Your stock shot

I once read an interview with Butch Harmon where he described that Tiger had no stock shot when he coached him, he just played the shape that best suited the shot. He visualised a 3x3 grid (like a noughts and crosses / tic-tac-toe board) and would play the ball through one of the squares to the target beyond, eg top left square is a high fade, bottom right is a low draw. This seems unusual, even the current world number 1 has a stock shot: Rory hits that big high draw but can obviously hit a fade when required.

If I need to I can slice or hook the ball, for example to play around trees, but normally I like to hit a soft draw and will always play this unless I'm forced to hit a different shape. On the tee with the driver, I will think about where I want the ball to be then pick a target about 10 yards to the right with the intention that I will start it on this line and draw it back to my preferred spot. I don't have the control to switch between a fade and a draw from hole to hole.

Now i would expect every world class golfer who never contemplates shooting above 80 to be able to shape the ball at will. But what is your stock shot? How do you decide not to hit your stock shot? What do you do differently and how much control do you have?

My stock shot seems to be hit the putt and leave it f**king short. Can't get over it either. Stock shot with everything else is left right, as much as I'd prefer it not to be. Whether or not the stock shot comes out, I don't really have much control over it I'm afraid, so I just aim a tad left and swing and deal with the consequences.

I had heard that the "stock" practise for tour pros was to do exactly as you describe Tiger doing. 3*3 grid with practise built to play them all.

Maybe my swing is more variable then other peoples, but the stock shot I have can change from hole to hole. One minute everything fades and the next I have to aim right of the green to get the ball to come back online.

All my shots are right to left. Even my shanks hook.
Used to be able to hit a fade at will, at least off the tee, but no longer.

I've a very reliable draw with my 16 deg rescue, love that club. 3 Wood is also consistently reliable.

Recall that you generally use 3w off tees SR and now spot that you have a very strong rescue @ 16. Assuming the 3w is "normal" loft at about 15 do you have a big gap somewhere in your clubbing?

The longest club I carry (other than driver) is a hybrid which goes around 210 to 220 in calm flat conditions.

But the biggest gap I have is between my 7 iron and 200 yard hybrid. My ball striking with 6-4 iron is so poor I may as well not use those clubs.

Stock shot? Slight draw with everything except driver. Driver is usually dead straight to baby fade.

Most of the guys on Tour hit their stock shot maybe 90-95% of the time. They don't play a course (except maybe G. Watson) hitting big cuts and draws when they fancy it.

Roller_Coaster wrote:Recall that you generally use 3w off tees SR and now spot that you have a very strong rescue @ 16. Assuming the 3w is "normal" loft at about 15 do you have a big gap somewhere in your clubbing?

Well spotted Roller. Both my 3 wood and Rescue are somewhat of an anomaly.

My 3 wood, for a 15 deg with a regular shaft is indecently long. Summer conditions can see it average about 260, and with satisfying accuracy. Hence I don't require driver much, the rescue, with a shorter, heavier, stiffer shaft and 16 deg goes about 230-240. So I've not really got a massive loss in distance or too big a gap for such long distances, still got a 3 iron. I don't overload on wedges though, do almost everything bar bunkers with my 52. So think I've got a good spread of distances, perhaps a slight issue between 5-6 iron where the difference is about 20 yards, so maybe get the loft checked on those.

The trouble I find with most people's bags is that they think they know how far they ought to hit each club, rather than being aware of what they actually hit them.

I'm happy to just hit anywhere in the 3x3.

Anyway, I hit a fade, except for the short irons that then to be straight'ish. Being a 20-hcp'er I can't control draw / fade.

Good topic Ray
When I first started playing about 5 years ago I used to hit a massive high slice with everything, and I mean everything. Had a few lessons to get it sorted and now my takeaway is quite a bit too much on the inside (as my way of fixing it!). Consequently I tend to hit a draw now with everything, usually moving about 10 yards in flight. Means I hit almost every club further than I used to.
The good thing is I can hit a slice whenever I like. I just forget all swing thoughts and whack it and a big slice comes out.
What I cannot do is hit a hook with any iron. Can do it with the hybrid up but not with the irons.
And it's not for the want of trying. I tend to go to the range with a mate and we do little games. Pick a target, nearest out of 3 balls wins etc. sometimes we'll say got to hit it high, low, hooks,slice etc
Low flight and hook are the ones I struggle with

pedro wrote:I'm happy to just hit anywhere in the 3x3.

Anyway, I hit a fade, except for the short irons that then to be straight'ish. Being a 20-hcp'er I can't control draw / fade.

You and I must have similar swing faults Pedro. I fade/slice with woods and long irons (the degree of fade/slice depends on how well I'm playing!) - short irons and wedges go straight with a tendency to a straight pull left if anything. Mid irons confuse me .. I don't know whether to aim left or right :P

I don't have a stock shot per se, but I remember watching Bubba Watson hit THAT shot in 2012, and I spent basically the entire year trying to perfect it. It was decent to a degree, but I've realised that if I have to play it with anywhere near the regularity needed to justify the practise, I'm probably not going to go very well.

At a push though, I'd say my faded drive is pretty handy

kingraf

When you talk about playing golf, do you mean in real life or on a playstation?

I thought we were all talking about PlayStation? Nah I'm kidding. I mean in real life mate. I can't drive it too often without a bit of fade, so I've gone with it. It's all relative of course. I'd think it goes without saying that while my faded drive is pretty handy, it probably isn't qualifying school worthy. Certainly hasn't helped me romp to club champs.

Re: the Watson shot. Unfortunately, I'm not joking. I went berserk through 2012 trying to play it well. It was in hindsight as big a waste of time as anything I've ever done. Can remember Louis Oosthuizen saying Bubba only got that shot right because he's left handed, and in my mind, I kinda went... "well, I'm left handed, I should do that". I was young(er) okay, so sue me.

Come to think of it, I haven't played golf on PS since Tw09ish... are the latest ones any good?

kingraf wrote:Come to think of it, I haven't played golf on PS since Tw09ish... are the latest ones any good?

Think latest version see TW limping and humping around the rough searching for his ball. The stock shot is the snap hook and illegal drops.

Cheers mate, I'll definitely give it a look. All for realism

kingraf

So, you really spent a lot of time practicing the hooked PW from way under the trees? I hope you at least knew to go and play from the opposite side of the hole from Watson. Do you not think there are more useful shots to practice? I hate to be harsh, but you talk about golf in such a naive manner it is hard to imagine you have ever played more than a handful of rounds.

McLaren wrote:kingraf

So, you really spent a lot of time practicing the hooked PW from way under the trees?  I hope you at least knew to go and play from the opposite side of the hole from Watson.

Why Mac? He's already said he's left handed.
If you're going to be so condescending the least you could do is read what the guy's written

Why would I do that? I wouldnt have to play it from the other side... I mean, it sorta defeats the point.

To be honest, my goal in golf isn't really orientated around my scorecard. Hasn't been since the penny dropped and I realised just how far I was from the paid ranks (would have been when eight year olds started appearing on the local paper having won the SA's u/12 order of merit). I get a greater joy from recreating shots and learning trick shots than hitting course par (okay, that's a lie, but you get the gist of my post).

Kingraf, Poulter turned pro around your age and at +4 as well. What are you waiting for?

There are a few reasons.
1 - Lack the give a damn. Going from 4+ to scratch is beyond me.
2 - local talent is ridiculous mate. Not even worth a try. The guys in the Big Easy Tour alone would skin me alive.