Draw and Fade Shots

[ronaldkuntoro]

I was told to make a draw, you must align your body to the right of the target while your clubface points at the target. To make a fade, you align your body to the left of the target and the clubface faces the target.

BTW, I just tried last night at range.... my shots just go left when I try to make a DRAW and go right when I try to make a FADE. My swing path is still the same as when my body is align with the target.

Any correction?

[jorruss]

Only two things control the flight of the ball as far as hitting a fade or draw. Swing path and clubface angle. Your clubface angle has a much more pronounced effect on the shot than does the swing path. So...

Assuming your swing path is perfect and you make perfect contact, an open face would send the ball to the right, and a closed face would send the ball to the left. And, assuming your clubface angle is perfect and you make perfect contact, an inside-out path will produce a draw and an outside-in path will produce a fade.

I taught myself to work the ball by first learning how to hit big hooks and big slices. Really exaggerate the path and clubface angle and experiment on the range. You'll get a great feel for what it takes to produce those shots. Once you can hit a big hook or slice, you can start reducing the clubface ange and make the path of your swing return more to normal and start hitting fades and draws.

Also, pay attention to your misses and you will know what swing produced them. It's really not too complicated. There are basically only 7 shot patterns and 7 causes for those shot patterns. You can tell what kind of swing you made by the type of shot you hit:

1. Straight - Square Face and path
2. Pull Fade - Square Face, Outside-in path
3. Straight Fade - Open face, straight path
4. Push Fade - Open face and inside-out path
5. Pull Hook - Closed face and outside-in path
6. Straight Hook - Closed face and straight path
7. Push Hook - Square face and inside-out path

For example, if you hit a shot that started left of your target and faded back towards it, you probably had a square face but had a slightly outside-in path. If it stars left and fades to the right of your target, your outside-in path was more exagerated.

Good luck!

[silkysmooth]

good info there!

(right handed golfer fyi)
I tend to keep an OPEN face and aim a tiny bit left of my target for a FADE. I club up because the trajectory ends up giving me less distance

For a DRAW, I aim a little bit right, keep my shoulders aimed at the target, and I swoop in with my club making sure I have LIGHT GRIP PRESSURE to promote the full release of the club. I get normal distance, sometimes more with the forward spin, so I use the right club for the distance.

The range is where you do this stuff, because it's both important to understand shaping shots and learn to always be aiming on the range (not just hitting a million balls with no goals in mind...or targets!)

Have a good one!

[BritBoy]

when you are opening or closing your stance to play a shaped shot keep the club face aimed at the target like you said but make sure you swing the club along the line of your feet and body, not along the target line. To me playing a draw this way feels like a push right and a fade feels like I'm pulling the shot. Have fun

[golfgolfer]

Very good information.

If I may, i would add a couple for points.

For a draw, you may want to place the ball slight back in the stance, or a little back of centre.

You swing like what Britboy has indicated, should be along your body line, not along the target line.

After impact, you should feel your right hand overtaking your left.

I have a post on my blog on executing a draw shot. I am not sure if I am allowed to post the link here. Mod, can you please advice. Thanks

Happy golfing....

[kfraser91]

good info

[Ziophils]

If you aim the leading edge of the clubface at the target and swing from out to in you will slice it, not fade it.

[ABPositive]

Here's some tip for golfers of my ability (20 hcp).

Once you hit consistently straight shots, you can start and play with draws / fades. Below is an exercise my pro indicated and that you can try on the range.

Setup normally, just like for a straight shot. Everything is square to the target line: shoulders, hips, feet, club face.

Now open your shoulders slightly, maybe 10 degrees. For a right handed player, this means turn your shoulders to the left. Only open the shoulders ; feet, hips, club face remain parallel to target line. Swing normally: fade.

Now try the other way. Close your shoulders 10 degrees, swing normally: draw.

Even a 20 handicapper like me can do it (on the range at least). With this, you can draw or fade 5 or 10 yards. If you need more than this, I guess the next step would be to tweak your club face, but this is beyond my skill.

Hope this helps - Cheers

[Chas]

when you are opening or closing your stance to play a shaped shot keep the club face aimed at the target like you said but make sure you swing the club along the line of your feet and body, not along the "target line". To me playing a draw this way feels like a push right and a fade feels like I'm pulling the shot. Have fun

Exactly. This is what I find most difficult, i.e. NOT subconsciously compensating for the off-target body position and ending up swinging along the target line anyway. It's a bit like aiming well away from the hole when putting a big breaker. As in putting, it can help to pick a false target to aim at and swing towards - false in the sense that the ball should not be ending up along that line of course. Golf is such a mental game.

[Titleism]

Also the type of irons you play will make a difference. It's much easier to shape a ball with a forged blade vs a cast iron...although it'll be harder to hit cleanly and consistently. That's the main trade-off.

I noticed a huge difference when I upgraded from oversized cast irons to the 690.CB in terms of workability.

Ronald, that is the way I setup to hit fades and draws as well.

[jorruss]

Most game improvement irons place most of the weight low in an effort to impart backspin, which couteracts sidespin. That is why a forged blade is easier to cut and draw than a cast widebody iron like the Callaway Fusion. The ball and the clubs make a difference, but the bottom line is an open or closed clubface is going to hit the ball right or left, no matter what it's made of or how the weight is placed...

Also the type of irons you play will make a difference. It's much easier to shape a ball with a forged blade vs a cast iron...although it'll be harder to hit cleanly and consistently. That's the main trade-off.

[Titleism]

The ball and the clubs make a difference, but the bottom line is an open or closed clubface is going to hit the ball right or left, no matter what it's made of or how the weight is placed...

Amen! If I may be picky in wording...

An open or closed clubface is going to promote a flighted fade or draw.

[MCMLXXXV]

For shaping shots, does the type of grip you have (strong v. weak) have any effect on the tendency of shot shape? Maybe it's just me, but I feel like it's easier to draw the ball when I move my grip strong.

[jorruss]

For shaping shots, does the type of grip you have (strong v. weak) have any effect on the tendency of shot shape? Maybe it's just me, but I feel like it's easier to draw the ball when I move my grip strong.

The grip makes a big difference. I think for right-handers, the left hand grip has more of an effect than the right, but some may disagree with me. A strong grip promotes a draw, but - people can still hit fades with a very stong grip, provided the player dooesn't allow the clubface to turn over through impact. I fade it this way as well as habitual faders David Duval, Paul Azinger, and John Daly

[MCMLXXXV]

The grip makes a big difference. I think for right-handers, the left hand grip has more of an effect than the right, but some may disagree with me. A strong grip promotes a draw, but - people can still hit fades with a very stong grip, provided the player dooesn't allow the clubface to turn over through impact. I fade it this way as well as habitual faders David Duval, Paul Azinger, and John Daly

Thanks for the tip. I think I'm gonna do some more experimentation at the range this week.

[ronaldkuntoro]

Yes it is... I put 3 knuckles setup on my left hand, and the ball just Draw easily.

For shaping shots, does the type of grip you have (strong v. weak) have any effect on the tendency of shot shape? Maybe it's just me, but I feel like it's easier to draw the ball when I move my grip strong.