Why does the ball draw? Why does it fade?

If you have access to a launch monitor, you will have a lot of data to use to figure these things out. However, most recreational golfers don’t have this kind of technology so I hope to break it down in a way that’s easy to understand.

First, I want to explain the difference between swing direction and swing path. The swing direction is the direction of your swing plane. The swing path is the direction the club is traveling when it makes contact with the ball. So if you are hitting down on a ball (AOA is a negative number), your club path will always be to the right of your swing plane (for a right handed golfer).

So in the context of what we are talking about, angle of attack is really important. There are times, even for me, that the angle of attack (AOA) is inconsistent. So for example, I don’t usually habitually swing the club out to in. But sometimes I hit a drive where it appears that I have pull/hooked the driver and I can see on my launch monitor that I have hit up on the ball too much. When you hit up on the ball, the club is traveling left of your swing direction.

What are we going to do to figure this stuff without having the data on a launch monitor? First, let’s say that you are having trouble with the ball curving to the right. The longer the club, the bigger the curve. So we want to learn to feel the difference between a slice swing and a draw or hook swing. We have to practice exaggerating these swings. Remember, a slice is going to be an open club face with an out to in swing path. A hook swing is going to be a closed club face with an in to out swing path. What you want to eventually be able to do is practice this enough that your slices turn into more of a fade and your hooks turn into more of a draw.

Now have your focus on the club face instead of the swing path. With a pull slice, you want to feel like the hosel of the club is leading the toe at impact so focus for a moment on your club face. Now, focus on closing the club face by feeling like the toe of the club is leading the heel of the club at impact. As you practice these drills, start to notice which one you are better at or which one feels more comfortable to you. With practice, you will become more skillful at hitting these purposely shaped shots. Let me know how that works for you.

In today’s blog post, we are talking about uneven lies! If you have gotten super comfortable hitting balls on a driving range or a practice mat, you know that when it comes to playing in a practical setting, you are unlikely to encounter perfect lies 100% of the time. While it’s really important to hone your skills when it comes to your full swing, it’s also really important to understand that managing this course is another huge component to lowering your scores and reducing your handicap. So here’s a complete (yet concise) guide to helping you deal with uneven lies.

Sidehill lie - ball below feet

While left handed golfers make up about 10% of all golfers, I personally don’t like to say “just do the opposite of the right handed golfer”. Because it’s important to understand the difference for right and left handed golfers, I have broken it down to more easily understand (hopefully).

• Sidehill Lie - Ball Below Your Feet

  • For a right handed golfer:

    • Club face will point to the more to the right

    • You will need to aim further left of the target

    • Normal Ball position and grip

  • For a left handed golfer:

    • Club face will point more to the left

    • You will need to aim further right of the target

    • Normal Ball position and grip

• Sidehill Lie - Ball Above Your Feet

  • For a right handed golfer:

    • Club face will point to the left

    • You will need to aim further right of the target

  • For a left handed golfer:

    • Club face will point right

    • You will need to aim further left of the target

• Uphill Lie

  • This will increase the loft of the club and the ball will go higher in the air

  • Play the ball in normal ball position or slightly further forward in your stance.

  • Match your shoulders to the slope of the hill

• Downhill Lie

  • This will decrease the loft of the club and the ball will go lower in the air

  • Play the bal further back in your stance

  • Feel like your spine is more upright; matching your shoulders to the slope - this will help you hit down on the ball

Uphill lie

Mike showing how the Pitch Assist training aid can show you exactly what your club face is doing. Here, he shows the club face pointing to the left on a side hill lie where the ball is above your feet.

As always, try to find a place to practice these shots. We don’t often get to practice these shots at the driving range or practice facility so it’s important you practice them when you get a chance.