How'd You DO That... ?

[Fairway_CY]

I've played golf a total of about 14 years (since I was 13 with a 4 year gap when my son was born). One of the guys I played with recently said he was a relative beginner. We got to a short par 4 that calls for a right to left tee shot.

A few times during the round, he kept telling me how he was going to work the ball... and then completely fail and top it... or hit it real thin... or s---k it... or anything but what he was going to do. Each time, he would tell me HOW he was going to do it.

On this particular hole, he said he was going to work it with the driver around the trees. I warned him that there was water at about 260 (pretty big drop downhill - so reachable). I hit a 3 wood towards the far corner of the dogleg, which would leave me about 100 yards to the green. He told me he was going to just drop his right foot back after addressing the ball... and this would allow him to work the ball as needed.

He stepped up to the ball... dropped his right foot back about 10 inches (giving him a severely closed stance) and then smashed the ball. Perfect draw. Unfortunately for him, he hit it so well, it found the water.

I was just astounded that he was able to hit that shot. It wasn't even one of those 'dumb luck' type of shots... he literally called it and executed it.

I went to the range the following day and tried the same thing... and just completely botched it each time. Typically... if I hit a draw at all... it's a 3-5 yard draw at most. The draw he put on this ball was a 20 yard swing... easily.

So... how do YOU play a draw or fade?

CY

[sacm3bill]

  Fairway_CY said:

...I was just astounded that he was able to hit that shot. It wasn't even one of those 'dumb luck' type of shots... he literally called it and executed it.

Well, but according to your story he *failed* to execute all the other shots he called during the round... so getting it right this one particular time sure sounds like dumb luck to me.

[saevel25]

Well if he probably got lucky with that last shot.

Well a fade depends on the person hitting it, you got to know your swing path. Because to start the ball to the left and draw it in, you need to have your dlub face pointing left, but have it open to your swing path.

One of the few shots i hit Thursday, i warn you never play a round of golf with a cold, not a good idea, i shot about 5 over my handicap for 9 holes ;b I think i need to answer that one Thread with golf is an obsession for me ;b

But i had a tree in front of me, nice big maple tree. It was 150 yards to the center. I aimed off to the left, because i play a draw easier than a fade. If you looked at me you would think i would be hitting the ball out to the right, and was going to conceded chipping the ball. But no, i turn my hands more through impact and had the clubhead finish lower. I hit a low trajectory 9-iron that start out flying past the left side of the tree and it hooks 20 yards to the back left of the green. I have a 40ft putt for par, after i dropped a ball for hitting it out of bounds. Its our leagues rules we don't penalize distance and stroke.

So really for me, i aim it were i normally would hit a straight shot, then either over rotate my hands or hold on to the rotation and hit a push fade. Its easier this way for me.

[Fairway_CY]

  sacm3bill said:

Well, but according to your story he *failed* to execute all the other shots he called during the round... so getting it right this one particular time sure sounds like dumb luck to me.

Yeah... as I was writing it... I knew it would sound kinda contradictory... but - the guy did what he was trying to do - and perfectly. Even though he failed the other times... this time it was perfect. What I meant by 'dumb luck' was that he wasn't playing for a straight shot and just HAPPENED to get the perfect draw. (That's happened to me a few times before...)

CY

[TheGeekGolfer]

  saevel25 said:

Well if he probably got lucky with that last shot.

WHAT?!?! - this makes nooo sense. Are you left-handed. How do you hit a draw (right-left for righties) that starts left of the tree and then 'hooks' to the back LEFT of the green? And why did you drop a ball for hitting out of bounds, is the green out of bounds?

To reply to the original poster, to hit a DRAW, it's quite common for a right-handed player to move his back foot so his stance is 'closed'. Therefore producing a more in-to-out swing and producing a draw.

[jlh1508]

  TheGeekGolfer said:

WHAT?!?! - this makes nooo sense. Are you left-handed. How do you hit a draw (right-left for righties) that starts left of the tree and then 'hooks' to the back LEFT of the green? And why did you drop a ball for hitting out of bounds, is the green out of bounds?

I believe he is saying, he was out of bounds to the left. So left of the green behind a tree. He then aimed left of that tree which is way left of the green and the ball hooked back right and landed on the left side of the green.

[golfaddiction]

The physics of it are simple: To hit a draw/hook, swing inside-out with a closed clubface.

To help you swing inside out, put your left foot closer to the ball than the right. To help close the clubface, either start with it slightly closed, or strengthen your grip (rotate hands to the right while keeping the club in the same place)

For a fade/slice, do the opposite.

[1Greatgolfguy]

There are three ways I use to work the ball. Please someone correct me if I am doing something wrong. Number one is to simply close/open the clubface with a normal swing. I find this the simplist but have the hardest time controlling this one. Number two is to change my swing plane. A more vertical swing plane with give me a fade/slice (because of the outside to in) and swing more around my body to draw/hook. For me, this works best for woods/irons because I can not change my plane a whole bunch and make good contact. The last way is to close my stance for a draw/hook and open for a fade slice. I find this gives and extreme in/out out/in, and I use this for my wedges because I find it harder to put sidespin with such a lofted club.

As for your buddy, I can relate. I have a hard time working the ball and keeping good contact, so it's rare that I try and work the ball, and even more rare that I pull it off successfully.

Once, I remember I was par on a nine hole course. On the eighth hole, I found my drive in trees in the right fairway, 130yds from the green. Had no straight shot, bushes prevented a punch, and any sort of fade, so the only option I had was a punch hook straight up the rough and low to stay under the trees. I called it and the guy I was golfing with was saying yeah right. So I took an 8i, (normally it would have been a 56deg) closed my stance, but the ball at the back, closed my clubface, leaned my club forwards, and took a three quarter in to out swing. I hit the ball, and lost sight of it. My playing partner ran onto the fairway, walked back towards me and said sadly, "It's on the back of the green..." I saved par.

[soloredd]

I've found punching out from around a tree or something to be much easier for me than to do a full swing. I can draw a full swing but I have such a hard time fading a full swing I don't even try. I need to try it more at the range just for kicks.

I played yesterday and 18 my drive sliced to the adjacent fairway and I had several tall trees to the green. I was about 100 out per SkyCaddie. I hit a lob wedge which I could have made but my lie was really fluffy so the club got way under the ball and ended up under and right behind the tree. Had about 20 yards to reach the skirt of the green, which sloped down to the pin. I wanted to save par so bad to end my round so I took my 7 iron and punched a perfect hook around the tree but had too much spin and ended up rolling through the green, too quick for the slope. Had to chip and bogey.

I think the fade issue I have is because the club face is open at address (that's how I hit my draws and fades) I tend to correct it sub-consciously to get it square. Probably a better way is keep the face square but open or close the stance a bit. Oh well. Have bigger fish to fry.

[PaddyHarrington]

Would I be right in saying then that closing your stance might help someone who constantly hits a slice hit the ball straighter?

[mattttt25]

Leadbetter suggests just that. If you constantly hit a slice, go to the range, line up like you normally would, and then drop your back foot a full 12 inches or even more. You'll look nuts, but it will force you to swing outside/in and you'll begin to feel that motion. You then start bringing your back foot forward towards a more normal position.

[saevel25]

Sorry, i did that one other time as well were i mixed left to right and right to left. No i am right handed, and the draw was right to left around a tree

[cd322]

If you want a slight draw or slight fade then for draw get your hands through faster than your hips, and the opposite for fade. this seems to work for me and it is more controlled.

[B-Con]

  PaddyHarrington said:

Would I be right in saying then that closing your stance might help someone who constantly hits a slice hit the ball straighter?

I don't think that'll help if the problem is an open clubface, but it would probably help if the problem is an out-to-in swing path.

[double_j]

I work the ball with a combination of setup and hands. I don't try to alter swing path though since it leads to inconsistent ball striking.

Fade - open stance, ball in a normal position, and try to hold back on the release with my wrists
Draw - closed stance, ball slightly back of normal, and try to follow through low and around (i.e., make a conscious effort to turn my wrists over)

[Shindig]

  PaddyHarrington said:

Would I be right in saying then that closing your stance might help someone who constantly hits a slice hit the ball straighter?

This makes sense. How often do you see someone slicing, then trying to aim further left without adjusting the clubface, slicing more, and repeating?