Fade costs me 20 yds off the tee

[lastings]

Hey, those of you that are more knowledgeable about ball flight stuff-  

My average Driver Clubhead speed is about 106 or so.   When I hit a drive that has a draw, It flies about 265-270 with rollout between 277-285 or so. 

But, If I fade it, even just a little bit, it routinely costs me 15 yds on the carry and even more in total distance.  Often carrying 245-250 and rolling to 260-265.  
and this isn't just a one time thing.  spin to the right costs me those 15-20 yds every time.  Even more, if that ball spin is to the left, we're looking at 270+ every time. even if I get it off the toe a bit.  A drive with draw spin will never ever end up in the 250s (barring wind and uphill and stuff)

That much is just a fact, proven by many many swings.  

--So, here's what I don't get.--

Many of the top drivers on tour today, and historically, play a fade off the tee.   Dustin Johnson plays a fade, Hogan and Nicklaus played fades.   

what gives?  why does a fade cost me so much distance, but they seem to use it to add distance.   I don't get it.  

This shouldn't be a big deal to me, but honestly, its kind of frustrating.   Knowing that a fade is gonna cost 20 yds off the tee, I am forced to have an exaggerated draw swing off the tee, pulling my right foot back a bit off the target line and coming way from the inside.   If a fade was giving me the same distance as my draw, I wouldn't have to be so concerned about ball flight and could swing a bit harder possibly generating a bit more clubhead speed.  

 

any thoughts?  

'

 

 

[phillyk]

The spin is the result of your swing.  Your likely doing something funky on the fade swing and not doing it on the draw swing.  This actually happened to me but with my irons a month or two ago.  A draw had a nice longer flight, while my fade which felt more controlled dropped 15yds shorter than normal.  I had started overly flipping the club through impact and thus a loss of distance.  You could potentially be doing that, but the best way to find out would be to post videos of both swings.

[iacas]

Most people have less loft when they hit a pull-draw than they have with a push-fade. So their smash factor and ball speed tend to be higher, and launch angle and spin rate are more conducive to a longer ball flight.

The ball doesn't know what handed golfer hit it, so…

[Dannyhansen88]

I dealt with the same thing, when i used to fade it I would give it a glancing decending blow and put 8,000,000 rpm of backspin on it. I just learned how to hit cuts with a shallowed out swing and they went a lot further with a penetrating ball flight

[rehmwa]

Have you played with a lower lofted driver yet?  Maybe that would be more friendly to your fade.  Sometimes a fade comes with a little bit of open face if it's not due to path only. uploft.

But good on you for being able to induce your shot shape.  10-15  yards is not a big price to pay for the proper shape and a hit fairway.....(But it's nice to be able to max out anyway).

And if you are working too hard from your comfort zone to keep a draw, it might be worth it to get fit for your more natural fade swing.....

YMMV

[lastings]

58 minutes ago, rehmwa said:

Have you played with a lower lofted driver yet?  Maybe that would be more friendly to your fade.  Sometimes a fade comes with a little bit of open face if it's not due to path only. uploft.

But good on you for being able to induce your shot shape.  10-15  yards is not a big price to pay for the proper shape and a hit fairway.....(But it's nice to be able to max out anyway).

And if you are working too hard from your comfort zone to keep a draw, it might be worth it to get fit for your more natural fade swing.....

YMMV

My Natural swing with a driver isn't necessarily a fade.  Its more of a slight push, straight shot.   which occasionally fades a bit to the right, occasionally draws a little bit. 

Given that I, almost exclusively, draw my irons, combined with what we know (and what I've learned in the past few days) about ball flight, I think we'd be led to believe that this is almost exclusively a clubface issue.  It's something I'm trying to work through.  I think my swing is inside-to-out, but the clubface is facing right at just about the same degree.  

It's just frustrating because when it fades, it's usually not even enough to leave the fairway.   A straight ball will be pushed about 5-8 yds to the right, then maybe another 5-10 if it fades.   (ending up usually near the right edge of the fairway or just barely in the first cut).  If it does fade, it is real slight.   If it draws, then it usually ends up center cut.  3

it just amazes me that the difference between 5 yds of fade and 5 yds of draw equates to as much as 20 yds of distance for me.   I just don't get it.  

 

2 hours ago, iacas said:

Most people have less loft when they hit a pull-draw than they have with a push-fade.

not pull-draw..   push draw (with the driver, anyways).   Sometimes doesn't even draw all the way back to the middle.  

6 minutes ago, lastings said:

Given that I, almost exclusively, draw my irons

My mishit with my irons is actually a bit of a pull draw, as I had mentioned in another post.   My swing with my driver is pretty much a different swing, always starting a few yds right, and then maybe further right, maybe straight, maybe back to the middle from there..   

ugh...  the more I talk about this game, the further away I feel from where I want to be.   

 

Edited April 25, 2017 by lastings

[rehmwa]

Do a search here for face drills (is it Key 5?).  Play with that - they are pretty basic and useful.  Maybe Eric has something better.  I suspect it's hard to see even if you posted a swing vid, but a pro might see it.

Sounds like this is a pretty small issue if your miss is still fairway hit.