Shot shape(s) driver

General Discussion
#1

I’m very new to this Forum, and from what I’ve seen, there is a lot of knowledge here. I am looking for your advice/counsel. For the past +25 years my shot shape, with all clubs, has been a draw. In mid-season 2020, I began to experiment with power fade off the tee. I felt it was “freeing” up my swing (I could take a rip at the ball w/out tearing/ripping something) and I was more consistent keeping the ball in play. The other, minor reason, is at my home course, about half the driving holes lend themselves to fades, the other to draws.

Anyone have experience/advice with maintaining two “shot shapes” for driver? Thank you.

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#2

I don’t have the skills to work it both ways. I primarily hit a fade off the tee. Sometimes I’ll hit a random draw but I see that as just normal variation in my swing. If I intentionally try to hit a draw, it’s usually a pull hook.

On the range, I practice shaping drives both ways but that is more for developing a feel for error correction than intentional shot shaping. Of late, I’ve been reading recommendations about just sticking with your natural swing - better for consistency.

#3

@ScottFawcettDECADE says it is not worth it… talking specifically about changing driver shape with each hole

Not sure about playing a fade off tee and minor draw with iron. May be doable since driver ball position is forward.

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#4

Do you have access to a simulator? If so, go check your dispersion working it both ways… most likely you’ll hit one noticeably better than the other.

At least that’s what the smart golf people say…

That said, it might work for you! If the advantage of working the ball both ways is big enough and your variance is small enough, it might work.

Personally, I’m not going to spend the time needed to consistently work it both ways… if I have the time, I’d rather spend it dialing in one shot shape.

#5

If you’ve got the skill to do it, would be an asset to you. My personal experience is, in the middle of last season, I gave up on trying to shape it both ways and just stuck with my stock draw, unless behind a tree or something. Played the best golf of my life from then on. For me, it was just a lot easier to maintain.

#6

As opposed to trying to have both a draw and a fade in the bag, I think the better bet is is to learn to control the degree of the preferred shot (how much it turns) as well as the height.

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#7

I love being able to shape it both ways because there are times it’s very useful, but my stock shape is a push draw and I find it’s much more useful to shoot for what’s the natural result from my swing. I spent a lot of time tuning that in, so 99.9% of the time that’s what I’m hitting.

Keep both in the bag, but don’t spend a ton of time on the fade unless you really want to make a permanent switch. A lot of the best drivers of the golf ball hit fades. If it feels like it frees you up that’s awesome, but be ready for a lot of growing pains of making a permanent switch because it’s not conducive to a consistent golf game to go nuclear on a power fade with driver, then try to go back to a natural draw with your irons.

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#8

I tried playing a fade for about one season, thinking it would give me more control. It didn’t. Now I just stick with my tendency which is a push draw. I really don’t see an additional benefit for a player trying to shape it both ways off the tee. It’s where the ball ends up, not how it curves to get there.

Do you ever see DJ playing a draw off the tee based on the dogleg, or hole layout? Nope.

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#9

DJ on 13 at augusta :hushed:

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#10

I play a draw for everything except the driver. I do have some limited ability to hit it both ways, but I’m not good enough to take that from the range to the course.

Once drivers got big, I struggled to hit a draw with them. I fought it until recently, but now I try to look at a hole and if the best miss is right I hit driver and if the best miss is left I may hit 3 wood if giving up some distance isn’t a big deal. Some days the driver does draw and I’ll just play it, but I sort of wish I could fade the other clubs consistently as it is pretty freeing to just aim left knowing it will come back right. The draw is not always as gentle and consistent as the fade.

#11

Did he hit driver? :stuck_out_tongue_winking_eye:

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#12

Working the driver both way is probably the most destructive skill in the game. You should work the driver one direction only. If it doesn’t fit the hole drop back to 3wood and be patient.

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#13

Nobody on the planet has the skills needed to work driver both ways and have it be a net benefit vs just hitting one shape, again, with the driver specifically.

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#14

Fade with driver and draws with irons can be ok because the change in ball position changes path quite a bit even without trying to change your swing.

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#15

As my five year old daughter likes to say: TRUTH BOMB

Scott knows his stuff, and has the numbers to back it up.

#16

The good news for me. I can’t work it in both directions if I tried :rofl:

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#17

Hah whatever he hits his body is lined up towards a pine forest with a hazard in front of it :joy:

THAT is confidence in your shot shape

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#18

I’ve played a draw for years, also have a couple holes which lend themselves to a fade. Driver has been bad the last month or so (been doing superspeed and while fast, my timing is not consistent). So I decided to hit a fade the last few drives of a round and hit my best 2 drives of the day. Then I was determined to make it work, so decided to go fade again . First 2 drives were bombs, but then my fade turned into a double cross the next several holes before I went back to draw, which was okay except for a few bad blocks. Nothing like a 2 way miss that is bleeding into my iron game!

I’ve always liked working the ball, but I really need to get to the range and get that 1 repeatable shot.

#20

And this is where golf goes wrong…we wind up chasing our tail after every shot adjust this, then that, then this again, nope…and now you’ve wrecked what game you did have. Just another reason to do the same thing over and over and over.

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#21

Good thoughts, all - thank you.