How to best shape shots?

Stringer Bell · January 4

I have seen shot shaping taught as a matter of having your club face addressed in a direction thats different than your body alignment. I have also seen it taught as simply changing the ball position relative to your stance.

I understand that shot shape is determined by path and face angle, but is there a preference on how I achieve that?

TLUBulldogGolf · January 4

Understand the ball flight laws and experiment from there. For shots where I really want to curve it I will manipulate the face some. For less movement I would probably just tweak setup and ball position slightly.

chinaski · January 4

Don't change your swing. Change your stance to the path you need and learn to control the face relative to that. Ball position for height, but also front helps for fade and back for draw as the swing is on an arc.

RoyalMustang · January 4

What I was taught: line up your body where you need the ball to go initially, and turn the grip in your hand to make the face point to where you want the ball to end up. For example, if you wanted the ball to go 20 degrees left on a 150 yard shot (roughly 40 yards left), you would take your normal stance 20 degrees to the right of the target and re-grip the club in your hand with the face pointing at the target (20 degrees closed or hooded face).

You may also have to move the ball around in your stance to make solid contact: I find that it's really tough to make a high flighted hook on command, but I can get one out low-ish easily. Forward position with the ball promotes a high flight, back promotes a low flight.

One other thing to consider: the ball doesn't always turn on command: I may set up for a sharp draw but instead get a minor draw due to swing timing and path issues. Make sure if you are aimed off target and working a shot hard either way, that if you end up more or less hitting the ball straight that you leave yourself with a decent miss. The spin will almost always be correct (for example, the ball will land and roll out right to left here) but not always the absolute turn I expected (I may only get 15 yards of turn vs 40). It's directionally correct. In my situation above, I am aimed 40 yards right of the target. If the ball comes around only 15 yards right to left, do I leave myself a decent miss or did I hit into a penalty? If it's a penalty, I should just lay up wth a safer shot. If it's a decent miss, then I have a 25 yard chip and chance to save par, which is preferable to a punch out and 60 yard shot to the green (layup scenario).

I think in general for us decent but not great players, the shaped shots

1) give us better chances to save par after a wayward drive

2) allow us to flight the ball into the green on the correct path onto a banana-shaped green

3) allow us to manage flight in wind

4) allow us to shave yards by rounding corners-hitting away from trouble off of the tee.

It's definitely not a panacea but could save you a stroke or 2 a round. Also, if you have consistency with shaped shots, you likely have a good feel for your "straight" shots as well.

Question is; what are you doing learning golf at all? Don't you have your hands full building condos with Andy Krawczyk and steering clear of Omar?

iacas · January 4

14 minutes ago, RoyalMustang said:

What I was taught: line up your body where you need the ball to go initially, and turn the grip in your hand to make the face point to where you want the ball to end up. For example, if you wanted the ball to go 20 degrees left on a 150 yard shot (roughly 40 yards left), you would take your normal stance 20 degrees to the right of the target and re-grip the club in your hand with the face pointing at the target (20 degrees closed or hooded face).

You may have set up that way, but for any successful shot you hit, you definitely didn't return the club to that orientation on that path, or you'd have missed way, way left.

You were taught bad information, or at best, info that your body had to subconsciously override in order to produce a successful shot.

Nick Faldo would say the same things. But he hit a lot of balls, as you likely did, so his body learned to do differently than he consciously thought he was doing.

Kenny Lee Puckett · January 4

1 hour ago, Stringer Bell said:

I understand that shot shape is determined by path and face angle, but is there a preference on how I achieve that?

...and confirmation of an impact pattern on the clubface. I've tested a bazillion people with impact tape who all along have had zero idea where they consistently strike the ball on the face.

(and that can be with irons, longer clubs, and the driver)

MelloYello · January 4

On a swing-to-swing basis, golfers are much more consistent delivering their stock path pattern versus being consistent with face.

Most find that ball position forward (to promote a cut path) and back (to promote a hook path) is the most reliable way to get the ball to turn.

When golfers try and manipulate face during the swing they tend to be very erratic and less able to repeat the results from one shot to another.

grochol17 · January 4

1 hour ago, Stringer Bell said:

I have seen shot shaping taught as a matter of having your club face addressed in a direction thats different than your body alignment. I have also seen it taught as simply changing the ball position relative to your stance.

I understand that shot shape is determined by path and face angle, but is there a preference on how I achieve that?

I'm not an instructor, so take this with a grain of salt, but I think that everyone has to find what works for them and that could be different for different shots. For example, I can play a fade with my driver by pointing the clubface right and swinging left (e.g. club pointed at the intended start line, body aligned well left of that, and swing toward where my body is pointed). But, if I want to hit a draw, I have a mental block about the way the club looks when I aim right and point the face left. So, to draw the ball, I pretty much have to set up square or even a little open and play the ball back to hit something like a trap draw.

Primo1868 · January 4

I think everyone will have their way to do it. From a ball flight laws perspective, "face sends it and path bends it" which you obviously understand.

Speaking anecdotally (mind you from an average ball striking 8-cap):

My natural shot shape is a cut. When I want to "fade" it more - I simply align my feet further left (or more open) than my "stock" set up.

My un-natural shot shape is a draw. When I want to draw it - I align my feet with my "stock" set up and tilt my shoulders more to right field (or more closed) than my "stock" set up.

When I want to "draw" it more - I simply align my feet further right (or closed) than my "stock" set up and tilt my shoulders like above.

When I want to "really hook it" - I "hood" the clubface and follow the steps above.

I only vary the ball position to vary shot height. I don't think about doing anything different with my swing other than the above set up cues and consistent shot shape visualization in pre-shot.

Two 5,000ft viewpoints:

1) The best way to work the ball both ways in preparation of a recovery shot is to go to the range and attempt to self-organize. Think about it like you're a kid and play around with hooks and fades. You'll find the "best" way for you. People look at me funny when I try to hit a 50yd worm burner hook on the range, but, that practice does pay off on course.

2) There is significant documentation that supports sticking to one shot shape, especially with driver. I'm not trying to detract you from shaping shots... Just remember there are a good amount of tour pro's who stick to one shot shape. For us amateurs, I think there is significant benefit to finding a desired shot shape and movement pattern that produces the best results and stick to that.

ferrispgm · January 4

Ball starts where the face is pointing and curves based on path. I don't think most people should worry about working the ball on the course. I play with random people most weekends ranging from very good to less skilled players and nobody really shapes it consistently....especially true for most of the single digit players who think they are 2 steps from the tour and say they are going to hit a high fade on this hole and end up hitting a high pull almost every time.

However, there are times when it can be useful such as if you are slicing it and you can't afford to miss it too far right on a hole or if you are trying to go around the edge of a tree and you have room to miss if it doesn't curve.

I favor the easiest method which is ball position. Play it forward and the ball should fade....play it back and the ball will draw. The key is to make your normal swing and not adjust your shoulders open/closed with the ball position.

kiwigolf72 · January 5

Unless I am forced to shape a shot (wind direction, tree, hazard etc) then I just play my stock shot. Some people believe that good players shape every shot, it's a myth.