draw vs. fade/cut

[Biegoe]

Recently I have been trying to really shape my shots, playing a draw or a fade depending on the situation. My question though is I seem to be losing a 1/2 club to full club distance with the faded, compared to the draw. Is this normal or am I doing something wrong?

To fade, I am aiming 5-10 yards left, and then opening the clubface and swinging along my target line. Opposite for the draw.

Another question, should I be positioning the ball farther up in my stance for a fade, farther back for the draw?

Thanks ahead of time

[Eore]

fades should go shorter because of the way the ball spins. but they also go higher, and land softer. i think you are positioning the ball in the right spot.

you and me are in the same boat, shaping shots when we should just be trying to hit it straight!

[Biegoe]

I have found that if I try to give my shots some shape, it makes them at least predictable. If I set up for a draw, at worst it will go straight or turn into a hook. If I aim for the right side of the green I am either still on the green, or just off to the left.

If I set up to hit straight, and I slice, or hook, then I end up off the green who knows where. I would rather be predictable.

[Biegoe]

One more thing, is power fade just a fancy term for slice?

[Eore]

One more thing, is power fade just a fancy term for slice?

yup. but it sounds nicer

[Treemagnet]

fade will go higher and shoter like eore said and draws longer and shallow, fade you create more loft, draw you deloft it. When you fade/draw do you change your swing plain, fade out / in swing , draw in /out swing or do you just open or close the face of the club and do a normal swing.

[TinCupTampa]

My $.02


If I want more of a draw... I drop my right foot about 2 inches at address.

If I want more of a cut... I drop my left foot about 2 inches at address.


Once you have a consitant and repeatable swing. This makes working the ball very easy.

[beung]

I have one piece of advice for you and it has nothing to do with how to swing.

Although I commend you for practicing fades and draws, I would suggest that you have a go-to direction, weather it be a fade or a draw. Work on that shot and perfect that shot and have it as a no-brainer shot. If your index is correct I think you are doubling your work by trying to prefect both shots at once, when really all you need is a go-to direction on nearly 90% of all your shots and then the opposite direction on 10% of your shots.

I would personally work on a fade and use it even on shots that ideally call for a draw, there are very few shots that you absolutely can not play your go-to direction. To me it just doesn’t make sense to spend half your time working on a shot that you only use 10% of the time. It makes more sense to practice and prefect your natural direction and then work on ways to hit the opposite way as a shot to have in your bag when you absolutely need it.

[tm22721]

Shot shaping is important to me as I hit more greens and face tough pin placements or windy conditions.

I could intentionally shape shots only after learning how to hit them straight in the first place.

[jmoc]

Draws tend to go farther (deloft and spin) and run more, so that works well with the driver, assuming you get it on line. You can also use the fade to drop distance off a club on an approach. There's like smacking an iron and watching it work toward the pin. Work ball, work...... jmoc

[Biegoe]

My natural ball flight is left to right, so I am playing the fade. When i go to the range, I hit 10 fades, and then will hit a draw or 2 just to break it up, but the draw is definetly not as reliable. I really just wanted to get an idea from everyone else if they found as much of a decrease in distance with the fade vs draw.

[1UnderU]

You can talk to a fade, but a draw won't listen.

[caseycase]

oah yeah boy

[powerfade]

One more thing, is power fade just a fancy term for slice?

Uhh..no.

A powerfade will be a tighter fade usually played off the tee with a driver. They won't run as far as a draw but are more predictable because you're going more for placement + distance rather than distance + unpredictable rollout with a draw.

[kafka01]

Fade generally adds more loft on your club to the shot -> higher ballflight less roll
Draw is pretty much the opposite.

I for example have a hard time drawing my driver since my loft of 9.5° is pretty much the lowest amount of loft i can hit effectifly - but fade - all day since i get more loft when i hit the shot.