Shaping Shots

You have to start by having a fundamental understanding of the physics of the golf swing.

Inside to out swing + square face = draw
Inside to out swing + closed face = hook

Etc. Then you can adjust how your hands come through (hooded or standard) to adjust height.

Basically, swing path + hand position at impact + club face = shot shape.

It starts with my takeaway. I’m always trying to stay in the same plane. Straight back and down for fade. More inside and underneath for a draw. I’m always trying to wait as long as possible to break my wrists so it feels like I’m really compressing the ball.

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Hooded or standard? Google returns a bunch of clothing. What does that mean?

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sorry. Hooded means hands in front of ball at impact resulting in the club having less effective loft.

That’s not shaping. That’s pulling and blocking.

Fade - slightly open stance, about one ball forward of my normal position, face open to my aiming line and closed to my target, and I focus on keeping my right arm as connected to my body for as long as possible through the swing, throwing my hands a bit more towards my left hip on the downswing.

Draw - slightly closed stance, about a ball back of my normal position, face closed to my aiming line and open to my target, and I start the backswing a bit more shallow to generate a more in to out downswing.

All of those adjustments are pretty minor, or the intent is for small increments. Often times I exaggerate the motions too much and get a little more shape than I planned.

Normally my irons go fairly straight which is cool with me in most conditions. If I am shaping my irons, it's probably because I am punching out or have tree trouble. I can make those shapes sing but I wouldn't necessarily recommend the silly things I do with my address and swing on those.

Lol not wrong - but it's effective if you don't have the swing paths fine tuned and need to 'cut' or 'draw' the ball.

To hit ball around a tree I try this.
I align club face to miss tree, then align body.

Draw: align body further right than club face. Swing along foot line. So basically I am closed relative to the swing path.

Fade: align body further left than club face. Swing along foot line. So I am open relative to club path.

If I make crisp center contact, the ball explodes like a rocket-



after it hits tree. Then I punch out and take double or triple.

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Honest post.

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I did actually get this to work last Sunday and hooked one around a tree to just short of the green. Got up and down for par.

Sometimes I’m in sort of a forested area where I just aim at one tree figuring I’ll miss what I’m aimed at. I call this the “hit and hope” method.

It works sometimes, however, the trees where I play do not seem to be “90% air.” Especially the trunks.

You aim your club face where you want the ball to finish and your body lines where you want it to start. Its that simple

I think about swinging the club along my feet. If I want to hit a draw, I kick my right foot back a touch and think about swinging the club along that path (in to out). If I want to hit a fade, I will move my right foot a hair up and think about swinging ever so slightly out to in. I think messing with grip and manipulating the club face at address can start to overcomplicate things.