How do you hit a power fade?

[hippyboy]

Kudos to Drifterland for this post. His instructions are as bullet-proof as a Julia Child recipe--and much simpler. I practiced this with my driver for a couple of hours this morning. I must say I didn't believe it could be this simple. I aimed my set-up about 20 yards left of a 200-yard flag but kept the club face square to the target line at address. I used my normal grip (strong left, medium right) and inside-out swing. The best shots were Hoganesque (long and mostly straight with at most 5 yards of fade off the set-up line and slightly left of the target). The worst were shorter with a mild slice about 10 yards to the right of the flag. I could not hit one ball to the left of the set-up line, no matter how quick or hard I followed-through. Weakening my grip or trying to follow through along the target line only produced unacceptable slices. The best results came with normal over-the-shoulder follow through. The only modification to his instructions which seemed to help was to move the ball back a hair at set-up.

Totally agree with this post, thanks mate.

I tried it over the practice ground today & hit 50 of the most consistant drives ever!!

[westridge]

I feel so stupid now. After reading the entire thread two or three times, I am still not totally clear on how to hit a power fade.
My understanding of the requirements for hitting a power fade:
1. Setup with an open stance with the shoulder line pointing to the left of the target.
2. Club face pointing to the target (target line)
3. Hit the ball from an inside-to-outside (draw based) swing.
What I don't understand is:
1. If your shoulder line is pointing to the left of the target line, and if you do a normal swing along your shoulder line, the club head has to come from outside-to-inside (of the target line). Then how do you swing from inside-to-outside with this open stance setup? Do you have to tweak your swing to have this inside-to-outside swing path?
2. If so, what are the tweaks required? And if you have to tweak your swing for power fade, it's not a "natural swing", how can you depend on it in pressure situations?

[Stretch]

No great mystery. A power fade is a push fade, hit with an in-to-out swing just like a push draw.

The difference is the face angle relative to the swing path . For a push draw, the face must be slightly closed relative to the swing path. For a push fade, the face must be slightly open relative to the swing path. In practical terms, set up as if you were aiming 20 yards left of the actual target, open the face until it's pointed only about five yards left, then make a normal in-to-out swing. The swing path will obviously be outside your shoulder line, but still inside the line along which the club face is pointing. The ball will take off along that face line with cut spin on it and curve toward the target.

When most people talk about a fade or slice, they are talking about a pull fade -- where the ball is struck with an out-to-in swing path. This is generally a less controllable and powerful way to hit the ball, hence the association of left to right ball flight with weak shots.

[McGolf-Doggie]

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

Thank you, thank you, thank you. Just the visuals I needed.

I'm fighting a hook (massive draw ) with the irons, so this video was just what I needed. Glad I was subscribed to this thread. hope it helps the OP, too.

[Zeph]

What I don't understand is:

1: The swing path moves in-to-out relative to your alignment, but is still out-to-in relative to the target line.

2: The power fade is a poor name I'd say. It is really just a fade with an in-to-out swing path. I would say this is a shot for those who hit the inside of the ball and usually hit a shot moving right to left. For someone with a stock shot moving left to right, they already got the fade. You can argue what is "natural". In my opinion, there is no natural swing path. It is a result of how you have changed your swing. Most start out with out-to-in. Some stay there, but perhaps less and with more control. Many get lessons and change the path to in-to-out. The final product is in most cases nothing "natural". If you swing out-to-in, you don't need this shot, since your swing already produce it. The opposite for a fader would be a "power" draw, where you hit a draw with an out-to-in swing path. For someone with an in-to-out swing path, the only think you tweak is the club face angle.

[Harmonious]

Great explanation by Drifterland. Would sure like to have more commentary from him in the future. Video is good, as well.

I could never understand why people thought they needed 3 unique swings: One for a straight ball, one for a fade, and one for a hook. You only need one consistent swing. The ball movement is accomplished as Drifterland stated, pre-setting the clubface, then swinging aggressively down the swing path line.

If you watch the pros, either in person or on TV, you can rarely tell off the driver clubface whether the ball will fade or draw. That's because their ball flight is not a continuous curve; it goes out almost straight, then gently falls either left or right. The shot tracker device on TV shows this really well. Part of that is because they have such a high clubhead speed, but also because the "power" of their swing is along their intended line, not across it as with us amateurs.

[Keep It Simple]

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.

Just my opinion but it is difficult to hit a power fade with a swing that normally produces a draw. A fade yes, power fade, not so much. The 3 golfers you listed all have upright swings and the flying elbow that loops under (Fred, Jack) helps produce the power fade.

[Zeph]

Just my opinion but it is difficult to hit a power fade with a swing that normally produces a draw. A fade yes, power fade, not so much. The 3 golfers you listed all have upright swings and the flying elbow that loops under (Fred, Jack) helps produce the power fade.

What is the difference between a power fade and fade?

[MJP]

What is the difference between a power fade and fade?

Lol didn't we all decide somewhere in this thread that a power fade is a fade that is longer (hence "power") due to the in to out swing path?

Honestly, I don't see how people can hit a fade swinging inside out. You aren't swinging inside out because inside out relative to the target line always creates a push fade if the club face is open relative to the swing path. Those who think they are swinging inside out for their power fade are really swinging slightly outside in. It may feel like you are swinging in to out but somewhere before impact your club face crosses over the line. Ball flight laws aren't called ball flight "rules of thumb". That's just how it works. Relative to your shoulder line (opened 20 degrees) you may be swinging inside out, but relative to the target line you are swinging outside in ever so slightly, with an ever so slightly opened up club face relative to that outside in swing path.

[Zeph]

Lol didn't we all decide somewhere in this thread that a power fade is a fade that is longer (hence "power") due to the in to out swing path?

That's what I thought too, someone obviously disagree. What is the reason for this shot being longer? Is it static positions or a result of more clubhead speed?

Honestly, I don't see how people can hit a fade swinging inside out. You aren't swinging inside out because inside out relative to the target line always creates a push fade if the club face is open relative to the swing path.

You are mixing the path relative to the target line and to the stance line. When we talk about a swing path going in-to-out, we mean relative to your alignment and stance line. There is no doubt you have to cross the target line out-to-in when hitting a fade, regardless of which swing path you have.

Here is a graphic that demonstrates how you hit a fade with an in-to-out swing path (relative to the stance line). This is really just a demonstration on how to hit a fade with an in-to-out swing path. I think I've read that the term "power" has been used because you combine the power you can get with an in-to-out swing path with the trajectory and spin of a fade. A draw with in-to-out swing path is longer than a fade with out-to-in swing path. But the fade is more controllable. By combining the power from an in-to-out swing path with the trajectory of a fade, you get the term "power fade".

[shortstop20]

That's what I thought too, someone obviously disagree. What is the reason for this shot being longer? Is it static positions or a result of more clubhead speed?

It's from the in-out path. An in-out path creates more power than an out-in path, which is how most hit a fade.

Aim left, push it right(slightly), let it fade a little, that's the power fade. On a side note, I get a chuckle everytime I see someone hit a pull-cut and they claim it's a power fade.

[Zeph]

The only difference between a pull-fade and power fade is where the player is aligned. It takes the exact same angles for the swing path and club head to produce a fade.
A power fade is a fade with an in-to-out swing: The club face is open relative to your stance, which makes it a push-fade.
A fade with an out-to-in swing: The club face is closed relative to your stance, which makes it a pull-fade.

Everyone swinging in-to-out, hitting a fade, is hitting this "power fade". I don't see the need for a term like "power fade" for this shot, when we can use "push-fade".

[shortstop20]

Everyone swinging in-to-out, hitting a fade, is hitting this "power fade". I don't see the need for a term like "power fade" for this shot, when we can use "push-fade".

From my experienced a power fade is usually described as a ball that is pushed very slightly and fades slightly, whereas a "push-fade" is a shot that is pushed more than the power fade, although it can fade the same amount or more than the power fade.

It's semantics really.

[$2 Nassau]

Wow this thread really has turned into splitting hairs, arguing over the terms?

[shortstop20]

If there's anybody that can over-analyze things, it's golfers.

[Stretch]

True dat!

[Leftygolfer]

A power/push fade will go exactly as far as a standard push draw with identical strikes. But it will go farther than the pull fade where you are cutting across the ball hitting it from the outside losing power (hence why most golfers can't hit a drive much over 200 yards).

The hardest part of this shot for me is getting the alignment right. I have trained my eyes for so long to see a draw (I hit a straight/slight pull draw trying hard to make it a push draw) and it used to be a severe pull draw. I see alot of very average players hit draws this way since you can come over the top and hit a draw so it is easier to do than change your swing plane.

[SpoiledRotten]

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.

That's the way I do it. Simply adjust your stance in slight increments when you are practicing on the range. As you will see, it doesn't take much of an adjustment to make too large a curve in your shot.