Questions from a guy just learning to draw.

[SpacklersEdge]

I have always been over the top, and played fades. This year I have worked very hard to flatten it out, and work on my weight transfer etc. I have gotten to the point where my swing it now hitting it straight most of the time, and I now have to "hold it off" to fade the ball, and if I think about turning it over a little more I can hit a draw with my medium to shorter clubs.

What I am finding is that when I hit the draw, my distances are off. For instance tonight I hit a 9 from 135, normally my 135 club, and I tried to draw it, and the ball just seemed to jump off the club. It was still high, very high in fact and started at or a little right of my target line and drew a little left. It landed probably 140-145 and ended up off the back of the green.

So for those of you who work the ball, do you factor in a distance difference with each club when playing a draw vs. a fade? Also are you able to stop the ball on the green as easily with a draw or do you expect it to land a little harder and run out more vs. when playing a fade?

Last, I find it much more difficult to hit a draw with my driver, I almost can't do it still. Is this usually the case, if I do happen to hit a draw, I would call it more of a hook as it starts at or left of the target line and draw from there. Should I be able to start the ball right of the target line and draw it back to the target line?

[americanfighter]

a magazine just came out on july 28 called golf instruction annual with a great article on the difference in the swing between the draw and the fade. Pick it up if you can find it. here is what I can fit in a post.

top of back swing
in a fade when at the top of the backswing your hands should be high above the head and your left elbow flared out and left hand cupped which will give a steeper swing plane.in a draw at the top of back swing you hands should be lower and a strait lift wrist promoting a more rounded swing path.

coming down.
a draw means swinging on the inside so it means keeping your hands close and produce more of a flat angle as the club will seem to bisect your right shoulder as you come down. in a fade you maintain an upright angle and the club will seem to bisect you left shoulder insureing a steeper angle. dont get caught dropping the club head behind or else it will result in snap hooks.

impact
the draw is an arm driven swing and as you come down on the inside it is important to roll your arms through at impact as you will never hit a draw with an open club face. Fade is a more body driven swing as the swing path is coming at a steeper angle it is important for a strong rotation of your body to avoid blocked shots.

follow through
in the follow through it mimics your back swing. when you follow through on your draw your hands come out and around as the swing plane flattens. in a fade you keep the angle and you hands come strait up after impact.

finish
as you would expect the fade finishes with high hands and the torso fully rotated. it is hard to ballance as you dont want to over manipulate the body and be to steep and upright or else that could cause slices. The draw finishes with the arm lower and more around the head and your finsh is more rounded.

in short a draw is from the inside out and the fade is just the opposite

hope that helped.

[americanfighter]

when landing on the green try to keep it strait as draws and fades get weird bounces. it is also hard to get consistent with each as I gave you that elaborate description draws go farther than fades as the fade has more back spin.

It is easy to not rotate enough let the club fall behind come to steep or be upright exaggerating the fade or not come steep enough or be upright enough.

these will result in varying distances and turns.

basically keep it strait when ever possible around the green or when trying to be precise as fades and draws are unpredictable unless you are very good.

[imtomtomim]

Yes, a draw will come out a bit lower, hotter, and therefore will carry a bit longer. A fade will usually climb higher and settle quicker. I do get extra distance when I hit a draw as opposed to a fade and I prefer to fade to greens if it lets me. If not, I'll hit a more upright draw so it settles better. That's where you gotta start working on trajectory. I can hit a high draw just like I hit a high fade and it will travel close to the same distance. Once you work those out, you'll have at least 9 different full swing trajectories for each club being fade, straight, draw, and high, middle, and low, and anything inbetween. You are probably comparing your high fade to a lower or mid level draw. Try moving the ball up forward for your draw, (you will need to aim further right) and you will get a higher shot which may be comparable to your fade.

Mind you this is very general.

With the driver, I'm thinking you should check out your setup. I have a very forward ball position and I notice if I hit a draw with the ball up by my toe, it will come left pretty hard so I move it back a bit and it will push right but come around as well. When I get the hooks, I also notice that I'm hitting at the ball too much instead of swinging through the ball. If the finish of the swing snaps around you quickly while "hitting" at the ball, most likely, that ball will spin sideways faster and harder. Your swingpath will generate enough sidespin for a shot shape so you should focus on following through on path.