Golf Tip: Drawing The Ball; Jimmy Ballard

[AmericansForGuns0com]

Couple weeks ago I was playing a round and got on the left side behind some tall trees just before a dogleg left.

I couldnt easily get over or under the trees, and I didnt want to waste a stroke.

I aimed my stance to the right of the trees, closed the clubface to aim just left of center of the green and took a normal swing.

Ball heads out towards the lake and about half way takes a sharp left turn. I ran up to see past the trees and sure enough,the ball was up in front of the green.

[AmericansForGuns0com]

Two videos using another method to draw the ball that I know do work because I just used them with fantastic results today;

The Golf Swing Secret to Drawing the Ball

Ian Poulter - Draw shot

[AmericansForGuns0com]

hmmmm

I just got back from the range an hour ago.

I aimed my body right of target, closed the club face to directly on target, used a normal swing along my body line and sure enough the ball went out way right and came back left very sharp and landed dead center of where my club face was aimed.

Im not doubting the sincerity of the man in the video...but Im a brand new player and I just hit around 100 balls doing this and they were very much 'controlled' even though they looked like a hook.

[cockywatchman1976]

hook!!!!!!!!! 

[dickin585]

Ballard suckkkkkks.

[genekrause]

"You don't alter your golf swing at all. [to get a proper draw]." I challenge using that logic towards changing the ball flight of any novice who comes over the top. Instruction is relevant to the student watching. And someone watching this video who has other more serious flaws in their swing could find themselves completely lost. And I have yet to see tour players setup with such a stance to hit a "proper" draw flight. Hook, yes. Simple draw, no.

[AlexCzervic]

Have another drink.

Should be playing a fade to that pin anyway.

[2xtrbo]

Draw: Point club at target, point everything else slightly right. So simple, yet people make it so muddled.

[splitopennmelt]

@2xtrbo If you did that.....you would get a ball that started at the flag (because the club is pointed there) and hooked to the left of the flag.

The correct way to hit a draw is to open the clubface slightly right of target. Then make sure the path of club is traveling slightly inside to out in relation to that clubface.

[beranbr]

@2xtrbo, sorry but that is an incorrect way of drawing a ball to your intended target. If you line your club face square to the intended target and everything else to the right and made a perfect swing, squaring the club face at impact the ball would draw past and left of the target. The method Jimmy uses here works 100% of the time when you make a correct golf swing.

[AmericansForGuns0com]

@beranbr

Gotta disagree, friend.

As a new player I just tried what another video was showing to draw the ball back and it worked EVERY single time right from the very first try.

when the ball does come back left of course its on that trajectory...its not going to stop mid air and change directions, so if you hit it hard enough it will go left of target....but that is where hitting the ball right comes into play...ie practice.

It ALL works when you make the 'correct' golf swing..thats the point.

[thefightbeginswithu]

100% CORRECT

[wongfu82]

Ball flight is 85% clubface orientation, 15% swing path.  If you close the clubface to point at the flag and zero out your swing path, you will hit a ball that starts at the flag and curves left of the flag.

[ppkgoodspeed]

You can draw a ball this way, but there is a much easier way to do it. Pick a line you wish to start the ball at. Make sure its small target a poll or tree. this helps accuracy. Setup as normal aiming at the target right of the hole. Then close t he club face to point at the flag. Make sure you re-grip with the new closed face, dont just turn the face closed. Same swing as normal. You can get a 60 yard draw this way if u want. Round a tree if needed.

[TheJerwy]

@ppkgoodspeed

That's a hook, not a draw. They talk about it in the info section of this video.

[dkayne6655]

no but it does help the advanced golfer so dont talk shit

[JAKEHARRIS281]

When he says a draw is a perfectly str8 ball that falls left he means the ball is somewhat right of the target and falls left. A fade is somewhat to the left of the target line and then falls right. He knows that but doesn't make the distintion. A draw will produce more distance because of less backspin and a fade will be more accurate with not as much distance.

[jacksonwaspedo]

you are wrong. a ball will curve if you hit it NON FLUSH i.e. with the club slightly on the right or left of center - thagt is what causes hooks and slices but also the ANGLE of the c;lub face at impact IF HIT SQAURE with a club bace that is not slightly inward or outward -0 then the ball will go straight. there is very littel slicin with say a 9 iron so this is proof.

[jacksonwaspedo]

If the clubface is square at impact, the club is not coming inside out or outside in - the ball WILL go straight. It helps if you roll your wrists over at impact

[jacksonwaspedo]

it is hard but certainly not impossible. With driver I hit maybe 50% of my shots straight. with irons - probably 90% and with 9 iron probably 98% straight. I play with others that will hit neraly EVERY drive straight. it's not true that it's impossible.

[jacksonwaspedo]

well that wasn't really the issue or question I had. You are talking about hitting a ball straight and the question I asked was WHAT IS THE POINT of hitting a draw? AS i understand it you are setting up stance RIGHT of the target and then hitting the ball so it goes to the left in a straight line?? wtf?? why wouldn't you just hit a regular shot aiming straight at the target? I don't get it? set up right and hit ball in straight line to target on the left? makes no sense.

[znov400]

well, for one draws do get a little more distance. second, if there is a hazard, like water or a bunker right in the front of the green, you can draw the ball on the green to safely avoid the hazard. much safer than trying to soar it over.

[jacksonwaspedo]

sorry I just don't get it. If you're aiming at the green the ball still goes from where you are to where the green is. I don't see how shifting your stance to the right and then hitting a shot that makes it go tot he same place it would go if you aimed straight at the green makes any difference.

[AmericansForGuns0com]

@jacksonwaspedo

Why hit a draw?

Most of the time a draw will give you extra distance. Not sure why but other than Jack Nicklaus everything Ive read says a fade loses distance and a draw gains distance.

If for no other reason it would be good to learn to draw the ball for the extra yardage...which is where I am now.

My shots today did seem to have about 5 or so more yards than normal, so there seems to be something to drawing the ball and it going further.

:-)

[mondo4422]

@AmericansForGuns0com

That's because draws and hooks have over-spin and roll further, while fades and slices have under-spin and will roll less, (think backspin with a wedge.)

[dschultz6072]

@mondo4422 there is no such thing as over spin when a golf ball flies. it's all backspin. the axis it spins on can be tilted to the right or the left, never flipped. if the ball had top spin it would not even get airborne. that's a topped shot.

[xvirg]

And your timing has to be impeccable to get the ball moving on the correct path. Without correct timing of the body and arms, your shot can still go anywhere other than the intended flight path. That goes for any golf shot. This method slightly alters the normal timing of hip rotation so you will need to hit a lot of balls to get the feel of how it changes your timing.

[kaybee143]

I've messed around with several ways to hit a draw, and this one seemed to help me the most, provided I release the clubhead correctly and don't leave it open. I found that the more I move my foot back, the more I swing in to out, and the more it draws (sometimes to the point that I hook it, yes),

So basically for me I just have to know how much I need to bring the club inside on my backswing to get the right amount of draw on the ball, and now I don't need to drop my foot so much if at all.

[jacksonwaspedo]

i don't get it - if with a draw the ball goes straight but ends up to the left of the target - WHY NOT JUST AIM STRAIGHT AT THE TARGET? I.E. aim straight at the target WITHOUT hitting a draw? A hook at least GOES AROUND a tree but what is the point of hitting a draw if it goes in a straight line?

[dkayne6655]

because most people do not have the natural ability to hit it straight. most am players hit a bad slice or a major hook a draw is a prefered ball flight, however for pros a fade so it lands soft with spin. golf is a game of misses hitting it straight doenst happen often

[jacksonwaspedo]

he is talking aabout is aiming left and to purposely hit the ball in such a manner as to make in land right of where you aimed. I would agree if you are hitting right consistently you would simply aim left but most people do not know why they hit it to the rigth. this here video is stating to purposely do it that way so then that would be as hard to do as hitting it straight. I still don't get it. If you're able to purposely aim left, go right well then you should be able to hit straight too

[dkayne6655]

no your not aiming left at all, listen jimmy ballad is my personal coach, he is saying line your feet left but keep your core where the golf swing comes from in the same line, it only creates a slight fall to the left on the golf ball. draws and fades are used for spin factors on the greens.

[jacksonwaspedo]

ok that is the first time anyone made sense. you should do the video for Jimmy as you are better at explaiining it hten him. I could not figure why you would line your feet up to the left but when you say that it is to create SPIN FACTORS on the green then that makes sense JIMMY BALLAD LEFT THAT OUT HE NEVER SAID ANYTHING ABOUT THAT SHAME ON HIM HE NEEDS TO NOT LEAVE OUT crucial points. I give him an F for this video as without that crucial piece of info the entire video makesno sense. thanks

[AmericansForGuns0com]

@dkayne6655

I'll definitely try what Ballad is proposing, probably works.

What I disagree with is his saying that you cant control a hook. I just did it about 100 times today and this is the FIRST time Ive ever even tried...Ive only really just learned to play this game this summer.

If an idiot like me can control a "hook" and drop it in the marked fairway every time I cant even imagine what a professional golfer could do to the ball.

:-)

[FairwayJack]

a great Texan once said, "you can argue with a slice but a hook won't even talk with you"

[yashank1]

what does that mean?!

[FairwayJack]

it means that a hook is worse than a slice...and that you can actually play a decent round a golf with a slice provided you allow for the left to right ball flight. It was funnier when Trevino said it.

[hjgardner79]

yeah, if you want to hit a snipe hook!

[futon456538]

If you flip your hands then people will

hit the ball probably like you do,

like crap!!!

[LKskateNC]

wouldnt this method cause a lot of pushes cos once ur at the top starting the downswing the whole body adjusted to come on that inside plane so it changes the direction.. ive tried this and i pushed and drew.. so i dunno

[jdzzle]

i tried this tip at the range tonight and couldn't seem to get it!oh well there is a wicked dog leg left i'm gwanna use it or loose it on tomorrow in a round w/ Da boss ,cheers from SoCal

[pat52007]

One thing you have to remember about learning golf is that you are always learning..OK? His instruction about alignment are correct, however, don't be afraid to experiment a bit with your golf swing..the pros do it all the time and then stick with what works at the time. Golf to a large degree is about feel and vision..don't get too bogged down in mechanics!! Also, get advice from many players both pro and good amateurs. You should never stop learning. The best players

are always learning!!

[ocdave99]

Okay, I played a round and went to the range twice in the last 4 days. My apologies, Jimmy. You do know what you're talking about. You are my sensai. Well Done. Now I'm whacking the crap outta the ball right down the fairway! The elbow tip was all I needed. I had a great backswing and a crap downswing. No more. THANK YOU JIMMY BALLARD!

[golfer9660]

what is the elbow tip? where is it

[ocdave99]

I've watched seven of his tips in the last day and am going to try them out; however, I have yet to see him actually hit a ball. So, is he a "player" as well as a teacher? Or is he just a "teacher"? Show us Jimmy! You sound smart. I'm going to try your methods. But it really helps to actually see you do it so I can copy it visually! Hit the ball!

[zepsdbest]

ocdave99,

Ballard could play, don't know if he does much playing these days he smart enough to know that he's not giving a clinic on his ball striking skills, he's giving a golf tip.

I did read your follow up comment and you found out Ballard knows the golf swing.