Last fall I started a series of golf lessons to move me beyond my self-imposed limits. The instructor told me to do a nine-shot drill: learn to hit each combination of trajectories, high, medium, and low, and combine that with three shot shapes, fade, straight, and draw. That’s nine different shots.<\/p>\n
The reason? To unlock my mind from the technical aspects of making a swing and learn instead to visualize a shot and let that visualization be the mental basis of my swing.<\/p>\n
Since I’m a high-ball hitter, and fade easily, those shots were pretty simple. But any shot that had to fly lower than normal, or any intentional draw, that was tough.<\/p>\n
So I worked on what I knew, and figured out what I didn\u2019t. I came up with four different ways to fade, to find the one that was the most reliable. I knew how to hit a low shot, but didn\u2019t know that I knew. I just didn’t know what a low shot is supposed to look like.<\/p>\n
Then there’s the draw. A draw can turn into an ugly hook without notice. It\u2019s here that I would get my double-cross–setting up for a draw and hitting a fade–because deep down I was nervous about it. Until I figured out how.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me how,\u201d I hear you cry. All right. Here\u2019s how it works for me.<\/p>\n
Fade: Set up left of target, clubface aimed halfway between stance and target, swing along stance line.<\/p>\n
Draw: Set up at target, aim clubface right of target, swing inside-out to the right of that.<\/p>\n
High: Set up with the ball more forward, weight more on the right. Transfer less weight than usual to the left on the downswing. Tends to go left.<\/p>\n
Low: Set up with the ball more to the back of center. Use normal weight transfer and follow through low. Also called a knockdown shot. Tends to go right.<\/p>\n
If you want to try this drill, you\u2019ll have to experiment with just how big all these adjustments need to be. Hint: less than you think.<\/p>\n
There\u2019s no reason anyone who makes solid contact 3 out of 5 times can\u2019t learn to do this, and your everyday straight shot will improve immeasurably, too.<\/p>\n
Go ahead. Open up a new world of golf for yourself.<\/p>\n
Visit www.therecreationalgolfer.com<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Last fall I started a series of golf lessons to move me beyond my self-imposed limits. The instructor told me to do a nine-shot drill: learn to hit each combination of trajectories, high, medium, and low, and combine that with three shot shapes, fade, straight, and draw. That’s nine different shots. The reason? To unlock … Continue reading Golf’s Nine-Shot Drill<\/span>