Shot shaping leads to better accuracy?

I kinda had a light bulb moment at the range today. About halfway through my bucket of balls, i told myself that i would only hit intentional fades or draws. I was quite surprised to find that i was actually more accurate than when i was just trying to hit it straight...

So i've often heard that the straight shot is the hardest shot in golf. I understood this phrase as saying that it's very difficult not to impart any side spin on the ball, which i totally agree. Today i realized that it's also saying that it's actually easier to just decide what shot shape i want, have that mental picture, then execute it from the setup onwards; as opposed to setting up for a straight shot and trying to execute it.

We often hear commentators mention during golf tournaments about the pros' stock shot. I always assumed that this stock shot referred to the player's natural tendency. Now i think it could mean that it's the shot shape that the player is most comfortable with executing. Subtle, but important, difference - since it means that the player is intentionally executing the shot instead of just trying to hit it normally and accepting whatever shape the ball decides to take.

Anyway, based on this little epitome, i've decided that never again will i attempt to "hit it straight".

Thanks for reading my little rant.. Comments anyone? If you think i'm spouting rubbish please feel free to express your views.

Btw, my "stock shot" is a baby fade.

Heard on Golf channel sometime ago that the trend in the tour now is to not shape the shot and hit it straight. Which explains tigers comment when he said he is not used to hit it straight.

but yeah, to me all shape are still difficult and I'm not at the level to say that I will draw/fade it. So I'm sticking to straight for now

It makes good sense,

Set up to hit straight - mishit could be a draw or a fade - potential for a two-way miss.

Set up to hit fade or draw - mishit could be a straight shot, not so bad.

Trying to hit it straight, with a potential for getting a draw or a fade, puts both side of the fairway or green into play.

Trying to hit a stock fade or stock draw, takes one side of the green or fairway out of play. This is obviously very useful when there is a hazard on one side of the fairway or green.

BTW, a baby fade is a highly effective shot shape onto the green because it will bite better than a draw or a straight shot.

Lee, not that simple lah. It still depends on your ability to execute

Try to hit fade, miss you can also pull it or slice it big

Try to hit draw, miss you can also push or hook it big

But i understand what solarpop is saying, provided a person can reliably execute his favored shot.

I will rather say ' Shot predictability leads to better accurancy'

pushslice wrote:

Lee, not that simple lah. It still depends on your ability to execute

Try to hit fade, miss you can also pull it or slice it big

Try to hit draw, miss you can also push or hook it big

But i understand what solarpop is saying, provided a person can reliably execute his favored shot.

Yeah, I guess you're right. Sorry, my bad. I was assuming a reasonably well-grooved and consistent swing. Should have stated that assumption explicitly.

Just to be clear, i'm not talking about huge 30-yard draw shots or stuff like that. Mini draws or fades that's all, as opposed to a dead straight ball flight. I'm not even talking about shot shaping to eliminate one particular side of the fairway, or to counter a crosswind. For some reason it just seems that much more difficult to take aim, align, set up and swing for a straight ball.

pushslice: a miss is a miss, doesn't matter if you're trying to fade or draw.. the ball will still be unpredictable. I'm pretty sure i can do a big time hook even if i'm setting up for a fade lol

for pro in most courses they will encounter dog-leg, down/up slope and tough holes location like hole 11. White Dogwood: Par Four, 505 yards (amen corner).

so when wind come into play, narrow fairway, hideous rough; the back-spin, rolls, carry and exact landing point even from tee box can be critical especially when approaching well-guarded holes.

i guess shot shaping is really crucial for tour-pro.

TW problem on bridgestone was he hit too straight. link below:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/08/06/tiger-woods-bridgestone-struggles_n_920168.html

There is only one club path/face angle combination that will get the ball to fly straight at the intended target.

There is an infinite variation of club path/face angle combination that will get the ball to fade or draw, and still hit the target.

Ergo, it is a lot easier to hit with a slight draw or slight fade than a straight shot at the target.

Lee36328 wrote:

There is only one club path/face angle combination that will get the ball to fly straight at the intended target.

There is an infinite variation of club path/face angle combination that will get the ball to fade or draw, and still hit the target.

Ergo, it is a lot easier to hit with a slight draw or slight fade than a straight shot at the target.

I found an interesting comment on this topic by Ben Hogan in an interview with Golf magazine.

GOLF: How often have you ever tried to hit a ball dead straight?

HOGAN: Never.

GOLF: Never?

HOGAN: Jesus Christ can't hit a golf ball straight. It's virtually impossible—at best it's an accident. Besides, you give yourself much more margin for error by maneuvering your shots one way or the other. Much more control.

It was way different in Hogans day, Not as much if any Perimeter weighting on irons, and the balls made a different game.

Today the balls and clubs are designed to keep the ball in play. Reduce sidepin, fight the wind etc...

Shaping the ball as Hogan did is harder now.

imagine if Hogan played today with todays equipment must be a blast.

The interview continues...

GOLF: The famous Hogan fade. How much did it really move from left to right?

HOGAN: It depends, but on average just a few yards. It wasn't a big drift, even off the tee. Control is the main thing, and the tee shot is the most important shot in golf. You've got to hit the fairway before you have a good chance of putting the ball close to the pin. You can be the greatest iron player in the world, but if you're in the boondocks it won't do you any good.

======================================================

Quite easy for me to move a modern ProV1 ball just a few yards.

What's more alarming, it's also very easy for me when aiming at the center of the range and flushing a shot, to move the ball all the way to the left of the range, albeit unintentionally. It would be an impressive draw if it were intentional.

Never knew a modern ball can move so much until I moved away from perimeter weighted clubs. Workability of blades.... Now to get it under control...

Interesting that Hogan said the tee shot is the most important shot in golf. "You can be the greatest iron player in the world, but if you're in the boondocks it won't do you any good."

So, drive for dough, putt for dough then, eh?

I think shot shaping make you understand how the swing work and his fault ,but no more accurate . most course you play doesn't require to hit big draw and fade , exept maybe tanah merah , warren and sentosa....

hey solarpop, what you've said is exactly what Jack Nicklaus believes is the right strategy to approach aiming at the target. Somewhere in his book "Golf My Way" from wayyy back.

From what Nicklaus wrote his concept is if the target is say.. left centre of the green, you shld aim 10yards right and attempt a draw, so if u execute perfectly it sticks to the pin, if you hit a perfect straight shot the ball shld land on the green just 10 yards right. That way you allow for 2 outcomes to occur out of a possible 3 outcomes, ie. straight + draw vs (unintentional) fade. In this situation because the pin is left centre, assuming you fade you wont shortside yourself and will hopefully have a decent chance to up and down? I think.

Not sure if I explained it accurately.. later the Golden Bear come and smack me.

All these Hogan and Nicklaus references are making me feel quite smart hahaha...

That said, just had a game today and applied my new mantra of "don't hit it straight". Can't say it helped me score better, coz my swing was quite off. It did help in making the set up easier though. Only once did i screw up big time, where i tried to tee off with a driver intending to hit a high fade - ended up with a nice perfect draw in the wrong direction. Ball ended up OB.