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Amaters shotshapping

lopsta5

lopsta5

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I was up the course practising and I was trying different shots. As im a natural drawer of the ball I have been practising doing some fades with different clubs. Also trying different shots with my wedges.
What is your guys take on us regular guys trying different shots on the course, do you think it is a good idea to practise/try them? Or is it better to just learn to hit straight first. I have also been trying hard lately to hit straight shots and have been tweaking my swing a bit.
I just think it is worth knowing how to play different shots on different holes, its hard when your ball draws on a dog leg right hole, so a fade would help there.
Any thoughts from you guys will be cool. Im not sure if there is a right or wrong answer just more of a personal opinion.
 
I love to shape shots. Some of my best strikes occur when I am being creative on the course. You do need to practice first though so you have some idea what will happen in terms of curve, trajectory, carry and roll.

Plus it's fun.
 
I'm a big believer in flighting the ball high and low more than I am shot shaping. I think placement alone can alter shots and while working it left and right can lead to some great shots, many amateurs struggle already with a singular shot shape.
 
I'm a generally terrible driver of the ball, but when I focus on shaping the shot I tend to do much better than expected.
 
Having a consistent shape is more important to me than being able to work left and right.
 
I am a higher handicap golfer, but I love when faced with the need to pull off a shaped shot. Some are a little greater than required, but at the same time some can save a hole for me. Off the tee I don't have the game to shape the ball, but when required (in trouble) it has saved me to be able to hit a low left to right shot or a running right to left shot from the trees. I get bored on the driving range, we have an aqua range at my home course. If I hit the target greens once or twice I will start intentionally hitting left to right shots and if those start coming close I will try some the other direction. I have hit some out of the trees left to right that have shocked some of my regular playing friends because I usually lose balls to the left. Being a 19 hdcp my views are only my personal thoughts but I believe it adds another dimension to the game that I hope at some point in the future will benefit my game.
 
I think shot shaping is useful and not necessarily any more difficult than hitting it straight (which isn't exactly the easiest thing). As long as a given golfer knows how to change his setup to create the shape, then I don't think he will necessarily be any more or less successful with it than he would be when trying to hit a straight shot. That said, the situations that call for something other than straight usually don't have a ton of room for error. In other words, the risk/reward factor is usually higher with shaped shots. It might lead to an amazing highlight-reel-worthy shot, or it might just leave you wishing you had chosen a less risky option. In the name of lower scores, the less skilled among us might be better served opting for the safer shot.
 
I think it's good to play your natural shot shape. That being said, practicing a different shot shape is essential because you will need them at some point on the course. I generally play a draw but have saved myself with a fade when there was little other option.
 
blugold said:
Having a consistent shape is more important to me than being able to work left and right.
Click to expand...

Same here i just try to play my draw
 
I've got a natural draw and find it difficult to fade the ball. There are a few holes on my home course where drawing the ball off the tee is VERY risky, and I'd love to be able to fade it. When these situations come up, I'll usually club down to a hybrid or 5-wood off the tee, sometimes dropping to a 4 or 5 iron, and hope for the best.
 
blugold said:
Having a consistent shape is more important to me than being able to work left and right.
Click to expand...

Agreed, I'm just trying to work toward a consistent shape.
I have attempted to shape shots on the course which usually results in the opposite shape desired.
I did have one last week though, I actually pulled off a low, sweeping draw around a dogleg with my 3 hybrid.
 
I believe they are always worth practicing, as you will need them somewhere down the line. It will help you also focus on making the appropriate contact at any given time, and teach yourself how to do so moving forward. I wouldn't exactly recommend it to an 18+ handicapper, I think there would be plenty more to focus on with their game, but with a lower scoring player who already knows how to generally strike the ball it's definitely in the mix.
 
I think shot shaping is something worth practicing occasionally because there will be times it's needed on the course. If you can't pull it off in practice, then you know not to attempt it on course and play something safe instead.
 
I think it's worth practicing but rarely is it absolutely necessary as a weekend warrior. Personally, after hitting a couple solid shots at the range I get bored and work on different shapes, however I rarely institute it on the course.
 
I have enough problems hitting the ball straight. I figure until I master that I wont even dip my toes into the water on shaping shots
 
I shape every shot. It's not on purpose, however.
 
I don 't think it's really important until you get to a level where you know how to both manufacture and manage the shape. I often see people get in trouble off the tee and try to hit a hard cut or hook to get out of trouble and 9 out of 10 times they either hit it straight in to more trouble or overcook it and get in trouble when just chipping out is the play for us mere mortals lol. We all have a natural shape we play wether it's a draw, a fade, straight and it's important to focus on that I think rather than anything else. Play safe score better.
 
I play a draw 95 percent of the time so when I hit anything right to left if leaves a grin on my face. Yesterday I pushed a tee shot to the right side of the fairway behind a tree. The only way I could actually advance it towards the green was to cut the ball. I had an up hill shot from 160 yards which plays more like 165 +. I saw the shot in my head, opened my stance and committed to a fade type swing. I had some branches to consider so I had to keep the ball low the first 10 yards or so. I hit the shot and the darn thing faded right towards the green. I couldn't see where it landed because of the elevation but I had a big smile on my face when I arrived at the green. Two putt par. :bomb:
 
If a "regular guy" wants to try to shape shots, why not? In competition, that just means I have a better chance against him when he over cooks the draw or his fade turns into a big slice. I would like to be able to work the ball more, but since I don't practice doing that very much so it's not a strong point of my game.
I certainly don't fault anyone learning how to do it and putting it into play.
 
I work on hitting it straight as it's hard enough for me to do that consistently. My shaped shots are purely by accident when I get a draw when I need a fade or vice versa. I'll gladly take credit for shaping my shot if it works correctly however.
 
Shaping shots is one of the things I plan on spending more time with. Even if the only reason is to force myself to concentrate on what I need to do to pull it off. I have a tendency to just stroll up to the ball, and have a whack at it. I need to spend more time planning, and less time looking in the fescue for shots that I mindlessly pushed out there. As long as I'm thinking of what I need to accomplish with the club face and path, I should be better off.
 
I can't hit a draw to save my life. I want to hit it straight. Naturally I have a fade. But can I hit a fade when I really need one? Nope, that is when it goes straight.

What I can do is hit it high, or low. I find this comes in more useful here with the wind/weather conditions.
 
I enjoy practicing hitting shaped shots on the range after I hit a handful of great shots (draw my irons, straight shot wedges, fade driver, and draw woods/hybrids)...

On the range I enjoy just setting up and then opening/closing the face and hitting that consistently - tend to try it when I am under a tree or behind one - works sometimes - other times I catch it thin....
 
Thanks guys for your thoughts. I am not comfortable enough with doing it in competition but hopefully one day if I practise enough I could. I do just enjoy going out by myself and trying. I am also trying to hit it straighter more regularly.
 
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