Setup 30 degrees to the right!

Assume for the moment that you are setup to the ball with an eight iron, and the target is straight ahead of you.

Now for your second shot, with that same eight iron, the target is say, 30 degrees to your right. In this case would you simply shift everything over 30 degrees so you were aligned to that target? I have been struggling with this - hitting the ball with a closed club face - today- I was trying to recreate that closed club face - and I think the ball might of been too far back in my stance - or the angle of my backswing - are there any accomodations that ought to be made for the second shot...


Many thanks,

Jamesh

Hi Jamesh.

I don't quite understand your problem. Why would you not wish to align yourself to the second shot?

If your trying to recreate the closed club face, the one accomodation would be to leave the club head facing the orignal target and shift everything else 30 degrees to the right and swing toward the target 30 degrees to the right.

Sorry, still confused with this.

You should always take proper alignment of the clubface to the target and place your self in parallel alignment to the clubface. That is unless you wish to put some side spin on the ball or hit a flop or sand shot.

Think I got it. You have an eight iron shot, line up the shot and address the ball. Now, rotate the earth to the right 30 degrees and imagine that your body does not rotate at all. The earth just slips beneath your feet. The target line you established is now 30 degress off the target line to the new hole position. Yes, of course you should shift yourself to align with this new target line to the ball.

Not sure what you mean about the closed club face though. Are you saying you hit the ball 30 degress off line all of the time?

It looks like I messed this one up. First, I am a lefty. This is what I was trying to say. I have an eight iron shot – straight ahead – I can line up the ball, work out alignment – and I am fine.

Now for my second shot, with the same 8 iron, the target is 30 degrees to the right. It is no longer straight. I have a heck of a time with alignment (because the target isn’t straight ahead) and the ball has a tendency of going to the left of the target, and the club face has a tendency of hitting the ball closed. I am wondering what this would suggest about my setup, .i.e., the ball is too far back in my stance, swinging over the top, my stance is closed, and finally if there are any tips for a setup on a shot that is say 30 degrees to the right, i.e., an open setup, lead foot dran back etc.... The confusion may be that there is no difference in the setup between a shot that is straight ahead or 30 degrees to the right – you simply align each shot accordingly, in which case, back to the drawing board for me!



Thanks,

Jamesh

Assuming you are playing your second shot from the fairway and you have no intervening obstacles (trees, bunkers, water), then you would simply stand behind the ball and align at ZERO degrees, not 30 degrees...

UNLESS, you are trying to deliberately fashion a fade/draw of some sort...

In which case I shall cede to those more learned around here than I...

Good luck with it......

Cheers

Jamesh,

I think I must be missing the point completely. To me the target is always straight ahead, you just turn to face it and take the same stance.

maybe you can explain what is wrong in terms of ball flight?

hi Brian
he may be playing a bit like i play with an open stance on all shots and hit a fade but with him being left handed he will hit a draw.
i aim 40 degrees to the left on almost all shots and maybe he plays in a similar way, but you would only do that if you aim to play a fade (with me) on all shots, with the lower irons like say a 9 and wedge the backspin is stronger and the only side spin you get is when the ball lands and it runs a little to the right.
Jamesh,
do you set up so you hit a draw on all shot and is that why you set up that way and do you line up the face of the club to the target when yoyr feet face away at 30 degrees.
cheers
bill

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Yeah, there is no rule that says you have to line up parallel or in line with the direction of the fairway.

Jamb,

I said "To Me the target is straight ahead" etc. I didn't infer it was a rule or that you line up with the fairway (Did I?). You can face backwards on one leg if you prefer.

Poor alignment is something that many many golfers suffer from and is one of the major causes of missing target. Jamesh has a problem that he has asked advice on and I am failing to understand what the problem is.

I was just agreeing with you and commenting to Jamesh.

Cool ......

I can't understand this either. So, in my head I am thinking that he has to hit around something!
Brian

hi Miffin
if you think off Lee Trevino with his open stance then Jamesh is doing the same but left handed, he is setting up to his right side open and is hitting what is a fade to him. but the ball start to the right and fades to the left.
just like Trevino but left handed.
thats what i think he means.
cheers
bill