How do you hit a power fade?

[Happy Dragon]

I know how to hit a cut, but what I want is a POWER fade. My carry with the driver is 270 yards with my normal ball flight, a 5-yard draw. I can cut the ball, but I sacrifice quite a bit of distance. My cut/slice swing carries about 250 yards. I'm long, but not long enough to sacrifice 20 yards of carry.

I want to learn the power fade that Davis Love III, Fred Couples, and Jack Nicklaus have. It's a much more controllable shot, especially under pressure.

Thanks!

[enduro]

I'm not a master of this shot. But, the idea is you want to align yourself left and then open the club face to where you want the ball to end up. Probably down the middle of the fairway. and then use a bit of a weaker grip to help prevent the club face from closing. Take a normal swing.

The ball should take off left and then make a turn at its apex and land and roll into the middle of the fairway.

Like I said, it's a shot I don't really have on demand, mainly because I'm liable to lose the club face at impact and hit it straight.

[Zeph]

Open stance, clubface aimed at the target. Sounds like how you set up for any type of fade to me, I have read the term power fade, but never seen an explanation of how it differs from a regular fade.

[wrx_junki]

To the two guys above, as a 5 handicap I think he knows the basics of a fade.

To the poster, check out Clement's video:

[Zeph]

Why do you get more distance with a power fade? Is the clubhead speed higher?

[senorchipotle]

Why do you get more distance with a power fade? Is the clubhead speed higher?

well, that all depends on the golfer. the thing with the power fade is, you're lined up in such a way that you can put everything you have into it, and your miss won't be as bad as if you're playing a draw. if you line up properly, get a big turn, and lay into it, even if you hit it badly it won't be as bad as a missed draw hooking into the woods. at least, that's why i play it. you don't get as much roll as a draw, but you get more on the fly. plus, it allows you to get more lag because you're delaying the release for a split second longer. this also requires quick hands, otherwise you'll powerslice it into the woods.

[kleraudio]

Played with a guy yesterday that hit these shots off of every tee. He hit like 90% of fairways while I snap hooked 50% of mine into the woods. He shot like a 79 or 80 and I shot a 93...

So after witnessing that, I think I may have to learn the power fade as well, Im jealous! It seemed like a very very controllable shot, more so than my draw! If it didnt draw, it hooked, right into the trees, and penalties = 93!

That vid posted was awesome and Im really looking forward to giving it a go. My slice has recently turned into a snap hook!

[David in FL]

In most cases a "power fade" is simply a soft cut as described by someone who secretly wishes that they could hit a draw.......

Semantics notwithstanding, there's no way around it.......you'll lose some distance over that draw of yours. The trade off is that for most of us that choose to play the fade, it's more accurate and consistent.

[enduro]

To the two guys above, as a 5 handicap I think he knows the basics of a fade.

Then why is he asking anything? There isn't a secret tip some of us know or anything like that. It's simple; aim left, don't get the club face square or closed to the swing path. It takes time to master it and make it reliable.

[denver_nuggs_15]

One kid on my golf team played a power fade off the tee. He set up for a fade, teed the ball a bit lower, and said he hit slightly down on the ball to keep it lower. He may have hit straight through it, but he said he wasn't hitting up as much as if he were playing a draw. Hope this helps.

[Drifterland]

I know how to hit a cut, but what I want is a POWER fade. My carry with the driver is 270 yards with my normal ball flight, a 5-yard draw. I can cut the ball, but I sacrifice quite a bit of distance. My cut/slice swing carries about 250 yards. I'm long, but not long enough to sacrifice 20 yards of carry.

Howdy... With all due respect everyone above is telling you how to hit a fade, which ofcourse has it's place, but I will try my best to explane the power fade and how to use it to kick major ass.

Have you ever seen tiger tee off with a 2-iron? He hits it 260-275 while he normally plays his 2-iron around 235-240. The way he gets so much extra yardage is using the same principal found in the power fade. When he sets up he leaves the face wide open on the Iron and hits it as hard as he can, trying to hook it. Effectively giving him a monster 2-iron. Now to the power fade. A pro never fades the ball the way most weekend golfers do unless they need to really slice it. An amateur aims left, points the clubhead at the target and swings a bit out to in trying to spin it more even though they set up to make a normal swing, just along a different path. Killing distance and accuracy and this also leads to the occasional pull/hook. A pro on the other hand aims a little further left than his amateur friend and aims the clubface at the target. Now instead of try to fade it (Cutting across it or flicking your hands) he just swings aggressively with a draw swing, though still creating a slight fade because his setting up with the club open. This shot goes forever because he approached the ball from the inside and from a more shallow angle. Go out and try this with a 5 or 6 iron. Hit your normal fade first and then set up a bit further left of the target and swing with that nice draw swing. Since the clubface is open and you are releasing fully, hitting hard, letting your body out race you a bit you will never be able to hit it left, and it will fly forever! I will try and post a video on my blog soon that will explain the power fade in more detail.

[mcfc_nick]

To the two guys above, as a 5 handicap I think he knows the basics of a fade.

hahaha

2mins 40, Stay (high pitch) out!

[Franco!]

It's been my natural shot for my whole 'career'
I like it so much more than a draw because I feel that if I just swing agressively through the ball, it's gonna go somewhere near straight.
That's been my main swing thought with the fade, 'hit the ball hard over this spot'

[Leftygolfer]

Howdy... With all due respect everyone above is telling you how to hit a fade, which ofcourse has it's place, but I will try my best to explane the power fade and how to use it to kick major ass.

Is this right? I have a real hard time hitting a fade for distance. My normal driver is right around 250 or so. When I try to hit a fade which is more of a straight ball I will at best hit it 230. When I hit a fade with my driver I have to hold off the release or I will hit the dreaded double cross. So I just need to open the face more, aim farther right (lefty) and then use my normal swing. Hmmm... Maybe weaken the grip just a touch.

[Drifterland]

Is this right? I have a real hard time hitting a fade for distance. My normal driver is right around 250 or so. When I try to hit a fade which is more of a straight ball I will at best hit it 230. When I hit a fade with my driver I have to hold off the release or I will hit the dreaded double cross. So I just need to open the face more, aim farther right (lefty) and then use my normal swing. Hmmm... Maybe weaken the grip just a touch.

Learned it from Lee Trevino! On of the power fade masters. Try and find a video of tiger driving with his two-iron.

[Leftygolfer]

Learned it from Lee Trevino! On of the power fade masters. Try and find a video of tiger driving with his two-iron.

Would a stiffer shaft aid in not hooking the ball? I am going to keep my old trusty but put a V2 on it or something comparable with a stiff shaft this winter. I really need to learn this shot. So many courses set up really bad for me.

I wasn't doubting you but it just makes it seem too easy.

[Drifterland]

It Does sound a little too easy, but that is the stuff. And yes the stiff would. And odviously since your a ten you aren't the normal weekender so you are trying to get better and better. You will actually start to prefer a stiff shaft so you can hit more fairways. What is your swing speed? is it about 95-100? If it averages 100-102 a stiff would help allot but if you swing 90-95ish you won't be able to tell a huge difference because the hook effect of the R-flex gets worse the faster the speed.

[Leftygolfer]

I swing right around 97-100. I can carry my driver 245. I hit my 7 155. I use stiff in everything but my driver. But my big pull hooks are not just my driver.

But I definitly have the feeling if I really go after it I will miss it right even if I put a good move on it.

I really want to not fear the right side and can still go after it when I want.

I would love to go get fit but I just can't do it. I am in the process of buying a house and the 75 or so it will cost for a shaft is all I can justify to my wife.