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Driver shot profile opinions..

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semi

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Recently been taking lessons to improve my driving. I have tried 3 different instructors to find my fit and finally settled on one. That being said, he has made some changes to my swing to now induce a draw. My goal was to hit the ball straighter and be more consistent. My old swing produced a fade to the right that sometimes "faded" too much hence the need for some lessons. Now i am hitting a draw on most drives and sometimes its quite pronounced.

My question is, should that be the goal? Would you rather have a draw off the tee or hit the ball straight? I am currently at a 14 HDCP and really want to get to single digits. I am struggling because i am not sure i want to hit a draw so to speak and still seek hitting the ball straight but he insists a draw is better off the tee. Comments on this? what would you rather hit????

this may sound like a stupid question, but i want to make sure i am on the right path with this instructor.
 
Couple things happening here IMO.

1. Your instructor may have been trying to get you to a draw to help fight the heavy fade/slice and hoped you ended up in the middle somewhere. Fade or draw doesn't really matter as long as it's controlled and consistent. Sometimes though we compensate too much and go the opposite direction (slice to hook.) May want to ask your instructor if that was the end goal

2. I'd rather play a draw personally but that's all personal preference. It's my natural swing and when the nerves kick in, you'll revert to your natural swing. So I find it better to clean up and control somebody's natural swing compared to a total change. Total changes aren't bad as they are needed at times.

3. To know if you're on the right path to single digits, you need to figure out where you lose strokes. Is it putting? Is it getting off the tee? Is it poor short game? Once you figure that out, you'll know which direction to head
 
Hitting a pure straight ball that doesn't turn left or right is near impossible...It happens every once in awhile, but even the top pro's can't figure out how to do that consistently.

You're going to have to choose to play a fade, or draw.

A consistent draw is easier for a new golfer (or higher handicapper) to learn while figuring out your swing mechanics, and you get more distance out of a draw as well.

I don't think what the instructor is doing is anything out of the ordinary, and I also think it will save you a lot of time and trouble in the long run.

Good luck!
 
I have heard experts say a fade is easier to play because of ball rollout and with a draw it's hard to tell how far the ball may roll. For me I want a shot that I know where it's going and to control my miss to a one way miss. If it's a draw then that's what it is and I go with it.
 
semi said:
Recently been taking lessons to improve my driving. I have tried 3 different instructors to find my fit and finally settled on one. That being said, he has made some changes to my swing to now induce a draw. My goal was to hit the ball straighter and be more consistent. My old swing produced a fade to the right that sometimes "faded" too much hence the need for some lessons. Now i am hitting a draw on most drives and sometimes its quite pronounced.

My question is, should that be the goal? Would you rather have a draw off the tee or hit the ball straight? I am currently at a 14 HDCP and really want to get to single digits. I am struggling because i am not sure i want to hit a draw so to speak and still seek hitting the ball straight but he insists a draw is better off the tee. Comments on this? what would you rather hit????

this may sound like a stupid question, but i want to make sure i am on the right path with this instructor.
Click to expand...

Great question and probably harder to answer. Every time I go to a professional golf event the first thing I want to do and see from the pros is watch their ball flight from the tee. It's amazing how their ball moves ever so slightly with the shape they are wanting to play (guys not named Bubba).

I played a draw in high school and college. Worked very hard at it. But when things went south they went south in a hurry with snap hooks and low line drives. I finally had enough and one day committed to learning the controlled fade. Like you I heard it was easier to control but you may lose some distance. I wanted to minimize my misses so that my ball was still in play. By doing so it allowed me to free up my shoulders and hips (more open) and I felt the control aspect of it right away. Still today it is my preferred shot shape with most of my clubs.

You will lose more distance on an over cutter than a snap hook. I just found the snap hooks took me out of play more times than the over cutter. I'm always tinkering and working on keeping the controlled cut just that, under controlled. Good luck with what you choose but it really comes down to what you want to accomplish and do with your swing.
 
Whatever shape it may be, as long as it is consistent and you can take one side of the course away, you're on a good path.

I used to play a draw, my longest drivers are usually draws. However, my stock swing lately is a fade. I don't think there is a right answer. My only word of advice, don't worry about the straight ball. Just worry about consistent.
 
IMO you should play the shot that works for the hole you are on. Sounds like something you will be able to do now. Being able to choose will change your game. Have fun!
 
Plinyyounger said:
IMO you should play the shot that works for the hole you are on. Sounds like something you will be able to do now. Being able to choose will change your game. Have fun!
Click to expand...

I agree with this 100%. Being able to choose whether or not you want to play a draw or fade is highly dependent on the hole. At my home course, there are two holes that are very similar, but they are mirrored dog-legs. If I hit the ball perfectly straight, I'm OB, if I follow the do-leg, I'm 50 yards off the green. On a straight hole, there is usually one side that has trees, lake, high grass, etc that you want to avoid and then you know which type of shot you want to play. I've only been able to pick my shot for the first time this year and it has saved me a stroke or two from OB's. However, my scoring has improved because I've spent time on my short game.
 
At a 14, i am handicap'd on working on the ball. I struggle off the tee and the rest of my game is pretty good. On 18 holes, i will usually have 8 drives in play and maybe 6 out of play off the tee box. And this is what i am trying to improve on. My short game is much better. As i mentioned, a fade or slice is what was taking me OOB. I hope to be able to work the ball with a driver some day like i can with my irons.

He had me change my grip to a much stronger grip which is drawing and sometimes hooking the ball. Completely opposite of my shot shape previously. Thats about all he has changed so far. But he insists i want a draw and says almost every golfer would love to hit a consistent draw for yardage. I get it, but trying to figure out how much i fight back at this.
 
If you and the instructor get along and you understand his teaching methods then stick with him. At the beginning of my golf adventure The hardest thing for me was to find a instructor that I could understand what he was trying to get me to do. Yes a draw will give you more distance. As far as hitting a straight ball, I believe it was Jack who said that is the hardest shot in golf. If you believe you have the right teacher than trust him and it should work out.
 
Your instructor is having you learn to hit a draw so that you swing inside out instead of over the top and/or to get your right hand involved to square the club face.

There is no right answer to what shot shape you should play. As some have mentioned being able to work the ball both ways is a good thing to be able to do, but playing a consistent shape is always best.
 
My natural shot is a fade and I've done nothing to change that and my PGA Teacher does not see any reason to change that either. Takes the left side out of play on every hole. I can hit a draw if I must, but it takes a grip change, a stance change and a change in ball position. Not having to worry about left makes me better.
 
I think one big question with a fade is whether it is a reliable, controlled fade or an avoided slice. I've played with a number of people over the years who say they fade the ball and then, when you see them setup aiming at the next fairway or the woods or even water, you know that their fade is a slice and their approach to the game is to play the slice and call it a "fade".

If one's swing/grip is a slice waiting to happen, then changes to reduce the risk of a slice and make it a reliable fade (or a draw) make a lot of sense. And I think one way to really be able to see that happen is to develop the ability to draw the ball.

At the end of the day, if one understands how to draw and fade the ball, one has a lot more insight (not just mental but also the ability to project that insight physically) into how a golf swing flights a ball. And while one would certainly choose one shot shape or another as a "go to", it is more likely that the resulting shape would be a more controlled fade or draw if one can also produce the other shape.
 
semi said:
Recently been taking lessons to improve my driving. I have tried 3 different instructors to find my fit and finally settled on one. That being said, he has made some changes to my swing to now induce a draw. My goal was to hit the ball straighter and be more consistent. My old swing produced a fade to the right that sometimes "faded" too much hence the need for some lessons. Now i am hitting a draw on most drives and sometimes its quite pronounced.

My question is, should that be the goal? Would you rather have a draw off the tee or hit the ball straight? I am currently at a 14 HDCP and really want to get to single digits. I am struggling because i am not sure i want to hit a draw so to speak and still seek hitting the ball straight but he insists a draw is better off the tee. Comments on this? what would you rather hit????

this may sound like a stupid question, but i want to make sure i am on the right path with this instructor.
Click to expand...

Most instructors will take you to the opposite side of the spectrum to get rid of a swing flaw. If you played a huge slice then moving you to a draw would be logical.

Now it's up to you to experiment with what he has taught you. He has given you a base and you can move off the base as much as you want. Adjust your swing slightly and see what movement if any is taken off or added to your shot. This is when golf is fun because if you have a grasp on the swing then you can experiment.

Stick with his teaching but pay attention to what the club is doing. Pay attention to how it feels to hit a draw. Ingrain that feeling and embrace it. This platform will be your ground zero and all other swings will be built off this. An adjustment of the feet can change the swing. The amount you take the club inside can change the swing. The amount of release you place at impact can change the flight of the ball.

And for the record, if you swing down the line and hold the fave of the for a fraction longer, you will hit straight. I learned to hit the straight ball before any other shot. Once you understand how the club head affects the ball and how it is an extension of your arms, you can hit any shot you want.
 
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