, or nearly full swing shaped shots...for me, probably sometime after the 100th game, at an often played course, full of nearly 90 degree dogleg right holes(CalimesaCC). We would 'double dog dare' each other to slice it around the corners, rather than lay up and mid iron it over the corners. Of course, this was because we were all great slicers. That practice, now looking back, was valuable in so many ways.

 

Ok, slicing is not shot shaping, it's a shot error...sorry, this doesn't help...next!

 

[nitram]

As soon as I was able to own the bottom of my swing.

[Toolish]

Started trying it when I was low teen handicap, but I tend to only shape it when really needed.  Rarely to get at pins, more so if I am out of position and need to shape it to hit the green.

 

Very rarely off the tee.  I play a draw and sometimes I will straighten it but I really don't like going the other way.

 

For reference I play off 5.  I think most people try to do too much with most shots relative to their skill level, especially high markers.

[Socrates]

I was a hack until I was about 20.  While in University, I worked at a course that had a range with a gully and trees on the one side.  When it was dull, we would go out with one iron and hit balls back onto the range.  Learned to hit all manner of shots on command.  I wasn't afraid to hit almost any kind of shot.  I never really thought working the ball was something special.  Thought everyone could do it.  I found out later, most had no clue.  That shot that Bubba hit out of the woods on 11 to win the Masters: I've got that shot.  Still haven't got to the Masters to try it out.

[MagnoliaGolfer]

3 hours ago, nitram said:

As soon as I was able to own the bottom of my swing.

When was that?  Single digit? 

[MagnoliaGolfer]

1 hour ago, Toolish said:

Started trying it when I was low teen handicap, but I tend to only shape it when really needed.  Rarely to get at pins, more so if I am out of position and need to shape it to hit the green.

 

Very rarely off the tee.  I play a draw and sometimes I will straighten it but I really don't like going the other way.

 

For reference I play off 5.  I think most people try to do too much with most shots relative to their skill level, especially high markers.

 

This is interesting -- I've also heard/read that the hardest shot to hit is a straight shot.  So, would the game be easier if we were all shaping shots?  Or is shaping a shot trying to do too much relative to skill? 

[MagnoliaGolfer]

1 hour ago, Socrates said:

I was a hack until I was about 20.  While in University, I worked at a course that had a range with a gully and trees on the one side.  When it was dull, we would go out with one iron and hit balls back onto the range.  Learned to hit all manner of shots on command.  I wasn't afraid to hit almost any kind of shot.  I never really thought working the ball was something special.  Thought everyone could do it.  I found out later, most had no clue.  That shot that Bubba hit out of the woods on 11 to win the Masters: I've got that shot.  Still haven't got to the Masters to try it out.

 

That's hilarious!  I have found it way easier to shape a shot with the long irons than a wedge.  

[Mcgeeno]

I mostly remember playing 9 shots on the range in competitive junior golf (Low/Mid/High with Left/straight/right) or hitting stinger competitions on the range etc. 

 

We would spend all day at the course and there was a half dozen quality young players so it was a way to make contests and bets on the range etc when practicing.

 

Nowadays I fade my driver and can't hit anything but a draw with all my other clubs. I lost that shotmaking ability years ago haha.

[Toolish]

5 hours ago, MagnoliaGolfer said:

 

This is interesting -- I've also heard/read that the hardest shot to hit is a straight shot.  So, would the game be easier if we were all shaping shots?  Or is shaping a shot trying to do too much relative to skill? 

 

My shots are still shaped, they are just pretty much all right to left...this is not playing "shots", this is having a stock ball flight.

[scooterhd2]

High single digits. 

 

And as much as we like to picture a ball working perfectly toward a flag, before all that, knowing how to really work the ball will save you a shot or two a round hitting out of, or around trouble. 

[golfsticks]

Started hitting shots in my mind from the very first moment holding a club. 

[SNIPERBBB]

Probably low teens index wise when I could start semi reliably hit a small cut on demand to greens with some accuracy. That was 15 years ago. Today as a 2 it's more flighted shots into greens.

[MagnoliaGolfer]

12 minutes ago, SNIPERBBB said:

Probably low teens index wise when I could start semi reliably hit a small cut on demand to greens with some accuracy. That was 15 years ago. Today as a 2 it's more flighted shots into greens.

 

What do you mean by "flighted" shots?  I was watching Tiger's shotmaking series on Golf Digest, and he uses that word a lot -- "I'm trying to flight a wedge" -- that sort of phrasing. 

[TourSpoon]

I started to learn this early on with hitting it low under tree limbs. As far as really being able to sling one around a corner or drop a soft fade, I learned these shots as a high single. At a 5 or less for the last 20 years, I find that I can hit a lot of different shots but really only do it if its called for. For most rounds its going with what I do best (straight to baby fade) that posts good scores. If I get stuck behind a palm tree (think skinny tree), I can easily put a 5 yard fade/draw on the ball with no problems. I think the real skill is flighting the ball with the scoring clubs and that is where I spend most of my practice. 

[nitram]

13 hours ago, MagnoliaGolfer said:

When was that?  Single digit? 

 

Within the first year, I want to say after about 6 months of daily trial and error. Once I had the basics pretty down the man who taught me the game would have me hit draws all session with every club in the bag except the putter. The next day it'd be fades, the next day we'd work on trajectory, the next day punches, etc. I'm talking about hitting 200-400 balls at a time and working on one thing at a time. He had a method to his madness and made sure I had it down before progressing to the next shot. I started the game in March and finished the year at a 14 so I'm guessing but probably a 14-15 hcp when I started playing shots. And to add, attempting those shots were part of the reason I couldn't get sub-14. 😂

[Barfolomew]

Yeah man do it start cutting those shots into the green now! 

 

Shot shaping is not reserved for better players..... how in the hell you gonna learn if you don't do it!

 

At least learn the 3 ways to move a ball left or right.... face square path across, face open path straight, and combine the 2 for the 3rd method face open and across..... that's it and that easy! .

 

Now just learn to control it while catching it flush.... but don't over think it's not hard!  Then learn to change heights with ball position and face loft at impact.... not rocket science!

[MagnoliaGolfer]

8 minutes ago, Barfolomew said:

Yeah man do it start cutting those shots into the green now! 

 

Shot shaping is not reserved for better players..... how in the hell you gonna learn if you don't do it!

 

At least learn the 3 ways to move a ball left or right.... face square path across, face open path straight, and combine the 2 for the 3rd method face open and across..... that's it and that easy! .

 

Now just learn to control it while catching it flush.... but don't over think it's not hard!  Then learn to change heights with ball position and face loft at impact.... not rocket science!

 

This is encouraging!  Thanks!  Will do! 

I realize I'm already hitting shots around the green -- little spinners, shots that will roll out, etc.  So perhaps hitting shots with the irons isn't all that different: see it first, get the feels, then do it. 

[Hawkeye77]

Haha, in the sense meant by the OP, when I got my first copy of Golf Digest, probably when I was 12, lol --- "tee it high into the wind", "tee it low into the wind", "hit chips off your right toe", "hit chips off your left heel", "do this to make it go right", "do the same thing to make it go left", and on and on.  Explains a lot!

 

 

[Arn]

As soon as I could hit the ball in the air consistently. Moving the ball around has always been the attraction to the game for me, even to the detriment of my score. It’s what makes it fun and rewarding, if I hit it close without picking the shape beforehand it’s just luck.

[juststeve]

From the very beginning my teacher encouraged me to curve the ball ant hit it high and low to encourage me to learn club face control.  It didn't become part of my on the course play until I was approaching scratch.

 

Steve

[SNIPERBBB]

1 hour ago, MagnoliaGolfer said:

 

What do you mean by "flighted" shots?  I was watching Tiger's shotmaking series on Golf Digest, and he uses that word a lot -- "I'm trying to flight a wedge" -- that sort of phrasing. 

Flighting is controlling your distance bug lowering the trajectory.

[MagnoliaGolfer]

3 minutes ago, SNIPERBBB said:

Flighting is controlling your distance bug lowering the trajectory.

 

So, grip down a bit, put ball back in the stance, appreciated follow through? 

[SNIPERBBB]

1 minute ago, MagnoliaGolfer said:

 

So, grip down a bit, put ball back in the stance, appreciated follow through? 

More of less.

[Shupe]

We used to have a medium sized yard so I when I was a kid I played with firm sponge balls and learned how to cut them and hook them around the house.  I’m sure a lot of good kids learned that way.

[596]

I got to a 2 handicap after 18 months of playing golf at the age of 54.  I had no idea what a "shaped shot" was.  I hit everything at the pin.  I've scored in the 60's with no shot shaping.  After I got to a low single digit I started shaping a few shots, mostly "cuts" to pins on the right side of a green.  All tee shots were straight.  90% of my approaches were a standard dead at the pin shot.  Now a days I'll shape a shot if I'm between clubs or a pin is tucked to a side.  Or if its into the wind, etc.   Shaped shots are not necessary for a good score, they are just fun to hit.  

[SNIPERBBB]

18 hours ago, 596 said:

I got to a 2 handicap after 18 months of playing golf at the age of 54.  I had no idea what a "shaped shot" was.  I hit everything at the pin.  I've scored in the 60's with no shot shaping.  After I got to a low single digit I started shaping a few shots, mostly "cuts" to pins on the right side of a green.  All tee shots were straight.  90% of my approaches were a standard dead at the pin shot.  Now a days I'll shape a shot if I'm between clubs or a pin is tucked to a side.  Or if its into the wind, etc.   Shaped shots are not necessary for a good score, they are just fun to hit.  

I've come to be basically a straight baller with my stock shots as well so shaping as I mentioned above has become less important other than if I have to go around a tree or with the driver. My issues are usually from either blocking or pulling a shot. Makes it easier to be aggressive without really trying, which is why I can go go on some birdie streaks when driver is on.

[caller]

Playing "shots" isn't really mechanical issue for me.

We all can hit them shots in controlled environment and not having the consequence if fails. Anyone can do it.

 

It is when the money is at stake... or playing City AM, club championship and etcs.. do we play "shots"?

 

I learned to take bogies to avoid worse so yeah I try not to play those shots if possible. 

[MagnoliaGolfer]

2 hours ago, caller said:

Playing "shots" isn't really mechanical issue for me.

We all can hit them shots in controlled environment and not having the consequence if fails. Anyone can do it.

 

It is when the money is at stake... or playing City AM, club championship and etcs.. do we play "shots"?

 

I learned to take bogies to avoid worse so yeah I try not to play those shots if possible. 

 

Yeah -- it's easy on the range when we can just rake over another ball if that baby fade turns into a giant slice.  Much harder on the course to accept the consequence of that OB penalty when the same thing happens! 

[Obee]

On 1/12/2021 at 5:37 PM, nitram said:

As soon as I was able to own the bottom of my swing.

 

Yeah, that's a good way of thinking about it. If you can't make consistent center-face contact, you can't hit "shots" reliably. And owning the bottom of your swing = center-face contact, more or less.