Martin’s Blog: Develop a go-to shot you can trust

• By Martin Hall
• Oct 31, 2012 7:30 PM ET

CHAPTER 31: Develop a go-to shot
What is a go-to shot? It’s one you can rely on under pressure. It’s one you would bet the ranch you’ll pull off under any circumstance. I think there are three main types of go-to shots you should learn and practice, and then figure out the one that’s best for you:

• Draw: Ball back in your stance, hands forward at address and the clubface slightly to the right. Swing to the right without turning your body through too quickly. Have a feeling of slow arms with an abbreviated finish.

• Fade: Ball position forward, hands level or behind the ball at address and go 1/3 in the backswing with a 2/3 follow through. Aim a little left and swing even more to the left. Keep the left arm accelerating through the hit.

• Stinger: Ball back in your stance, hands forward, aim slightly left and keep your weight to the front side in your backswing. In the downswing, de-loft your trail hand with the palm facing the ground. Have the feeling of bouncing a basketball with the right hand as you come down. Finish with the weight on the front foot.

This week we inducted Nick Faldo into the Martin Hall of Fame. There are few better ball strikers ever to play the game than Faldo in his prime. He did it by developing a go-to shot with a slight left-to-right shot shape. Here are four Faldo feels that can help you do the same:

• Have a sensation of the hips and shoulders moving faster than the clubhead through impact.

• Work hard at keeping the right wrist bent through the hitting area.

• Keep the right shoulder and right side moving through the entire shot.

• Chicken wing the left arm slightly after impact.

Popular golf instruction tips:  Specialty Shots | Full Swing | Long Game | Hit a Fade

Martin’s Library: “The Masters of Golf” by Dick Aultman and Ken Bowden

”The Masters of Golf” by Dick Aultman and Ken Bowden takes an inside look at the swings and personalities of 18 major champions, and in this video segment Martin takes a look at four of those players and drills they used. Watch Video

More video from Martin:

In this video, Martin shows you how the great Nick Faldo used to hit a slight fade as his go-to shot under pressure. Watch Video

Homework Assignment:

• Get Your Ball Position Correct

• Follow Through Like Faldo

Next week’s show: Chapter 32: Short Game Special, Wednesday 7PM ET

• I’ll take you out on the course at Ibis Golf & Country Club for a Short Game Special and give you tips and drills for the key shots I can't teach in-studio, such as greenside bunker shots, chipping from the rough and breaking putts. I’ll also reveal the one shot amateurs have the most trouble with and teach you the cure, and Holly Sonders will assist with the instruction.

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