There aren’t many better feelings in golf than visualizing the perfect shape for a shot and actually pulling it off. While I’m great at shaping shots in all different directions, I’m not as good at it being the shape I envisioned. But we all can improve. To help us do so, I've collected six of the best shot-shaping tips on GolfPass.
Tip 1: Goldilocks driving drill
This Clay Ballard driving tip on shaping shots is a simple concept that is both fun to do and will help dial in shot shaping with the big stick. Just like Goldilocks and her porridge, trial and error is often a great way to find the swing that is just right.
Tip 2: Working the ball – draws and fades
This Devan Bonebrake segment from The Golf Fix is wonderful because it takes golfers to the course and walks them through the correct thinking on the tee box, as well as how to execute those thoughts.
Tip 3: Master your mid-irons
A lot of shot-shaping success happens before starting the swing. John Montgomery has a great visualization tip in the second part of this segment from Build A Better Game: Through The Bag that will help golfers see shots better. Sometimes it’s best to just let natural athleticism take over when hitting draws or fades, and this tip will help.
Tip 4: High trajectory draw
I had to pick one segment from the Rory McIlroy series that focuses solely on shaping shots in all different directions. This one breaks down his most famous shot type, the high draw.
Tip 5: Make your practice creative
The last two tips are fun ways to improve creativity on the range, which I believe ultimately is what makes someone a great shot shaper. Bubba Watson’s ability to shape the ball wasn’t formed out of technical swing thoughts, but rather seeing shots and hitting them. Golf is hard and practicing can be tedious, so it’s important to have fun and just be a kid when doing so.
Tip 6: Play holes on the range
