Does Shot Shape Change Distance?

[Jakester23]

For the last year or so I've been working on working the ball left to right and right to left. Over the last few weeks I got a real grip on how to make the ball draw I've always been able to hit a fade but it took me a while to figure out the draw. I went to the range yesterday and today and was able to work the ball both ways with my irons and I noticed that the draw seems to go 5-10 yards longer. I tried it with most of my irons and it seemed pretty much the same with all of them. I just wanted to know if this is typical or if I'm doing something wrong to have the different yardages.

Thanks, Jake

[Aquaguru]

Its the same way for me.  When I hit a fade I will usually take one club longer.  When I hit the draw it usually goes 15 yards farther so I club down one.  Its probably because I hit the ball more square when I try to draw it.  My natural miss with the irons is to draw it and when it happens it is always long.

[Jakester23]

So what shot do you typically play?  As I said I typically play a fade but Im working to be able to do both on command. Do you get a lot of roll out with your draw? I haven't really used it on approach shots Im working my way up to that I wanted to get a good grasp of what its doing before I go at greens with the draw.

[BirdieNumNums]

I believe that draws do produce more distance due to the spin, mainly coming from the roll-out/release after contact with turf.

[Jakester23]

At the range it was about 10 yards of carry. The landing area where I was hitting was soaked so there was no roll.

[iacas]

Draws can go shorter than fades. More commonly, though, the opposite is true because people TEND to hit balls with impact conditions that cause draws to go lower and with a little less spin.

[Jakester23]

It did seem to be a little lower. I think I have a pull fade and the draw seems to be a straight draw I don't know if that has anything to do with it.

[RayG]

It could be in your head, as well. Not necessarily the results but the cause. MOST people would say: "I have to ease this in with a fade" and swing accordingly. Or, "I have to get back there with a draw" meaning hitting it further (harder) as opposed to the fade that you might hit a bit easier. But the clubhead is usually open for the fade, increasing loft and that would decrease distance, while a draw would have the face a bit closed, lowering the loft and getting more distance.

[Jakester23]

K thanks a lot that makes sense I'm going to keep working on shaping shots any more advice is welcome.

[ayysolapsu09]

On numerous occasions I have hit fades that have gone as far if not farther than my buddy's draws. As long as you are striking the ball in the middle of the clubface, your angle of attack is good, and your alignments are what they should be, then you can get a lot if useable distance out of a fade, meaning that it still stays in the fairway (look up knucklefade from the encyclopedia Texarkana online and you'll see that it's the new ball flight's version of how to hit a draw). But there have been as many more times that my fade attempts usually result in sliders, so my impact conditions weren't as good as they could've been. Happens to all of us, I suppose.

[BirdieNumNums]

[quote] On numerous occasions I have hit fades that have gone as far if not farther than my buddy's draws[/quote]

I think it's better to know how you hit compared to yourself than someone else(when we're talking about fade vs. draw in this context.) You may be making the point fades can be just effective and as long as a draw and I don't think many will argue that, just look at Tiger.  But, it doesn't seem that is what the OP is wondering.

Anyway, both shots are great to have and you would need to be aware(especially as your game improves) what the distance is for a draw with your 7 iron as well as what's the distance for the fade with your 7 iron.  Knowing both types of shots and their distances can and will result in you being on the green or off of it(or worse in the drink.) Being the amateurs that most of us are we have some inconsistencies in our swings and that also is true when comparing our draws to our fades.

Most people, not all, probably hit their draws a little further due to the info stated above(delofted, less spin).  If its frustrating you hit one further than the other, work on that swing that is going less until you can get them as equal as possible.

[RayG]

It *is* great to have these shots... I used to have them! Several years ago, I was playing with a friend down in Florida and I was going for a pin tucked the back right of a green with a trap front right and front left. Without the GPS and laser rangers of later times, I had it at about 130 to the middle and about 135 to the flag. The guy we paired up was about 140 or so and hit his to the left of the pin in the middle of the green. I took out my 9i and hit "that" cut to about 2 or 3 feet. Started over the gap in the traps and eased to the right a bit, landed and rolled to a stop. He asked "whad 'ya hit there?" So I told him- "I cut in a 9 Iron..." He looked all snarky and said "I was 140 and hit a pitching wedge" (and a HARD one, like he was swinging out of his shoes). "Yeah, maybe so...but I'm 2 feet away" A bit later there was a par 3 that was spot on 145 to the hole tucked in the back left. He pulled out his Pitching Wedge and swung as hard as he could and wound up a bit short and right. I took out the same 9iron and smoothed that little draw to about 5 ft, pin high. "Whad 'ya hit THERE, son?" Same as before, 9 iron. "I thought you could only hit that club 135" .... So I told him : "No, I could hit that SHOT 135 with a 9 iron... I could hit THIS one 145...."

[Scrambled]

To draw the golf ball the club face must be closed to the swing path slightly therefore making the loft of the club a little less which makes the ball travel further with less spin and more roll :-D

[cipher]

Originally Posted by Jakester23

K thanks a lot that makes sense I'm going to keep working on shaping shots any more advice is welcome.

Jake, I would not worry too much about shaping shots.  If you want to keep getting better, focus on having a go to shot that you can hit every time with a predictable result.  For me that is a draw with my irons and a tight fade with my driver.  I hit the ball farthest with my driver when I hit it with just a slight fade.  It gets more carry.  I lose distance if I hit a draw because I usually hit it lower, and roll is not good where we play as you know generally.  I am just N.T.F.G. and have never been able to hit a high draw driver so I am not sure how that would play here in sconieville.  The biggest thing is to find what you can be consistent with, and repeat it.

[Jakester23]

Cipher I agree with you about worrying about shaping shots and Im not trying to be the next bubba but Ive had it as a goal for the last few years that I could shape shots if I wanted or needed to. I have had situations where I have driven the ball left and had a left pin with trouble left and was kinda up a creek. In that situation if I had a draw in the bag I could just play at the right side of the green and try to turn the ball back to the pin and if it goes straight so be it. I worked my butt of to be a real good clays shooter and one thing I learned is you can never know enough about something your trying to improve at. Even if I only use the draw once a round it will be worth it. Maybe I'll get good at it and use that as my go to shot you never know unless you try.

[iacas]

Originally Posted by Scrambled

To draw the golf ball the club face must be closed to the swing path slightly therefore making the loft of the club a little less which makes the ball travel further with less spin and more roll

Yes, but to draw the ball to the target it has to be pointing right of the target (effectively "open" to the target), and to hit a fade the clubface must be pointing left of the target (effectively "closed" to the target), so… where does that leave you?

[Jakester23]

Erik can you explain to me how I would know if I have a straight draw or a push draw being the guy hitting the ball? \. I know I have a pull fade but the draw Im not sure of.

[EverythingGolf]

Originally Posted by Jakester23

Erik can you explain to me how I would know if I have a straight draw or a push draw being the guy hitting the ball? \. I know I have a pull fade but the draw Im not sure of.

Its where the target line is, If the ball starts at the target line then curves left its a straight draw, if it starts right of the target line then curves left back to the target line then its a push draw.