How to Hit a Draw and Fade?

jwalker497 · August 7, 2007

Ok so I'm a low 90s Mid to High 80s player, broke 85 a few times and I just don't hit a straight ball with Driver,woods or hybrids. I usually have a slight fade. With irons I am pretty straight, if they have offset I pull em a little and if they don't have too much offset, Im pretty straight. I am on the verge on playing good golf, (sub 85) for me and have been really focusing on hole strategy, etc. and have been hitting my irons really well. But a big key in that is controlling my shot shape, especially off the tee. Lately I Have noticed that by tinkering with my setup i can sometimes produce a fade and draw. I can;t do it on command, but my success rate has been improving, still not where I am comfortable I am playing for scores.

To hit my fade fade, I stand a lil further from the ball, Most people would call it normal drive rposition, open the face a hair, and open my stance. To hit my draw (really isn't a true draw, more of a pull to the left) I move the ball pretty up in my stance, close my stance and stand a little closer. Like I said, It's not really a draw but a pull, but still useful if I am trying to avoid one side of the fairway, etc? My question is What do you do to hit a draw/fade? Am i on the right track?? Should I be doing something else. Is there something I am missing?

I gotta say that when I first took up golf, I had no idea what I was doing but enjoyed it tremendously. Now I am on the verge of stepping up to a shot and have an idea of what I want to do and actually do it - Nothing is more rewarding to me than that execution!!! I've watched a ton of lessons and the majority say to hit a fade, open stance and to hit draw close stance, but those items alone don't necessaerily work for me. For me the Biggest factor seems to be where the ball is in my stance. Way up I pull it, farther back I fade it. Straight is somewhere in between and a total guess. Any help would be appreciated.

Solutions Etcetera · August 7, 2007

I know pros change some of their swing mechanics to shape the shot. I try and keep my swing the same so here is what I do. I call it the open-open-close-close rule

To draw the ball... set up normally; then close your stance to move your target line to the right. Close your clubface to keep it perpendicular to the target (the original target line at setup). Take your normal swing along the new target line.

To fade just do the opposite. open your stance and your clubface.

HTH

BTW I am not 100% at this, but it does work for me and I don't have to worry about anything else in my swing to do it.

jwalker497 · August 7, 2007

THanks. I should have added that I agree with you in that I do not want to change my swing mechanics. I use the same swing with every club.

Grimace45 · August 7, 2007

I just visualize the shot I want to hit and then just hit it. I am not sure what I change in my swing to hit a draw or a fade since I was taught this at a young age. I can remember my grandpop telling me to think the shot and then hitting it.

jwalker497 · August 8, 2007

I visualize hitting 300 yd drives but it aint gonna happen!

cfreeman8 · August 8, 2007

All i do is align the clubface at the target and aim my body right or left. To hit a draw, i aim my body right and aim the face towards the fairway. Its pretty much just aiming right or left and closing/opening the face. Of course it sounds easier than it actually is. :tongue:

nuby · August 8, 2007

visualization is deffinatly a big part in your shot shape if you imagine a draw from the beginning chances are ull hit one. what i do to draw is just move my leg back to aim at the starting trajectory and my clubface to where it ought to land. fade is the same except i move my left leg back. it really helps if you try to focus on your regular swing instead of altering it to hit draw or fade because that normaly results in a slice, push, socket, pull or hook.

just my part

Shaitan · August 8, 2007

Golf has a definate KISS rule about it when thinking about swing mechanics. If you want to hit a draw figure out a way you can do it with the least amount of change to your normal swing - in this case it is often aiming right of target, aiming the clubface at the target and swinging along your feet. Some pros like TW change their swing mechanics and it is a lot harder to replicate when you don't spend hundreds of hours of practice doing that.

Oh yeah, like all of you have said, visualisation is a vital key to being able to move the ball around.

HoosierGolfer · August 8, 2007

I know pros change some of their swing mechanics to shape the shot. I try and keep my swing the same so here is what I do. I call it the open-open-close-close rule

To draw the ball... set up normally; then close your stance to move your target line to the right. Close your clubface to keep it perpendicular to the target (the original target line at setup). Take your normal swing along the new target line.

To fade just do the opposite. open your stance and your clubface.

HTH

BTW I am not 100% at this, but it does work for me and I don't have to worry about anything else in my swing to do it.

This is also how I set up to shape these two shots. The only thing I would add, is that I play the ball forward in my stance for the fade and back for the draw.

Other than that, everything is the same for me.

nyhacker · August 8, 2007

I learned to hit fades and draws by watching and listening to Jack NIcklaus. He never changed his mechanics. Just opened the club face or closed it and altered alignment just as many have already said. Unless you practice like a tour pro I think it is best to keep it simple.

spk74 · August 8, 2007

Good stuff... I'm basically the same as everyone above, in that I do a lot of the same things they do. But setting up "normal" and then adjusting my feet or clubhead has always felt strange and un-natural to me. Even if it means keeping the same swing mechanics. Artificially opening or closing my clubface once I've already taken my stance seems backwards and the club feels different/bad in my hands if I do it in that order.

When I'm preparing to hit any shot (straight, fade or draw) I have to rehearse it several times to get a feeling for it. This feeling includes a stance, grip, clubface orientation and swingpath that will induce the shape I'm looking for. If I don't get that complete feeling, then I re-evaluate and try some other shot shape. But once I have the right feeling, then I'm ready to setup for that specific shot.

For a fade (like those above), I set the club square to my final target, then I set my feet so my stance is ever-so-slightly open, with the ball about 1 ball's width up in my stance (and I might stand a little closer (half a ball) to the ball if I'm hitting a wood). Then I take the club straight back.

For a big draw (I normally hit a draw), I set the club square to my final target, set my feet such that the ball is back in my stance about 1 ball's width (and I might stand a little farther away from the ball (half a ball) if I'm hitting a wood)...and I take the club back a hair more to the inside than I normally do.

Again, I must rehearse the shot a few times until it feels right. Once I get that feeling I step up and hit it.

Another visualization that sometimes works for me (although I hate it now): trying to compress a specific dimple on the backside of the golf ball through the center of the golf ball, but keeping the face square to the target (where it will end up).