Working with a Fade

[JML22]

I have a buddy who shoots 75s on a 76 rated course, dunno what his actual cap is but he hits a consistent fade.
Kind of annoying of how much of a hide fade it is too but he can work it with the fade and knows how much its gonna fade and what not

[senorchipotle]

I disagree and think it's almost like putting the cart before the horse.

yeah, i see where you're coming from. and your point is very valid. but i think the more technically beginners think about their golf swing the slower they progress. there are many ugly swings out there, but they work because of two, well three things: tempo, sequence, repetition(given that they are strike the ball properly). i've seen some in to out loopty swings produce several sub par rounds. i've also seen some perfect looking swings produce rounds well over par. the first guy knows it's going straight because he's hit that shot a thousand times and knows the feeling. the second guy hopes his is going straight because he's swinging in to out with a square clubface. the point i'm trying to make is, once you learn how to hit the ball, the where becomes just a matter of alignment. if you're trying to learn where to hit the ball, then you're going to be incredibly frustrated. like those guys i see out on the range every day pounding balls with swings that could work, but they're just swinging too hard and out of sequence. i just want to tell them to slow down.

[DavidFehertysBike]

If you hit a fade, then i think its mostly a matter of setup and alignment in how you manage it on the golf course. Im predominantly a fader, so my target and alignment is always slightly left of where i want the ball to end up.

[iacas]

there are many ugly swings out there, but they work because of two, well three things: tempo, sequence, repetition(given that they are strike the ball properly).

I've said before and I'll say it again: virtually everyone who plays golf a little has "repetition." I can film 10 swings in a row of the guy who can't break 100 but plays twice a week and his swings will look virtually identical. About the only difference will be really minor differences in timing - if I stop the video with the clubhead a foot from impact you probably couldn't tell the swings apart though the results might be somewhat different (fat vs. thin, pulls vs. slices, whatever).

the point i'm trying to make is, once you learn how to hit the ball, the where becomes just a matter of alignment.

And the point I'm trying to make is that the ball flight laws are a key component of "once you learn how to hit the ball."

Additionally, I rely on the ball flight laws daily when I'm trying to shape particular shots. I played like BUTT in my PAT - just didn't have it that day - and my knowledge of the ball flight laws and what I could do to manipulate the path and face angle helped me stay out of trouble all day so that I could pass.

i just want to tell them to slow down.

Tempo is not a fundamental in golf. You wouldn't tell Nick Price to slow down. I have a relatively fast tempo. These guys might make slightly better contact swinging slower but they're still going to have massive swing flaws that produce big slices (or whatever).

[shortstop20]

Tempo is not a fundamental in golf. You wouldn't tell Nick Price to slow down. I have a relatively fast tempo. These guys might make slightly better contact swinging slower but they're still going to have massive swing flaws that produce big slices (or whatever).

Amen Erik. I hate it when people try to preach other people's tempos. Tempo is a personality trait. Do NOT try to copy anyone's tempo.

[CalBoomer]

This thread has gone wild.

I really think this is the best advice in this thread. Hitting a consistent, controlled draw is one of the hardest shots in golf. And a myriad of things in your swing can affect the final result. For someone who normally hits a consistent and predictable fade, to be able to produce a controlled draw on demand is a very tall task. There are pros who can't do it reliably. Unless you play a lot of courses full of left doglegs, I would forget about it.

[iacas]

I really think this is the best advice in this thread. Hitting a consistent, controlled draw is one of the hardest shots in golf....

... for most people who do not understand two things: 1) where their weight should be at impact and 2) how truly deep their hands get.

It's only "one of the hardest shots in golf" because instruction for the past 20 years has created generations of slicers. Hitting a controlled anything - fade or draw - is somewhat difficult, but I see no difference in difficulty between them (fade/draw).

[oneoverwrx]

This probably goes against everything someone is supposed to do but it works for me. I have the ability to shape my driver pretty well and it is fairly simple for me. I simply move the ball in my stance. Not a lot, i just played with it a bunch at the driving range. Try it. Of course you will need to compensate with your target. I hardly ever line up straight down the fairway.

However I dont hit a fade on a dogleg right. I usually try to cut the corner with a high draw. My draw shots are so much longer, duh.

[saevel25]

Tempo is not a fundamental in golf. You wouldn't tell Nick Price to slow down. I have a relatively fast tempo. These guys might make slightly better contact swinging slower but they're still going to have massive swing flaws that produce big slices (or whatever).

+1 to this, but i think we have a misconception with this. But everything works in harmony with in his swing. Alot of people are playing out of sync, one component might be faster than another. This happens to me quite often, and i fight timing all the time. just to show my swing needs work if i rely on timing, but there will always be some sort of timing in the swing, if its fast everything esle better match it.

I also people say tempo because they see that slices usually decrease as swing speed decreases because they are imparting less spin on the ball, because less energy is being transfered to the ball. Thats why a good tip for playing in the wind is to tone down the swing speed a few notches because the backspin will decrease. There can be something said with learning how to manipulate the ball with out knowing the specifics behind it. It might take you longer, but many great pro's have played this way. To think Bobby Jones knew that club face angle determines 85% of the initiatl direction of the golf ball is a stretch. But he knew what his body could do to get the ball to do what he wanted. Golf channel use to play his instruction show, and at the end he would hit golf balls at a camera, they would draw, fade, go below, or above the camera, one shot after another. This can be achieved through knowing the physics of it all, but it can also be known by practice and trial and error. It might be slower, but it can be achieved. Its really trying to figure things out for yourself.