A bunch of questions about hitting stroke

Hi there fellow golfers. I have been using a hitting stroke for my short shots - chips and pitches with reasonable success. I thought since it was a simpler stroke I would become a pure hitter and hit all my shots. In the past I had been taught a "classical" swing. Not having any great level of consistency with it and always felt I was more naturaly a hitter. (once I learned what hitting is and realising that what instructors in the past were trying to correct were components of a "natural" hitting action). So I have seen a TGM instructor and gone through the basics of the hitting action. I have downloaded every Ted Fort video from this site and watched them over and over...

I have a few questions to you experienced hitters out there:

1. If hitting should my ball flight always be a fade?
Hitting best done with angle hinge - angle hinge = fade. is that right?

2. When I practice hitting and also when playing a round of golf hitting I end up with very sore muscles. Neck, back shoulders, left hip, just about everything. Is this normal? I can't practice or play two consecutive days Will my body adapt eventually? Has anyone else experienced this?

3. Is there a pause at the top of a hitting action before the start down?

4. How much of a wrist hinge/cock is there in a hitting stroke? Ted F mentions "frozen" alignments of the left and right wrists throughout the stroke in one of the videos.

Your comments would be greately appreciated.

I've converted to hitting all shots a couple of years ago. I, too, suffered from inconsistencies swinging, and found that I'm a natural hitter as well.

1. You hit fades with angled hinging because of the layback of the clubhead. You can always alter this "natural tendency" by changing your ballposition or the clubface alignment. Just like you will if you want to curve the ball.
I've learned by experience, playing around with it on the range.

2. I've experienced sore muscles, especially in the right forearm and elbow. I think some of us have a tendency to tense up the muscles while learning new movements. It will get better, when you start trusting your hitting stroke and relaxes more.

3. Can be. My transition gets a little fast sometimes. The feeling of a short pause at the top while I start bumbing my left hip out to right field helps.

4. I don't do anything conscious about left hand wristcock, just keep my right wrist bend, level and facing the inside aft of the ball (no rolling).
In the beginning i was focusing on hitting the ball with the #1 pressurepoint. When that became natural the focus changed to PP#3. That's been the biggest thing I've learned so far. Now a lot of full swing, short game and putting practise is all about training the PP#3 how much pressure is needed for different lengths.

Those are just some of my experiences converting to hitting. Remember I only have been trained through the TGM websites, especially LBG.com

Originally Posted by Thom I've converted to hitting all shots a couple of years ago. I, too, suffered from inconsistencies swinging, and found that I'm a natural hitter as well.

1. You hit fades with angled hinging because of the layback of the clubhead. You can always alter this "natural tendency" by changing your ballposition or the clubface alignment. Just like you will if you want to curve the ball.
I've learned by experience, playing around with it on the range.

2. I've experienced sore muscles, especially in the right forearm and elbow. I think some of us have a tendency to tense up the muscles while learning new movements. It will get better, when you start trusting your hitting stroke and relaxes more.

3. Can be. My transition gets a little fast sometimes. The feeling of a short pause at the top while I start bumbing my left hip out to right field helps.

4. I don't do anything conscious about left hand wristcock, just keep my right wrist bend, level and facing the inside aft of the ball (no rolling).
In the beginning i was focusing on hitting the ball with the #1 pressurepoint. When that became natural the focus changed to PP#3. That's been the biggest thing I've learned so far. Now a lot of full swing, short game and putting practise is all about training the PP#3 how much pressure is needed for different lengths.

Those are just some of my experiences converting to hitting. Remember I only have been trained through the TGM websites, especially LBG.com

Thanks Thom,
just clarifying something about ball flight... So all "pure" hitters will have their "normal" shot as a fade and will need to make adjustments if a draw is required? Reason I am asking is that when I was practicing I felt I was hitting (right arm drive) aiming out to right-field, great contact and compression and getting a nice little draw??!! maybe my hinge action was not right? I have read that horizontal hinging with a hitting stroke is asking for trouble, but when I was practicing I was hitting the shot consistently and it was a draw. When I "try" to get the correct flight ie. a fade I feel I am manipulating and end up getting slices rather than fades. I am trying to figure out what is not matching up. Any ideas... anyone?