Instruction
Why do low-handicap college golfers miss left?
As instructional tools evolve, we as teachers are better armed with technology that helps us become better instructors. The video feature on my Trackman helps me to better understand the dynamics of impact and the issues of faulty positions throughout the golf swing. While there are always idiosyncrasies that players can make up for at different times during the golf swing, it seems like I continually see some of the same swing flaws. In this article, I’d like to discuss an issue I tend to see in most low-handicap college golfers who are trying to become scratch or better.
With today’s style of “grip it and rip it,” we have seen the evolution of the grip — what once was more neutral has now become stronger in efforts to hit the ball greater distances. These stronger grips help to deloft the club at impact and with the higher ball speed players, this can mean prodigious distance shots with all clubs. The second thing these stronger grips can promote is a larger face-to-path relationship (as we’ll discuss below), which moves the ball on a stronger right-to-left ball-flight pattern, which for most players — not all — tends to create more distance.
While this is all good, sometimes this stronger grip can be the root of an issue in the golf swing that causes the ball to begin at the target and miss it a touch left. This is always a concern for these college players in tournaments when trying to access back left pins with bunkers, water, and out-of-bounds just left of the green. We have all “tugged” this type of shot starting the ball too much targetward, thus when it begins to curve, it’s gone.
Now as we have all seen before, the perfect impact dynamics look something like this to hit a push draw:
The ball begins in the direction of the face and curves away from the path. Thus, when the face angle at impact is between the path and the target as shown above, the ball will begin to the right and curve back to the pin.
Now, back to the grip and why it can become an issue with a stronger grip for the college kids.
This player has today’s normal grip, which shows between two to three knuckles on the left hand at address. This grip places a slight “cup” in the left hand at address. Whenever this “cup” is lost on the way back, the club face tends to shut as you can see in the photo above. Now the face is NOT brutally shut, but it is a touch more closed than I’d like to see for this right-to-left player at this point in the golf swing.
From here, the club face remains shut at the top and into delivery, almost mirroring the same club-face position I showed you on the takeaway earlier. When this happens, you are in trouble as you will see in a second.
As discussed, this player has begun with today’s stronger grip and shut the face on the way back, to the top, on the way down, and now is trying to deliver this slightly closed face through impact. From here, you will see that the problems begin in regard to missing the ball a touch left.
The player’s swing dynamic look like this, which will cause a draw that starts at the target and moves farther left:
His path is from in-to-out at 5.7 degrees, but the club is basically reaching impact in a square or target-ward condition. Whenever the face is pointing AT the target during impact with a rightward path, you will see the ball begin at the target and move farther left (with centered impact) as shown by the ball flight screen at the bottom right of the photo above. This slightly shut face upon impact increases the face-to-path ratio to 5.6 degrees, meaning the face angle at impact was almost 6 degrees left of the club’s path. This gives us a 12.7-degree spin axis.
Whenever the club and the face point different directions, you will tilt the ball’s spin axis and the ball will curve, and in this case, it’s going left of where this player wanted the ball to go.
Note: this is NOT a path issue, it’s a FACE issue. Because of the stronger grip, the club moved into a shut condition from the takeaway through to impact leaving this player to fight a draw that starts at the target, which always misses to the left of the target.
So what is the fix?
As the teacher, I could weaken the grip slightly or keep the “cup” in the left hand the player established at address into delivery. I could even try more radical solutions, like raising the vertical swing plane at impact, decreasing the dynamic loft, leaning the shaft more forward at impact.
However, before we go crazy, we should try to monitor the face, making sure it’s not moving into a shut condition during the swing. If the student cannot feel the face condition doing this and it still remains too shut into impact, then I am forced to do one of the above things in efforts to put his club into a more consistent delivery and impact condition.
The key for these lower-handicap players is to fix the things that are easy to fix before going off on a complex mechanical tangent that will take time and “sweat equity” on your part.
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more tips!
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Josh
Dec 21, 2014 at 6:24 pm
Click Here!
leo
Oct 3, 2014 at 2:52 am
the problem with the college players i have played with recently is they think they should try to birdie every hole.when i played in college we were taught to birdie the par 5s and go for green light pins maybe 6 per round.even after turning pro and playing a draw 95% of the time i would never miss left in the situation you described.if disaster lurkes just left aim a little more right try to make a 20-25 footer and live to fight another day with no worse than par
Tom Stickney
Oct 3, 2014 at 8:38 pm
Agree but sadly they are better now than we were then.
Matt Christian
Oct 2, 2014 at 5:36 pm
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oY3LGVreUuI
Rumble
Oct 1, 2014 at 9:53 pm
Hey Tom ,
I’m 24, stand at 5’4″ and carry the driver 250, and my 6 iron 180. However, the ball stops dead in the fairway on my drives, sometimes even ends up behind the pitch mark. I am very flexible and am told by everyone I have a “beautiful” swing, but I can’t seem to stop missing high and right. It generally starts right (sometimes way right almost shanked), and curves right near the end of flight. Often when the ball does start on line, it still falls off to the right. I do feel like I swing hard, as I sometimes wobble or my left foot swings open, and have thought for awhile of the typical fixes. My shoulders may open to fast, or my arms get stuck behind, my weight is stuck on my back foot, or I lose my tush line, but I can’t seem to pinpoint it for more than a couple swings. I know it is hard to give online instruction because there are so many variables, but do you have any ideas?
Its frustrating because I’ve always been a good putter, and I average 1.9 putts per green, and I get up and down just shy of 50%, but can’t seem to hit enough GIR’s to score well.
Tom Stickney
Oct 2, 2014 at 12:09 am
If you’re missing high and right your path is left of your target and your face is rt of the target at impact.
Rumble
Oct 2, 2014 at 9:00 am
Thank you for the quick response Tom
Tom Stickney
Oct 2, 2014 at 10:29 am
My pleasure.
Jeffcb
Oct 4, 2014 at 10:08 am
Hands could be ahead of the clubface at impact too huh? Its what I was taught and is the cause when I fan it. Gotta keep the clubhead moving past the hands. My pull draws (left misses) are because I stop turning my body and let my arms keep going. A fine line this game! I enjoy your articles Tom, lotsa food for thought.
Tom Stickney
Oct 4, 2014 at 7:30 pm
Thanks sir. Too much handle drag can be a killer in better players.
Set up
Oct 6, 2014 at 1:07 am
Rumble,
Try to pull your right leg back behind the right one, and then try to purposefully hit big hooks from way right to left when you practice next time, so you can see and feel the opposite of what you’re used to. It should help you recognize how you’ve been lining up and how you’re coming across the line. Then go back to the middle from there. You should be able to hit it straight from there, I think. But it’s hard to break that “comfortable” set up position in alignment. It’s going to take some practice to change it up completely, it’ll be weird and uncomfortable for a while.
JMaron
Oct 1, 2014 at 2:00 pm
My exact challenge – except I’m 52 years with a 1 handicap. Tried weakening my grip, but that feels so awful I gave up. Got a tip from an ex- tour pro about keeping the “cup” in the left hand through delivery…worked wonders for a while but definitely a battle.
I’ve tried to focus on maintaining that cup at impact, but have not found much consistency. Any other tips throughout the the whole swing that might help me keep that cup into delivery?
Tom Stickney
Oct 1, 2014 at 2:56 pm
It’s not about cupping the left wrist at impact- that’s incorrect. It will be flat and the shaft lean will hold the face from shutting too rapidly.
Jim Maron
Oct 3, 2014 at 8:00 am
Thanks Tom,
I appreciate the info.
JMaron
Oct 3, 2014 at 2:16 pm
I realize I incorrectly described the tip the ex playing pro gave me…it was to maintain an angle in the right wrist on impact and to have a sense that the heal strikes the ground first.
Felt obliged not to misquote him in a sense – even thought I didn’t mention his name. He also said I should look at some tips from Paul Azinger.
Tom Stickney
Oct 5, 2014 at 2:05 am
Appreciate it. Makes sense now. Bent right wrist with the feel of moving into the ball from the inside. Good thoughts.
derek
Oct 1, 2014 at 3:57 am
On course adjustments? I can miss them both ways aka i can work them both ways.
but lets say it the club championship and i dont wanna look like a fool.
If I notice on the driving range my shots are missing 5 to ten yards right of target whats the best slight adjustment ? I feel if i start messing with the grip mid round bad bad things are gonna happen.
Rather than mess with my grip would Lowering and moving the hands Forward a bit pull that miss back to the flag a bit? and vice versa for the 7 yard pull or over draw?
My go-to shot is a 250 pull fade (Chandelle? Payne Stewart) But I feel it and dont know the technical stuff other than my thoughts being I have an out to in swing, open stance with an open(?) club face at impact.
In pressure situations it calms the nerves and I can bunt the driver 250.(7k altitude)
TIA for your thoughts or stats
Tom Stickney
Oct 1, 2014 at 10:56 am
I’d never mess with my grip on the golf course. The key would be to get it around the course as best as possible any way you can and then find it again on the range after your round. Golf is all about score.
leo
Oct 3, 2014 at 2:31 am
with all those adjustments and swing thoughts it is amazing you can make contact.if you are missing all your shots 5-10 yds right aim 5-10 yds left and make a confident swing.this worked for nicklaus for about 30 years.
ChiefKeef
Sep 30, 2014 at 11:58 pm
Good read and refresher. I’d like to see a little more in-depth explanation(s) of the process you’d go thru with a better player to try and find the right “fix” for him/her…
Tom Stickney
Oct 1, 2014 at 10:58 am
The fix can be multiple things…but auditing your grip and release pattern would be the best place to begin.
Jeffcb
Sep 30, 2014 at 9:09 pm
Usually I’m trying to hit it too hard and my body opens up to the target line. Since I try and swing in to in I try and resist and swing smooth but it easier said than done in this game.
vinax
Sep 30, 2014 at 2:47 pm
Sorry to be an a s s.
But which college golfer hits a 7i @ 2667 rp backspin @ 13yard height & 25* land angle? Did you just pick a THINNED SHOT to show us this?
Tom Stickney
Sep 30, 2014 at 5:48 pm
You’re kidding me right? Sir, this is a sample shot to get the point across. Always better to show the extreme case rather than one that is not that far off.
COGolfer
Sep 30, 2014 at 10:17 pm
The entire point was to show a shot that was missed left… The shot you chose makes sense, because it’s a miss.
AJ
Sep 30, 2014 at 12:30 pm
AoA plays a big role in this too. Was AoA 0* in all the examples above?
Tom Stickney
Sep 30, 2014 at 1:36 pm
Yes. Aoa is consistent.
Jeff
Sep 30, 2014 at 5:29 am
I am a 1 who uses a neutral to slightly weak grip, and know I cup at the top. I see the draw in my head, but when I try my “normal” high draw shot, I tend to miss left with all clubs (as a miss). I can work it both ways, but find the draw easier and with stronger(more penetrating) ball flight. My ball does exactly what you say – starts at target and falls left, sometimes dramatically so. Could my path have something to do with this, or is it just face angle?
Tom Stickney
Sep 30, 2014 at 9:41 am
Face
Jeff
Oct 1, 2014 at 10:53 am
Thanks. So, with the weaker grip (one to on and a half knuckles showing), what’s the best way to get the face more to the right?
Tom Stickney
Oct 1, 2014 at 10:59 am
It could be something as simple as more shaft lean at impact.
christian
Sep 29, 2014 at 11:19 pm
Before I even clicked on the article I was thinking “because they usually hit a draw in order to get max distance”. Has it not been known “forever” that a good players miss is a hook/miss left? I think this is common knowledge, see no need for some in-depth analysis.
Tom Stickney
Sep 29, 2014 at 11:24 pm
While you do not- others do! It’s always best to truly explore and thus understand why things happen rather than guess. There is more to this article than meets the eye…
Bryan
Sep 30, 2014 at 10:14 am
Why would you even post a response like that… Seriously.. If you don’t like it; don’t read it! No need to bash someone’s work.
Tom Stickney
Sep 30, 2014 at 1:37 pm
People often criticize what they don’t fully understand. You can ALWAYS learn more.
MJ
Sep 30, 2014 at 12:35 pm
A good players miss is usually or block to the right. Of course this depends on the player but I would say the majority of good players would be able to control this over a hook.
MJ
Sep 30, 2014 at 12:40 pm
I guess I meant to say that is the miss that a good player is trying to achieve. When I mean good player, I mean pro.
Tom Stickney
Sep 30, 2014 at 5:49 pm
Everyone has their “issue” for sure
Alex
Sep 29, 2014 at 10:23 pm
I’m a 27 year old scratch and have been playing with a neutral grip for the past 14 years. Lately (last year or so) I’ve been thinking about trying out a stronger grip because so many of the college guys/mini tour pros I play with get it past me 10-20 yards.
This article has given me confidence to stick with the neutral grip. I love curving it both ways and I hate the pull and/or hook miss. Thanks for the great, easy to understand piece.
Tom Stickney
Sep 29, 2014 at 11:20 pm
My pleasure Alex
Jubby
Sep 29, 2014 at 5:29 pm
Better players in general tend to miss left more often than right. It’s mostly because they are coming in from a shallower angle versus a higher handicap that come over the top most of the time.
Tom Stickney
Sep 29, 2014 at 5:36 pm
Agree
keyser
Sep 29, 2014 at 10:00 pm
http://www.golfwrx.com/115076/the-myth-behind-the-one-way-miss/ .. do they?
Tom Stickney
Sep 29, 2014 at 11:25 pm
Keyser. I’m talking about strong gripped kids and ams- not Tour pros.
Carlos Danger
Sep 30, 2014 at 10:13 am
5 Handicapper here…
I have been a strong draw player my entire life. My natural setup is aim right and suck it in. About three years ago I decided to switch my driver swing to a fade and keep everything else the same. I paid very close attention to my scoring and where I was loosing strokes, the area other than the obvious (putting) was that I could count on 2-5 strokes per round that were a result of a drive missed WAY left…or as some people call a snap hook. Also, the club I joined is pretty much clockwise OB left so one or two snap hooks a round is not an option.
It took me about a year but I now am very confident standing on the tee box with a driver and while I have lost a little distance, my accuracy is much better. When I miss it is not a violent snap, its more of a balloon fade that lands soft.
In the transition, this fade swing worked its way into my irons from time to time which really F-d me up but seems I got that fixed as well. Just wondering if anyone else has this same mindset/game plan of fading the driver and pounding draws with everything else?
Tom Stickney
Sep 30, 2014 at 1:42 pm
I’ve seen many rounds played that way; whatever works best
SS
Sep 29, 2014 at 3:57 pm
All it means is that young kids are all wanting to hit longer with draws than lose distance with a cut. Why don’t they just learn to hit it both ways all the time and not stick to one shot shape?
Tom Stickney
Sep 29, 2014 at 5:37 pm
Everyone has a shot that they “see” and it’s best to stick with that most of the time.
Urrid
Sep 29, 2014 at 10:21 pm
So they “see” a hooked miss to the left ALL the time? Ridiculous
Tom Stickney
Sep 29, 2014 at 11:26 pm
Urrid– of course not. But players see either rt to left or vice versa. You have to play the shot you like to see most of the time.
Teaj
Sep 30, 2014 at 8:59 am
where did you get that? people play a draw because thats the way they like to see their flight. they get into the miss left because of face angle at impact with a draw swing plane (inside to out) and face square to target.
if you are comfortable hitting both draw and fade just the same good on you but im going to bet 99% of golfers rather hit one over the other. thats how I read the article and comments anyways.
Tom Stickney
Sep 30, 2014 at 9:42 am
Teaj– most players have their go-to shot pattern for sure. Agree.
Mickey Harris
Sep 29, 2014 at 2:48 pm
When I went through this phase my self a few years back, I found the same results through 3D launch monitors and the D-Plane. My fix was quite simple for me. For ME,, I managed the face by controlling post impact rotation. It worked dramatically fast and with relatively no growing pains. Golfing Machinist called my release “horizontal.” I called it the “nothing” feel. No reverse rotation, no hook rotation.
Tom Stickney
Sep 29, 2014 at 5:39 pm
Are you sure it wasn’t angled hinging? That’s usually described as a no roll procedure.
Jeff D.
Sep 29, 2014 at 2:48 pm
Interesting. I think demonstrates a lack of either understanding or trusting “shot shape” on behalf of the less than Pro Experienced Golfer. Every Instructor that I have ever heard – when explaining the shape of a draw says ” a shot that starts right of the target line and fall off on the target line – but not across it”. If I read correctly – this means that the college level golfer lines up incorrectly – either by accident or by refusing to “trust” the shot shape – both of which result in a shot that ends up left of the intended target.
Mickey Harris
Sep 29, 2014 at 2:50 pm
It just means more that thier club face is pointed too far left at impact.(righties) Alignments could be anywhere at that point.
Tom Stickney
Sep 29, 2014 at 5:40 pm
Correct mick
Tom Stickney
Sep 29, 2014 at 5:39 pm
Could be. But it’s usually a face to path issue.
TheFightingEdFioris
Sep 29, 2014 at 12:23 pm
Awesome stuff, had a student struggling with this very thing last week. Always nice to have affirmation of a diagnosis and fix! Keep up the great work.
Tom Stickney
Sep 29, 2014 at 5:40 pm
Thanks thefightinged
John R
Sep 29, 2014 at 12:18 pm
Good article. For students that cannot feel the face condition, do you have any ways for students to get a feel for the face condition before you move on to more… aggressive changes?
Mickey Harris
Sep 29, 2014 at 2:57 pm
What works for me is using what they know to be relative in their grip. Holding their grip and club at eye level, paralel to the ground, I teach them to feel their release going either way right or way left or staying stagnant. Some key words I use like “right palm to the sky for push slice” (right handers) “right palm to the ground for pull hooks.” They usually start to tap into thier innate feel at that point.
Tom Stickney
Sep 29, 2014 at 5:41 pm
Mick. Whatever works! 🙂
John R
Sep 30, 2014 at 11:58 am
Interesting, we’ll give it a shot. Thank you.
Tom Stickney
Sep 29, 2014 at 5:41 pm
Educate the hands and feel the face with chipping, pitching, and punch shots first.
John R
Sep 30, 2014 at 11:57 am
That makes sense. Thank you.