Shot Shaping 101

There are many, many different ways to control the shape of a golf shot, yet none quite as reliable as the method I have outlined below.

This formula works off the fact that most golfers spend hours trying to make their golf swing as consistent as possible.  If you spend all that time 'grooving' your swing why, when you need to shape a shot, do you employ a totally different golf swing from the one you worked so hard on?

Do you remember your mother saying, "Two wrongs don't make a right!" ?

Well, for shot shaping, three rights make a left! And three lefts make a right. Keep in mind that whether you are a lefty or righty the formula works the same.  Here's the explanation:

To curve the ball to the right

1. Aim your body and club face to the left; the direction you would like the ball to start.
2. Move the ball position to the left in your stance. (As you view the ball)
3. Rotate both hands to your left on the grip of the club. This should be done in a subtle fashion.

Once you are set and ready to fire;  make the same swing that you are accustomed to making and the ball should launch in the intended direction and curve to the right.

To curve the ball to the left

1. Aim your body and the club face to the right of your target.
2. Shift the ball to the right in your stance
3. Rotate both hands slightly to the right on the grip.

With a little practice you will start to get a sense for how much the ball position or grip needs to be altered in order to produce the desired result.

Regardless of whether you are a Tour golfer or a beginner,  shot shaping is a necessary component to controlling your golf ball.  If it's simply a hook to find your way back into play or a soft little cut 6-iron into that front right pin position shot shaping is something you need in your 'bag'.

If you have any thoughts or ideas on shaping the ball please feel free to let me know or post them here.

No More Slicing!

If you are like the vast majority of golfers and you tend towards slicing or "power fading" the golf ball and I told you that with one simple change you could straighten out your shots and get a fair bit longer at the same time it would sound too good to be true wouldn't it? The great news is that it IS true.

If your shots are constantly fading or slicing then your clubface must be aiding in getting the ball to curve this way.  The most important factor in determining the clubface angle is the grip and if you're a slicer/fader then there is a very good chance your grip is weak - no matter how it "feels"!  A weak grip leads to active/flippy hands  through the hit and this takes away from a golfers ability to trap or compress the golf ball. You know the feel and sound when you hit one just right....that's what we're after!

As you grip the club in your normal fashion rotate the face down/closed from vertical 30 degrees and then set up to the ball. Keep in mind that 30 degrees is equivalent to one hour on a clock so don't over do this.  Be sure that all you have changed is the club position.  Now the face will feel very closed at address, and you need to work towards getting (and keeping) the face square at address without altering your grip.

 

Essentially you are making a grip change as you move from a weak position to a stronger one. After a little practice you should start to feel that you can at least keep the ball straight and if all is going well you might even notice a little extra distance.  The biggest challenge you face as you execute this drill is to overcome the sense of discomfort in the hands and arms at address. Relax, hang on and know that discomfort at this point is a good thing - a positive change is occuring.

 

Additional Resources:

 

Golf Tips - Slice No More

No More Slice for Dummies - EyeLine Golf

Golf Grip Guidelines

Here is an excellent method to ensure that your grip stays in the fingers and favors the strong end of the spectrum.

Remember - a strong "ish" grip helps the handle get in front of the clubhead at impact and encourages all golfers to keep their hands passive through impact.

Have a friend draw a "channel" on your glove diagonally across the base of the fingers (as illustrated left). Be sure that the guidelines are not too high up in the palm - if this is the case the wrists will have a hard time setting the club and the grip will always look weak.

When gripping the club be sure to position the handle along the lower of the two guidelines - this will make sure that the handle does not sneak up into the palm.

Be sure that once your glove hand is positioned on the club you can see at least two knuckles and the V formed between the thumb and the index finger is pointing to the trailing shoulder.

As we saw with Louis Oosthuizen and his glove - you can draw or write whatever you want on any part of your equipment, in any color too!

For additional information on the grip:

• Golf Grip: Where should it be?
• Golf Grip: Strong, Neutral or Weak?
• The Grip and how it pertains to Impact

Golf Grip: Strong, Neutral or Weak?

The Vardon grip?  The interlock grip?  The ten-finger or baseball grip?  What is a strong grip? Does that mean I must hold the club tighter?  There seems to be so much confusion about what constitutes a good, functional grip that I thought I would address a few issues pertaining to our one and only connection with the club. I must first state that the grip is part of the "fundamentals' of golf.  Well, not really! While the grip and aim and set-up are important to your ability to hit a golf ball, the manner in which you grip the club is by no means fundamental - the grip is not integral.  I have seen far too many golfers with great grips hit poor golf shots and vice versa....

The club should be held primarily in the fingers with the hands kept close together.   I have no preference for the overlap, interlock or baseball type grips.   Success has been had with all of them!

A strong grip is one where both hands are rotated away from the target; a weak grip is one where both hands are rotated toward the target and a neutral grip falls somewhere in between.

I am a big fan of a strong grip. It encourages the ball to go further and the hands to lead the club head in to impact. When that happens there is less of a tendency to flip the club face closed.  If you are a hooker of the ball, believe it or not, but a stronger grip might just help you alleviate those dreaded left shots.  It is imperative for a golfer with a strong grip to have quiet hands through impact. Quiet hands are ultimately more consistent than active hands. The vast majority of the greatest golfers of all time employed a strong grip including  Patty Berg, the greatest woman golfer of all time, who had an exceedingly strong grip.

 

 

  The grip pictured above is non functional grip.  In this example the golfer is forced to flip their hands through impact in an effort to square the face - everything is based on timing.  This grip essentially promotes active hands through impact - just what we should be trying not to do. There was only one truly great golfer who used a weak grip (and certainly not to the extent illustrated in this photo) - Ben Hogan. It is important to remember that Hogan struggled in the early part of his career with hooking the ball and a weak grip was one of the factors he implemented to overcome that tendency.

Try to get your grip to fit into a range of acceptability; a range within which it can function.  And in my experience a strong grip is far more functional than a weak one.

The Grip and How it Pertains to Impact (Part 1 of a Four Part Series)

This is the first in a four part series looking at the three primary factors that pertain to a solid impact position.  They are:

1. A strong grip
2. A balanced set-up
3. Centered body motion (two parts)

In studying the top golfers of all time it has become increasingly apparent to me that the grip plays a big role in a golfer's ability to achieve a proper impact position.  The vast majority of major winners has a grip that favors the strong end of the spectrum vs. the weaker end.  In fact the only two golfers I can think of that have had a noticeably weak grip and managed to win a major are Ben Hogan and Jose-Maria Olazabal - all the rest have been neutral to strong! Patty Berg, the winner of more majors than any other woman, had a grip that would rival that of Paul Azinger, David Duval and Boo Weekley- all notoriously strong grippers.  I don't think this is by accident.

The primary reason why a strong grip is apt to be more consistent, and thus more successful than a weaker grip is because it allows the golfer to lead with the handle into impact without concern for squaring the clubface.  Try this: take an iron and set up.  Now push your hands forward, paying attention to what happens to the clubface.  Two things should have occured; firstly, the face should have been delofted.  Check... we want that!  Secondly, the face should have rotated slightly open... we don't want that!  This is where a strong grip serves to keep the face square while the handle leads the clubhead into impact.  A player who utilizes a weak grip is prone to active hands and that decreases the player's ability to lead with the handle and ultimately compress the golf ball.

A secondary reason why a strong grip proves to be more successful is due to the fact that now in order to hit a straight shot, the hands must remain quiet through the hit.  We all know that quiet hands are ultimately more consistent than active hands.  It is certainly easier to keep the hands passive than to attempt to time a flip through the impact zone.

Try a stronger grip - it should ultimately allow you to hit crisp and penetrating golf shots!

Notes from Heritage Week:

• Aaron Baddeley is no longer a Stack-n-Tilter! "Too low!" he said when asked why. The few tee balls I saw were definitely higher than I'd seen from him in the past.
• Trevor Immelman was kind enough to give my son his glove and I was amazed to see he wears a men's cadet small!
• Zach Johnson has only had two hole-in-ones!
• Boo Weekley is exactly what the PGA Tour needs.
• The players love Heritage week - the whole atmosphere is just so relaxed and enjoyable. Couple that with a great golf course and you've got a recipe for success.
• Brian Gay is an example of how the PGA Tour is an 'equal opportunity' employer. You don't have to be 6'5 and hit it 320 to win out there.
• The top five finishers at the Masters were a combined -55 and the top five finishers at Harbourtown were -58. Sure the field is not as strong as at Augusta, but Brian Gay did put up a record performance. The Pete Dye lowcountry gem is as good as any course in the world!
• Did anybody notice how steady Brian Gay was over the ball. No lateral move whatsoever!
• Ernie Els is a great supporter of the Heritage event. The tournament vibe just seems to fit with his own - he's not the "Big Easy" for nothing!
• Ian Baker-Finch is a class act and I am pleased to see his increased role with the CBS broadcast team.