hitting the ball straight - Page 2

guids · #11 08-20-2007, 08:13 PM

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Lot's of good advice in this thread. Thanks for setting me straight.

It made me realize that I have two questions really.

The first one was answered well...basically don't bother trying to work the ball until you are AT LEAST under a 10 hcp as there is no need. This makes sense. When I play with 10 hcps and those that can just break 80 occassionally, they hardly seem to have the ability to work the ball.

The second question I realize is "what should my normal shot be?". When you are a bogey golfer, I think you could certainly have enough problems that you shouldn't blindly plug ahead with a "normal shot" that indeed have faults that could stunt future growth. I guess fundamentally I can't really think of any real problems with a straight shot and no one seems to offer and problems.

I guess my concern with my normal shot being a straight shot is that it seems more than a little unusual. Most pros seem to either favor a draw or a fade. In fact didn't Ben Hogan himself say the only time he ever hit the ball straight was by accident?

I guess when I play I'll just aim straight down the middle but at the range and at the range focus on making solid contact...and see how that works for the rest of the season. But will still spend a little time each session working the ball right and left.

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This post really confuses me. I thought the point was to hit every single shot straight, and than when you can do that pretty consistently you can work on fading etc.

RacersEdge · #12 08-20-2007, 08:30 PM

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Lot's of good advice in this thread. Thanks for setting me straight.

It made me realize that I have two questions really.

The first one was answered well...basically don't bother trying to work the ball until you are AT LEAST under a 10 hcp as there is no need. This makes sense. When I play with 10 hcps and those that can just break 80 occassionally, they hardly seem to have the ability to work the ball.

The second question I realize is "what should my normal shot be?". When you are a bogey golfer, I think you could certainly have enough problems that you shouldn't blindly plug ahead with a "normal shot" that indeed have faults that could stunt future growth. I guess fundamentally I can't really think of any real problems with a straight shot and no one seems to offer and problems.

I guess my concern with my normal shot being a straight shot is that it seems more than a little unusual. Most pros seem to either favor a draw or a fade. In fact didn't Ben Hogan himself say the only time he ever hit the ball straight was by accident?

I guess when I play I'll just aim straight down the middle but at the range and at the range focus on making solid contact...and see how that works for the rest of the season. But will still spend a little time each session working the ball right and left.

[/ QUOTE ]

This post really confuses me. I thought the point was to hit every single shot straight, and than when you can do that pretty consistently you can work on fading etc.

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The idea is that people have a "natural" tendency when they hit a golf ball - based on their swing path - to either approach the ball from inside to outside producing a little draw spin on the ball - OR - the opposite - coming in a little from the outside to the inside producing a little fade spin. SO the theory goes if you came in perfectly square, you missed your "normal" swing path.

black knight · #13 08-20-2007, 08:33 PM

IT's very very very very very rare for someone to hit shots perfectly straight...it's just not how the swing really works. It's more likely to have a very slight fade or draw, and it's possible to build a swing to produce either as its 'normal' shot...but it's very rare for someone to have a 'straight' shot as normal. The standard for good players is a 5-7yd draw or fade.

TripleH68 · #14 08-21-2007, 12:05 AM

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IT's very very very very very rare for someone to hit shots perfectly straight...it's just not how the swing really works. It's more likely to have a very slight fade or draw, and it's possible to build a swing to produce either as its 'normal' shot...but it's very rare for someone to have a 'straight' shot as normal. The standard for good players is a 5-7yd draw or fade.

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I don't get this. My shots are either straight or a slight fade. Does this mean my straight shots are accidental? Because with irons I play for a straight shot...and when playing well I often hit it straight. With the driver a slight fade is common. When I hit the driver straight it is usually a slight pull that ends up down the left.

black knight · #15 08-21-2007, 01:15 AM

It's not that it's a mistake...your swing itself is probably very rare. Think about mechanics: the club is only straight to the ball for MAYBE a foot which means that there's most likely going to be some sort of sidespin imparted on the ball, creating a slight fade or draw. For wedges it's less obvious because so much backspin gets imparted to override any (or most) sidespin. It's entirely possible for a swing to routinely hit the ball dead straight, but that's a VERY rare thing. Such swings are rare, mechanically speaking.

stadler · #16 08-21-2007, 01:22 AM

i wouldnt worry about trying to work the ball. i am a +2 and i rarely every try to work the ball. if you just try to play a straight shot(or w/e your natural shot is) you will just a normal swing on it and your misses will be less because you arent trying to manipulate the ball. working the ball is overrated in my opinion and is something all the retarded commentators like bobby clampett talk about all the time. to me it just makes more sense to play the simple shot instead of tryin to by fancy and i would say it has worked for me.

duvvard · #17 08-21-2007, 02:20 AM

You guys that are good players don't work the ball much? I'm a 2 and I'm always trying to use the correct trajectory and flight. I like working the ball off the center of the green toward the pin if it's near the edge of a green. If it's a front right pin over a bunker, I'm playing a high fade. Back hole pos. into a wind I'm taking an extra club and hitting a 3/4, lower trajectory draw. Dogleg right tee shot over water, I'm hitting a high fade...etc..etc Not to mention all the times you're behind trees, it's such a huge advantage to have a massive hook and slice in your arsenal that you can rely on to get on/near greens where most people are just pitching back into the fairway.

That said, I still just hit my normal slight draw for most shots (especially if there is not much wind), unless the situation calls for something else. And I'm not saying a 17 handicap should be worried about being able being able to hit every shot, since like others have said they should simply be working on making solid contact more often.

black knight · #18 08-21-2007, 02:27 AM

You make it sound so easy.

duvvard · #19 08-21-2007, 03:04 AM

:-) I've been a total golf degen since I was 10, started playing when I was 4. Played literally every single day that the golf course was open throughout high school. We were so addicted we would be out there at the crack of dawn in april in Minnesota (cold as [censored]) to play 18 holes before school started. Kind of makes me mad now that I have never had a formal lesson in my life. Although, my best friend is a +1 handicap w/ a flawless swing, shares or shared the course record at Hazeltine National (66 when he was 16 yrs old from the tips), knows the swing inside and out. He's always given me guidance on my swing which is probably about as good as most club professionals. I was always a feel player tho, did not even really start worrying about mechanics of the swing until I was 20. So I have always loved the screw around with hitting weird shots/ballflights.

No idea why I just typed that whole thing, probably because I smoked some rly dank bud 10 minutes ago [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

TripleH68 · #20 08-21-2007, 10:38 AM

[ QUOTE ]
It's not that it's a mistake...your swing itself is probably very rare. Think about mechanics: the club is only straight to the ball for MAYBE a foot which means that there's most likely going to be some sort of sidespin imparted on the ball, creating a slight fade or draw. For wedges it's less obvious because so much backspin gets imparted to override any (or most) sidespin. It's entirely possible for a swing to routinely hit the ball dead straight, but that's a VERY rare thing. Such swings are rare, mechanically speaking.

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I think you may be right. Having gone from hitting a large fade/slice for years to hitting it 'straight.' I do likely hit a fade on nearly all shots, but on the mid-to-shorter irons it is less noticeable? It is definitely my 'natural' shot.