The 9 Shot Matrix: How To Practice Every Shot Shape You Need

Playing “shots” on the golf course can be overdone.

If your natural ball flight is a fade, you probably don’t need to go through the entire round trying to decide if each pin requires a draw. The same goes for a player who naturally spins the ball. Even the best players in the world rely heavily on a stock shot because golf is hard enough without trying to manufacture a different ball flight every time.

However, there are situations where being able to deviate from your normal stroke pattern can help.

Maybe you need to keep the ball under the wind. Maybe you should quickly get up a tree. Sometimes, your normal curve simply doesn’t fit the shot in front of you.

That’s where the nine-shot matrix comes in.

The idea is simple: combine three trajectories (low, stock, high) with three stroke shapes (fade, straight, draw).

You don’t need all nine of these shots to play good golf. Think of the matrix more as a practice exercise that teaches you how to control the flight of the ball. And while there are many ways to create these shots, I think the easiest place for most golfers to start is with setup.

Instead of trying to learn nine different swings, let’s change the setup and keep the swing as normal as possible.

For the examples below, assume a straight golfer. Left-handed players can reverse the directional adjustments.

Start by controlling the trajectory

Before worrying about the curve, work in the center column of the matrix.

Hit a low forehand, your normal forehand and a high forehand. The goal is just to see how much you can change the window while keeping the ball moving in essentially the same direction.

For the low shot, move the ball slightly back from your normal position, hang back a bit and slightly favor the toe side at set up. A little thinner forward shaft can also help provide less loft.

The important part is what happens next. Make a normal, balanced swing. You don’t have to cut the ball or force your hands dramatically forward.

For the high blow, work in the opposite direction. Move the ball a little further and let the handle sit more neutral so you can preserve some loft.

What you don’t want to do is hang up and try to collect the ball. You are creating the conditions in the setup that make it easier to launch higher and let the club do the rest.

Your stock trajectory remains exactly that: your normal setup and normal swing.

Once you can see a clear difference between low, stock and high, move on.

Then, work on the curve

Now go through the middle row of the matrix.

Start with a stock fade, stock straight shot and stock draw. Keep the trajectory relatively normal and focus on changing the direction of the ball’s curves.

Configuration does not guarantee firing. The clubface and path must work together at impact. The goal is just to make the conditions easier to create without feeling like you need a completely different swing.

For a fade:

• Move the ball slightly forward from your stock position.
• Point your body slightly left of the target.
• Keep the club face closer to the target than your body is aiming for.
• Make your normal swing along the line of your body.

For a draw:

• Move the ball slightly back to your stock position.
• Point your body a little straight from the target.
• Keep the club face closer to the target than your body is aiming for.
• Make your normal swing along the line of your body.

With the straight shot, return to your normal ball position, alignment and clubface position.

Leave the grip changes out of this at first. You can certainly manipulate the grip or add different release sensations to shape shots, but that gives you many more variables to manage.

Put the pieces

Once you can control the trajectory and curve on your own, the four corner shots are really just combinations of the same setup changes.

• low fade: Ball slightly back, body to the left, club face aimed closer to the target, grab a little and favor the leading edge.
• high fade: Ball slightly forward, body directed to the left, clubface aimed closer to the target and keep the handle more neutral to preserve loft.
• Low draft: Ball slightly back, the body to the right, the face of the club closer to the target, grab a little and favor the lead side.
• High draw: Ball slightly forward, body to the right, club face closer to the target and keep the handle more neutral to preserve loft.

From there, make your normal swing along the setup.

You’re not trying to invent four more golf swings. You’re just combining the trajectory and curve adjustments you’ve already practiced.

The easiest way to practice the nine stroke matrix

I have to work through this process deliberately. You have to notice that there are some shots that you like to hit and can repeat easily and those that are hard. For example, I have a hard time hitting a low fade, but the high fade is no problem. It’s not that I haven’t used it at some point, but I’m less likely to.

If you can get through this card and add at least one more shot to your bag, you will help your game. Having the ability to create shots (when needed) will get you out of trouble and help you be more aggressive.

Use a 7 iron or 8 iron. Start with your high and low stock shots and then move on to fade stock and draw. Others become difficult, but worth experiencing. Give yourself some room for success here. If you usually hit a fade and manage to turn one three yards from right to left, that counts. You have learned to influence the flight of the ball.

You probably won’t use all nine

If your stock shot works for most of the shots it makes, keep hitting it. There is no reason to make golf more complicated just because you know how to make a draw.

The value of the nine-shot matrix is ​​knowing what to do when your stock shot doesn’t fit the situation.

More importantly, practice gives you a much better understanding of how ball position, alignment, club face position and loft affect the golf ball.

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