Missing the sweet spot on purpose

McLovin

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Albatross 2024 Club
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Obviously we strive to hit the sweet spot on all of our shots. But I do think there are times it can be effective to use a different part of the face.

In my round yesterday, I had a drive into the wind. I saw a YouTube video not long ago testing which type of shot worked the best into the wind, and they concluded that a high, low spin shot was the most effective. So I did my best to hit a little high toe, and the resulting drive was a little longer than my average despite hitting into a decent headwind.

Do you ever intentionally miss the sweet spot? Can be tee shots, approaches, short game, or even putts.
 
I get the feeling this is much different than when I just say "I meant to do that" on bad shots...

All kidding aside, I've tried it, but my brain gets in the way resulting in some pretty horrific results.
 
Obviously we strive to hit the sweet spot on all of our shots. But I do think there are times it can be effective to use a different part of the face.

In my round yesterday, I had a drive into the wind. I saw a YouTube video not long ago testing which type of shot worked the best into the wind, and they concluded that a high, low spin shot was the most effective. So I did my best to hit a little high toe, and the resulting drive was a little longer than my average despite hitting into a decent headwind.

Do you ever intentionally miss the sweet spot? Can be tee shots, approaches, short game, or even putts.

For fast downhill chips and putts it is traditional technique to make impact towards the toe of the club, which tends to "deaden" the strike.
For any sort of full shot I've never heard of anyone intentionally avoiding impact with the center of the club face.
 
I find that I can draw the ball easier if I line up with the ball on the toe side with driver. Could be gear effect. Could be a tendency to hit the ball from the inside when I do that. But, sometimes it is hook city. So, I only really try it on the range as I can't really seem to control it.

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For fast downhill chips and putts it is traditional technique to make impact towards the toe of the club, which tends to "deaden" the strike.
For any sort of full shot I've never heard of anyone intentionally avoiding impact with the center of the club face.
Tiger has been quoted as saying he hit the ball around the face depending on the shot he wanted to hit.

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For fast downhill chips and putts it is traditional technique to make impact towards the toe of the club, which tends to "deaden" the strike.
For any sort of full shot I've never heard of anyone intentionally avoiding impact with the center of the club face.

Exactly my thought wen i read the first post...maybe on putts...I have not tried it on a driver.
 
For fast downhill chips and putts it is traditional technique to make impact towards the toe of the club, which tends to "deaden" the strike.
For any sort of full shot I've never heard of anyone intentionally avoiding impact with the center of the club face.

what about vertically on the face? i notice that my strike is very often on the bottom of the face. so i have recently been trying to strike the ball a little higher on the face.
 
Intentionally miss? I can't "intentionally" hit the sweet spot why would I try to miss on purpose haha
 
Intentionally miss? I can't "intentionally" hit the sweet spot why would I try to miss on purpose haha

Maybe I can hit it more often if I try to miss it purposely.
 
Only on putts can I do it intentionally. I'll hit the putt toward the toe for downhill putts to dampen impact.
 
I do it on wedge shots around the green all the time (using the toe to decrease speed). Sometimes I "miss" on my miss and I'll catch the center of the club - that makes for a bad hole.
 
I need to locate this sweet spot place you're all talking about.

Joking aside, I haven't intentionally missed a sweet spot before, but have toyed around with deadening putts by using the heel. Feels different for sure, but at this point using other clubs on the actual courses hasn't struck me yet!
 
I really wish I could miss the sweet spot on purpose... if I could then that means I could hit the sweet spot on purpose and that is hardly the case most times. Would be nice to be able to hit different shots consistently.
 
Not for me. I try for as close to center as possible every time.
 
Obviously we strive to hit the sweet spot on all of our shots. But I do think there are times it can be effective to use a different part of the face.

In my round yesterday, I had a drive into the wind. I saw a YouTube video not long ago testing which type of shot worked the best into the wind, and they concluded that a high, low spin shot was the most effective. So I did my best to hit a little high toe, and the resulting drive was a little longer than my average despite hitting into a decent headwind.

Do you ever intentionally miss the sweet spot? Can be tee shots, approaches, short game, or even putts.
That's way too advanced for me. I just try to hit the ball.

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That's way too advanced for me. I just try to hit the ball.

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do you ever change your aoa? or trajectory? or shot shape?

to be honest, it's not something i try to do often. but it's something that popped into my head yesterday, and i did it successfully with results that were what i was hoping for. just made me wonder whether anyone else ever tinkered with this.
 
When we had a drought here two summer's ago, everything was insanely dry so I tried to tee the ball super low and hit the bottom of the face for a sort of low punch shot with the driver. Only time it's ever been on purpose though.
 
If I make it a purpose to get it on the toe I can get a real big draw on it.. I don't really trust myself tho, but then again when I'm going for sweet spot I'm hitting an occasional slice too

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On putts and short chips I do this - I definitely dont have the kind of control to do it with a driver...lol
 
I sometimes do this for 2 reasons:

1. As has been well documented, I meet with Senor Ho Zeal far too often. Therefore on the practice range I work on hitting toe, center and heal of club face so that I am more “aware”. This has helped me greatly reduce my meeting with Senor Ho Zeal.

2. On a par 3, if I am between clubs, I will sometimes tee the ball higher and take the longer club. I find this helps me hit it higher on the face and about 1/4-1/2 club shorter than normal.


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Nope I always want center contact
 
Intentionally miss? I can't "intentionally" hit the sweet spot why would I try to miss on purpose haha

This. I get surprised when I accidentally get a sweet spot hit.
 
I do it on putts, harsh downhill putts to be exact, striking it off the toe deadens impact a bit and makes it easier to control.
 
do you ever change your aoa? or trajectory? or shot shape?

to be honest, it's not something i try to do often. but it's something that popped into my head yesterday, and i did it successfully with results that were what i was hoping for. just made me wonder whether anyone else ever tinkered with this.
That I do, yes, depending on the need and sometimes accidentally. But the only club I'll try to hit anything but center with is the putter. I'll try to toe some of the shorter putts to deaden the hit a little. Keeps me from pushing shorter putts.

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the circumstances have to be very specific, but on rare occasions I will try to intentionally hit it thin. I have it on good authority I can hit a thinned sw 260 yards. Too bad I was trying to hit it 105...but the point is, under very, very specific circumstances I will make that attempt.


Example: playing a scramble, a playing partner has already hit a perfect drive, and I will not be farther or more center than him, I might take a 4i and try to hit it thin knowing it will go further than my driver. But there is also a non-zero chance I will whiff entirely, and a shockingly high chance I will hit it flush. But the circumstances must be someone already has hit the best shot I can naturally try to hit so I am trying to do something the club is not designed for to get a bad hit to have a good result.
 
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