One of the interesting things to understand about shoulder positioning at address is that you don’t need to set up over the ball the same way time after time. Sure, it is probably a good idea to use the same setup in most instances, but you can alter your shoulder position as a way to create different shots on command. If you’ve always struggled to produce one specific kind of shot, you may be able to unlock that ball flight simply by turning your shoulders in one direction or the other at address.

It should go without saying that this is something you’ll need to practice before you can even think about using it on the course. You will need to try various setups on the range to see how they impact your ball flight, and then you’ll need to practice those positions enough to build confidence. Everything is harder on the course than it is on the range, so don’t just give this a try on a whim. Be consistent about learning how to vary your ball flights using shoulder position and only use this new skill on the course after it is fully developed.

We’d love to explain to you exactly how you’ll be able to change your stance in order to produce different shots, but that isn’t how it works. The impact of changing shoulder position is going to affect everyone a bit differently, so you are just going to have to try things out on the range to see what works. We mentioned this it the previous paragraph, but it bears repeating because it is so important to your success. If you want to use this method of shaping your shots, trial and error is really the only way. The good news is this – you should start to figure out what works and what doesn’t pretty quickly, and you might have fun experimenting with new shots on the range.

If you have never before tried to learn new kinds of shots on the range, you might not know how to get started. We’ve compiled a few short tips below to help you out in that case.

• Back and forth. One of the best ways to learn a new shot, and to compare that shot to your normal shots, is to go back and forth between the two. So, for example, let’s say that your normal stance uses a square shoulder position, and you want to see what will happen if you swing from a closed position at address. Start by hitting the first shot with your normal swing. Then, hit the second shot with your shoulders closed at address. Continue this pattern, going back and forth, for as long as you like. Pretty soon, you will start to notice how the two swings feel different, and you will see how the ball behaves differently in the air.
• Be patient. It is always important to be patient in golf. This is a game which tends to reward patience, whether we are talking about the time you spend on the course or on the practice range. It takes time to make progress in golf and expecting anything to happen quickly is just setting yourself up for disappointment. Don’t give up on the idea of altering your ball flight using shoulder positioning just because the first few attempts are ugly. It might not work out in the end, but you need to at least give this a fair chance to succeed or fail on its own.
• Always aim. On the driving range, it is easy to think that everything is a good shot. After all, the range is quite wide, so it feels like you are doing well as long as you keep the ball between the sides. Of course, you are unlikely to find any holes on your local course that are nearly as long as the driving range you use for your practice sessions. For this reason, it is important to pick a specific target for each of your shots. By having a target in mind when you step up to the shot, you will be able to fairly evaluate how you have done once the shot is played.

Don’t just settle for hitting one kind of shot when you can work on expanding your repertoire to include a variety of ball flight options. You never know what you are going to encounter on the course, so having a number of different shots at your disposal is a valuable skill.