Dial in your stock shot with this simple shot-shaping drill

Welcome to Shaving Strokes, a new GOLF.com series in which we’re sharing improvements, learnings and takeaways from amateur golfers just like you — including some of the speed bumps and challenges they faced along the way.

I’ve talked before about how using a launch monitor has drastically improved my game, with it providing instant feedback and cold hard data to reveal good (and bad) tendencies in my golf swing.

In fact, I found the information so important (and fun) that I snagged myself an indoor golf membership so that I could hit in a simulator pretty much any day I want to. It’s obviously been pretty clutch for working on my game during these colder winter months.

One of the many different things that I’m working on this winter is building a stock shot, which is easy to do when using a launch monitor and simulator because it’s so efficient. Turns out, hitting into a screen takes way less time than beating a bunch of balls at the range. Go figure!

Knowing your stock shot is pivotal in playing better golf — and it’s something I’ve lacked for a long time.

Think of it as your insurance on the golf course, when your mind is running and you’re between clubs and distances. Instead of swinging harder with one club or taking something off on another, you just go back to your most-practiced (and comfortable) swing, allowing you to feel confident with the result.

So how can you build your stock shot to improve ball striking and score lower? According to GOLF Teacher to Watch Todd Casabella, by following the drill below; which only requires a launch monitor or golf simulator and some dedicated practice time.

Try this to build your stock shot

“There’s no better way to improve your swing then using a launch monitor,” Casabella says. “Data drives knowledge, and you get all the key data of what both the club and the ball are doing through the monitor.”

While a launch monitor is helpful to track improvement, it can be difficult to decipher all the information it spits back at you. Casabella wants to simplify it for you by focusing on two main parts: the club path and the face angle.

“Simply put, the ball starts where the face is pointing, and the ball curves away from the path,” Casabella says. “In my experience, golfers are able to feel and change the path with very little awareness of the clubface. What do I mean? Most golfers slice. To correct it, they start trying to swing more left, either by aiming, coming over-the-top, or combining the two; yet they still slice.”

This is where Casabella wants to create clubface awareness, and he describes an easy drill that he likes to use with a launch monitor — which can help build your stock shot.

“In the simulator, I have a string on the ground creating the target line. If your simulator doesn’t have one, you can put down an alignment stick to represent it,” he says. “Put the ball a foot or two behind the string or stick to create an awareness of where you are to swing the club.”

“To hit a draw, it requires a right path and a face pointing to the left of the path. So you’re going to swing to the right of the string while trying to point the clubface at the top of the string.”

“To hit a fade, the ball must start to the left and curve back to the right, requiring a left path and a clubface pointing to the right of the path,” he says. “So you’re going to swing to the left of the string, while trying to point the clubface at the top of the string.”

By utilizing this easy drill with a launch monitor or golf simulator, Casabella says you’ll be on your way towards building an ideal stock shot thanks to the information provided to you.

“Learning to the curve the ball excessively creates great face-to-path awareness,” he says. “And will help your stock shot ball striking.”

Foresight Sports GCQuad Launch Monitor

$14500

The most advanced launch monitor ever produced.

The GCQuad is the world’s most accurate, versatile, and complete launch monitor on the market. As the only launch monitor in the industry to utilize Quadrascopic imaging, the GCQuad delivers the most accurate detailed picture of ball and club head performance analysis. With repeatable and reliable data indoors and out, the GCQuad is a three-time Golf Digest Editors’ Choice Award Winner for a reason. 
Includes our all-new FSX Play Software.
Experience the game like never before—with hyper-realistic gameplay powered by an all-new graphics engine. Rich textures, 3D grass and foliage, enhanced lighting, updated UI and more provide for our best simulation experience yet.

What data the GCQuad measures:

Ball speed
Horizontal & vertical launch angles
Spin
Side spin
Carry distance
* Club head speed
* Smash factor
* Angle of attack
* Club path
* Loft at impact
* Lie & face angle at impact
* Impact location on the club face

*Available with club add-on (additional purchase necessary)

Each GCQuad comes with:

FSX Play Software 
FSX 2020 Software
10 Courses 
FSX Pro Performance Software
Foresight Fairgrounds 
Carry Bag
2-year warranty
Power adapter & cable
USB-C cable
Alignment stick
Club markers

Courses included:

Blue Bayou Golf and Fishing Club
Broken Tree Golf Course

Linfield National Golf Club
Teton Pines Golf Course

Willow Crest Golf Club
The Farms Golf Club

Beaver Hills Country Club
Tall Pines Golf Club

Butterfield Country Club (Red/Blue)
Kinsale Golf and Fitness Club

Terms & conditions:

U.S. customers only.
After 24 hours, a fee of $250 will be incurred by the customer for order cancellation of this product purchase.
Tax not included in MSRP shown.

GCQuad Specifications:

 Technology: Quadrascopic high-speed camera system

 Dimensions: 7″(w) x 4″(d) x 12.5″(h)

 Weight: 7.5lbs / 3.8kg

 Battery: Removable Lithium-Ion Rechargeable

 Data Interface: USB Type C / WiFi / Ethernet

 Compatibility: Android, iOS

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Nick Dimengo

Golf.com Editor