Lesson
9 - Fading the Ball. (Changed - 22/09/2017)
The ability to create
a fade shot is a big advantage when you are required
make the ball bend with a gradual curve to the right,
for example if you need to bend the ball around the
corner of a dog leg hole or if you need to bend the
ball around a tree that is directly in line to the target
point.
To make a golf ball bend to the right,
it requires the ball to leave the tee peg with a very
fast clockwise spinning motion.
Therefore to impart any sideways spin on the golf ball
you need to alter the swing path of the golf swing so
that the club head cuts across surface of the ball thus causing the ball to spin in a sideways motion.
Therefore the swing action that is
required to create a fade shot is identical to the swing
that is required to hit the ball straight. --The only
difference is the way that you set up your body at the
address position and the adjustment that you need to
make to realign the club face.
The Set Up.
The set up that the golfer has to
adopt in order to play a fade shot is identical to playing
a straight shot, the only adjustment you have to make
is to alter your stance so that the shoulders hips and the feet are aligned to a point that is
to the left of the actual target point -( this is called
an open address position) the hips and the feet are aligned to a point that is
to the left of the actual target point.
(The target point is where you want the ball to stop.)
Because of the "open" set
up at the address position, most high handicapped golfers
find it easier to fade the ball.
This is because the golfer is actually slightly facing
towards the target area, although only by a few degrees,
but this psychologically affects the golfer, as the golfer
can see where the ball is going.
Therefore to set up the body to fade the ball, set
your body with the feet, the hips and the shoulders
"Parallel to the Target Line" as you
would if you intended to hit the golf shot straight
down the middle.
(The
direction that you initially aim the ball.)
Look down at the area where your
feet are placed and also look at the position of the
ball on the tee peg you will notice that if you draw
a line between your feet and then draw a line from the
the ball to each of the feet, you will see that the
three lines form a triangle.
Using the ball position
as the pivotal point of the triangle and whilst strictly
maintaining the distance between the feet and also the
angles between the feet and the ball, shuffle the feet
around the pivotal point of the ball to your right,
until your whole stance is aligned to the left of the
target point.
( ( Imagine that you are standing on a revolving platform
large enough to accommodate the ball and you- so to
adjust your stance in order to fade the ball, you would
need to rotate the whole platform in an anti clockwise
motion for a few degrees until your feet were aligned
to the left of the target point.)
Your body position at
this point will indicate that the feet, the hips and
the shoulders are now aligned in the direction that
is slightly to the left of the target area.
If you carried out
your normal swing with out any adjustment to the club
face, the ball would fly in the direction that your
whole body is aligned, which is to the left of the actual
target area.
This is the correct
set up of the body in order to play a fade shot.
The Swing
Therefore as I have
stated, the actual mechanics of the golf swing required
to create a fade shot is exactly the same as if you
were to hit the ball in a straight line - you do not
have to make any adjustment to your swing.
The only adjustment
that you need to make after you have adjusted your address
position to create an open stance, is to open the club
face a few degrees so that club face is facing squarely
to a point that is exactly between the point that your
feet, the hips and the shoulders are aligned, and the actual target point
you want the ball to land.
Once you have set up
your body so that the feet, the hips and the shoulders
are aligned to a point that is to the left of the actual
target, this is the actual line that you must swing
the golf club.
This swing path will
cause the club face to be cutting across the ball at
the point of impact thus creating a fade shot.
The whole swing process
must be focused on swinging the club head through the
contact area whilst the whole body is aligned "Parallel
to the Target Line" which is this situation, is
to the left of the actual spot you wish the ball to
finish.
(It is important to note
that the target line is where you aim the ball initially,
not the actual target area that you intend the ball
to finish.)
The other point to consider
when fading the ball is that when you select a golf
club in order to play a fade shot you must allow for
the fact that the club face of the club that you would
normally choose to hit a ball a given distance will
effectively be slightly lofted -- this means that the
lofted club face will cause the ball to fly on a higher
trajectory and therefore the ball will not run so far
upon landing.
Therefore in order to
compensate for the shorter distance that the ball will
travel you will need to use a club face that has a lower
degree of loft.
So remember, the swing action that
is required to "fade" the ball is identical
to that as described in Lessons 4,5,6.
The only difference is that you
must set up your body at the address position in order
to alter the swing path, so that the swing path cuts
across the "Straight to the Target line" and
imparts a sideways spin on the golf ball.
When you practice the swing in order
to fade the ball remember:-
1) To rotate the " Upper Body" (as
taught in lesson 3)
2) Keep the head slightly behind
the ball and also in the "Fixed Frontal" condition"
3) Watch the ball until the club
head makes contact.
(The target point is where you want the ball to stop.)
Because of the "open" set
up at the address position, most high handicapped golfers
find it easier to fade the ball.
This is because the golfer is actually slightly facing
towards the target area, although only by a few degrees,
but this psychologically affects the golfer,as the golfer
can see where the ball is going.
Therefore to set up the body to fade the ball, set
your body with the feet, the hips and the shoulders
"Parallel to the Target Line" as you
would if you intended to hit the golf shot straight
down the middle.
(The
direction that you initially aim the ball.)
Look down at the area where your
feet are placed and also look at the position of the
ball on the tee peg you will notice that if you draw
a line between your feet and then draw a line from the
the ball to each of the feet, you will see that the
three lines form a triangle.
Using the ball position
as the pivotal point of the triangle and whilst strictly
maintaining the distance between the feet and also the
angles between the feet and the ball, shuffle the feet
around the pivotal point of the ball to your right,
until your whole stance is aligned to the left of the
target point.
( ( Imagine that you are standing on a revolving platform
large enough to accommodate the ball and you- so to
adjust your stance in order to fade the ball, you would
need to rotate the whole platform in an anti clockwise
motion for a few degrees until your feet were aligned
to the left of the target point.)
Your body position at
this point will indicate that the feet, the hips and
the shoulders are now aligned in the direction that
is slightly to the left of the target area.
If you carried out
your normal swing with out any adjustment to the club
face, the ball would fly in the direction that your
whole body is aligned, which is to the left of the actual
target area.
This is the correct
set up of the body in order to play a fade shot.
The Swing
Therefore as I have
stated, the actual mechanics of the golf swing required
to create a fade shot is exactly the same as if you
were to hit the ball in a straight line - you do not
have to make any adjustment to your swing.
The only adjustment
that you need to make after you have adjusted your address
position to create an open stance, is to open the club
face a few degrees so that club face is facing squarely
to a point that is exactly between the point that your
feet, the hips and the shoulders are aligned, and the actual target point
you want the ball to land.
Once you have set up
your body so that the feet, the hips and the shoulders
are aligned to a point that is to the left of the actual
target, this is the actual line that you must swing
the golf club.
This swing path will
cause the club face to be cutting across the ball at
the point of impact thus creating a fade shot.
The whole swing process
must be focused on swinging the club head through the
contact area whilst the whole body is aligned "Parallel
to the Target Line" which is this situation, is
to the left of the actual spot you wish the ball to
finish.
(It is important to note
that the target line is where you aim the ball initially,
not the actual target area that you intend the ball
to finish.)
The other point to consider
when fading the ball is that when you select a golf
club in order to play a fade shot you must allow for
the fact that the club face of the club that you would
normally choose to hit a ball a given distance will
effectively be slightly lofted -- this means that the
lofted club face will cause the ball to fly on a higher
trajectory and therefore the ball will not run so far
upon landing.
Therefore in order to
compensate for the shorter distance that the ball will
travel you will need to use a club face that has a lower
degree of loft.
So remember, the swing action that
is required to "fade" the ball is identical
to that as described in Lessons 4,5,6.
The only difference is that you
must set up your body at the address position in order
to alter the swing path, so that the swing path cuts
across the "Straight to the Target line" and
imparts a sideways spin on the golf ball.
When you practice the swing in order
to fade the ball remember:-
1) To rotate the " Upper Body" (as
taught in lesson 3)
2) Keep the head slightly behind
the ball and also in the "Fixed Frontal" condition"
3) Watch the ball until the club
head makes contact.
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