How Consistency allows for on command shot shaping
Playing your best golf starts with having a somewhat predictable shot. Meaning you can predict where the ball is going to start, which direction it will curve, and how far it will travel. Even the pros who can hit all the shots start from their preferred go-to shot. For Dustin Johnson, it's his fade. For most of Rory McIlroy’s career it's been his draw although recently he's tried to change to a fade. Whichever shot shape you prefer, your swing pattern needs to be built to hit that shot swing after swing. That is the consistency that will bring your golf game to new levels. The question then becomes, how do you, like the pros, hit different shot shapes on command if your swing is built to hit one shape every time? Do you need to practice different swings? Do you have to swing like Bubba Watson? Luckily, the answer is no.
If your swing consistently produces one shot shape, this means a couple of things. First, you have control over your club face and second, you have a repeatable club path. For a draw, your club face will be closed to the direction of the club path. Creating more draw simply means having the face be more closed to the path. This can be done by simply closing the club face more at address and aiming slightly away from the target to allow for more curve. If you draw the golf ball on command though, how can you instead create a fade without changing your swing? First, let's say that your clubface is on average pointed one degree to the right of your target at impact on your normal draw and your club path is on average two degrees right of your target. For the right-handed golfer, this will produce a beautiful baby push draw. To turn this into a fade, you have to find a way to get the face to be open to the path. To accomplish this, you will have to open the clubface at address so it points more than two degrees to the right so the face will be open to the path at impact. You will take your normal control over the clubface, normal repeatable club path, and simply alter where the face is pointed at address. You will also want to shift your entire body at setup so you can aim the clubface in the direction where you want the ball to start, allowing the golf ball to then curve towards the target. Notice how you are using your consistent and repeatable swing to your advantage here. You don't need to create a new swing, just a new set up. Your go-to shot can be used to hit all of the shots.
Now, wait a second. You might be wondering why you should shape the ball in multiple directions if you’ve effectively “eliminated one side of the course”. First, let me be clear, you should hit your primary shot often, but sometimes you will need to hit a cut to take distance off a shot and land the ball softly on the green. Or maybe you need to hold the ball up against the wind with a draw. From talking with tour pros I've found that they are always trying to do something to the golf ball. Whether that be flighting it low with a draw, or landing a 4 iron soft on the green with a cut. Secondly, even though DJ and Rory each have their go-to shot, they both still have a left and a right miss. Sometimes DJ’s fade hardly fades and other ti
mes it fades too much. In 2020, the same year he won the green jacket, DJ missed his tee shot in the left rough on over 18% of his tee shots and in the right rough over 13% of the time. In 2014, when Rory won 2 majors, he missed the fairway in the left and right rough nearly the same amount of time. Even the best can never truly eliminate one side of the course. So do not shy away from curving the ball. Just remember that your go-to shot can be used to hit all of the shots.
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