Simple shot-making

By Kim Jeong-kyoo

Korea Times Golf Columnist

It is fun to hit a slice, hook, high shot or low shot on purpose. You can hit different shots if you adjust your grip, stance, clubface, ball position, spine angle, release and finish properly.

You will hit slices if you leave your clubface open when you hit your ball. A great way to hit a slice is to adopt a weak grip. Keep your hands turned to the left on the handle of your club when you grip your club. You will naturally curve your ball from left to right. Your clubface will return to your ball “open” if you place your hands on your club in a weak position--turned too far to the left.

To hit a draw, you need to adopt a strong grip. Toward this end, you need to rotate your hands to the right on the handle of your club. Turn your left hand so you can position your thumb to the right of the top-center of your handle. Doing this correctly, you’ll see three knuckles on your left hand. The V formed by your thumb and forefinger will point to your right shoulder or slightly below it. You also need to rotate your right hand to the right. Make sure the V between your thumb and index finger points toward your right shoulder.

Turn your hands to the right until your ball starts curving left. Then back off gradually little by little to discover the correct grip you want.

Too tight a grip inhibits you from rotating your club through your shot. To rotate your club more naturally and effortlessly, you need to remove the pressure in your hands, wrists, arms and shoulders. Put differently, you need to loosen your grip on the handle of your club.

Take your 7-iron and squeeze it as tight as you can. Take your normal address position, continuing to squeeze your club. Now, just before you get ready to swing your club back to start your backswing, relax your hands. Let all the tension in your fingers, arms and shoulders dissipate. Your hands need to feel soft. That’s what correct grip pressure feels like.

The tension-free grip allows you to swing your club with rhythm and in good tempo. It also helps you snap or sling your clubhead through your shot.

Having tension in your hands, you’ll leave your clubface open when you hit your ball. Your arms and hands won’t rotate naturally through your ball. Adopting a tension-free grip on your club, however, you’ll sense the release and power in your swing. You will hit straight shots or draws unless your grip is too weak.

When you want to hit your ball straight, you’d better set up with your stance square to the target line. That helps you swing your club down the line slightly longer than when your stance is open or closed. Typically, your stance line often influences your shoulder line to follow it.

To curve your ball from left to right, you need to use a slightly open stance to your target line. When you align your stance slightly open, your shoulders will also open. The more you open your stance, the more your shoulders will open. When that happens, you will swing your club across your ball, putting left-to-right slice spin on your ball. Your club is apt to swing along your shoulder line.

To move your ball from right to left, you’d better use a slightly closed stance to your target line. When you align your stance slightly closed, your shoulders will stay closed. That allows you to swing your club from inside to outside the target line. This promotes draws.

To hit your ball straight, you need to aim your clubface square at your target at address. Granted, you need to set up with a square stance. You’d better let your stance match with where you aim your clubface. If you want to open your clubface, for instance, you’d better open your stance. If you close your clubface, you need to close your stance, too.

If you open or close your clubface at address, you’ll get different results. If you leave your clubface open at address, you will hit a fade or slice. Your ball will fly higher and shorter than usual. Keeping your clubface closed, you’ll hit a draw or hook. Your ball will fly lower than usual. Your ball will roll too much.

To hit a low shot or to curve it from left to right, play your ball back in your stance. To hit a normal shot, position your ball in the middle of your stance. You can hit a fade or draw using this ball position. To hit high shots or draws, place your ball forward in your stance. Position it off the tip of your left shoulder or just inside your left heel.

Your right hand resting lower on the grip than your left hand, your spine will tilt away from the target at address. This slight bend away from the target places roughly 60 percent of your weight on your right foot. This needs to be your standard address position.

To hit a high shot, tilt your spine more to the right, with more weight on your right leg. That helps you hit your ball with a more upward blow. To hit your ball low, tilt your spine to the left toward the target. That causes your weight to shift toward your left foot at address. That also plays havoc with your ability to make a long, flowing backswing. You’ll make a shorter backswing with less wrist hinge. Don’t lean too far forward.

There are three ways you can release your club. First, you can keep your clubface open through your shot. This release allows you to hit a high fade. Second, you can leave your clubface square through your shot. This release is for you if you are struggling with hooks, slices or inconsistent shots. Third, you can keep your clubface closed through your ball. This will help you hit a right-to-left shot and keep your ball low.

Your hands and arms at finish can influence your shot. Think of finishing with your hands high if you want to hit a high shot, fade or slice. Think of finishing low and around if you want to hit straight shots or draws. You will swing your club around your body and from slightly inside to outside the target line.