Would you rather draw or fade a driver?

[hypergolf]

I use Titleist TS3 and have been playing around with A1 and B1 setting.

 

A1 is standard setting and B1 is 0.75* flat.

 

With A1 setting, I draw the ball 8 out of 10 times.

 

With B1 setting, I fade the ball 8 out of 10 times.

 

I was hoping that I can just hit the ball straight but doesn't seem to be working so far.

 

I play 2 degrees flat with my irons and hit them straight (lie angles are - 4 iron 58*, 7 iron = 59.5*, PW = 61* just for reference) so thought flat lie angle setting on driver and fairway woods is the way to go?

 

Would like to hear your thoughts....

 

 

[TM4me]

A draw will typically go farther .  However, I've found a fade is more consistent and controllable for me. 

Edited October 27, 2021 by TM4me

[sg91]

A fade is more controllable for me off the tee and is more manageable from a golf swing perspective than trying to hit draws consistently.

[ShortGolfer]

A fade.  The Executive course I play on extracts a huge penalty for missing the fairway.  Really deep rough, trees, and adjacent fairways.  And it you land in them the land is contoured to keep the ball in play.

[Drivingrangehero]

A fade, because I can consistently hit a big high or low draw, but a fade………. FORE RIGHT, or pulled left! 
 

I play whatever shot shape is natural, otherwise I’m not consistent. If I’m playing well, I’m very straight and can work the ball as needed, but much more comfortable with a draw. 

[braincramp52]

Since I'm a leftie and my main course has 7 doglegs to the left, fade it is.

[LeoLeo99]

You can talk to a fade...

[Pmookie]

Fade, fade, fade!!!! My miss is a hook, so I’m not a fan of seeing a draw on the course!

[BIG STU]

Fade or a little butter cut. I had a hooking problem early in my golf life and I developed a cut swing in defense. My bad miss is over the top combination of a pull rope hook and it is nasty. I can rope hook it off the planet with the best of them. Actually I am going to say something nasty here--- I would rather cold shank one than rope hook one.

[ode]

Whatever your normal shot shape is!

 

If this is a survey and you are going with the results....then fade😎

[mogc60]

A fade all day and twice on Sunday. It’s an easier shot to hit, to aim and to control.  Common misconception is that a draw is longer but if you look at the longest players on tour traditionally they are faders of the golf ball. It flies further and the ballflight is more predictable 

[Hammer_Hands]

I once heard someone say that the golf journey goes like this:  You spend the first part of your life trying to figure out how to hit a draw.  Then you spend the rest of your life trying to figure out how to hit a fade.  

 

This has been true for me.  Draws are easy, but I cannot hit a reliable fade.

[BombinJim]

25 minutes ago, mogc60 said:

Common misconception is that a draw is longer but if you look at the longest players on tour traditionally they are faders of the golf ball

I’m not sure about that one, at least present tense. Look at Rory and Bryson. Drawers of the ball. I think Champ might be too.

 

I’d take a fade with driver though since it can be equally as long if hit properly (not a glancing slice). Would prefer to drop down to 3W to turn it over as necessary.

[Billfitz]

Why only one or the other? Learn to hit both, then use whichever is called for on a particular hole.

[Cellis]

My natural swing caters a draw. I think it is pretty controllable as well. Rarely lose any balls off the tee from it.

[Haroputt]

Driver it’s a High fade 

[Kmagnuss]

I typically hit a little fade, and prefer it... but if I'm hitting a draw that day I know I can turn up my swing speed a little bit until I slice one three fairways over.

[Rbsiedsc]

My miss is a banana slice or straight pull. Been trying to come more from inside and hit a draw. Then my miss becomes a low hook. So I try to go straight and will take baby fade or baby draw. Whatever my driver is doing that day. Play what’s natural 

[R5Two]

Depends on the course you typically play, setup, firmness, etc. 

 

All things equal. FADE

 

There is more control, it lands softer. Won't run through as many fairways. 

[dropkicked]

My natural swing lends itself to a draw.. on the 1st tee I'm only thinking about butning a heely fade into the middle of the fairway..  🤣

Once I get loose it's a tight draw all day.

[Fairway14]

A fade is easier to consistently control (including bounce and roll) than a driver. This is true for tee box shots, fairway shots, and iron approach shots.

So for consistent accuracy, a fade is better than a draw. For driver I believe accuracy is more helpful than distance.

[VNutz]

As someone who's played a draw most of my life, I love watching the occasional playing partner that can hit the 5-15 yard fade all day long. Might not be the longest but it's in play 9/10 times.

 

I will say that I prefer the draw when conditions are windy as it seems to bore through the wind better than a fade, which seems to get gobbled up.

 

Play whatever your more natural shot shape is. My natural shape for everything is a draw, but there are times when I'm simply off and I'm fading the ball, at which point I'm completely lost as mentally I cannot play line up for a fade.

[Ghostwedge]

Play the fade unless you're playing rock hard wide fairways. Last study I read on this said the ball stays in the air longer on a fade and thus goes farther.

 

So unless you're Rory or Bryson you need more air time, I know I do. 

[getitdaily]

Fade, since I'm a fader.

 

Try a1 with the ts3 weight set to fade...that'll help straighten things out. Or open the face in a1 (deloft). That may as well. If you see too much fade then move the weight to the draw setting.

 

Face to path is responsible for about 60-70% of curve. Center of gravity can enhance or negate curve. Lie angle on a driver does very little...it mostly impacts start line. 

[dubbelbogey]

I'm also in the fade camp, but more importantly, it's about whichever you can most consistently control into the tightest dispersion.

 

I know a lot of instructors say hit the shape that is most "natural" - and while that most natural shape may also correspond to tightest dispersion, it might not.

 

I started with a draw, with the bad miss being a hot running hook. Left to my own "natural" swing, that draw would be my driver shape. Overall, reasonably functional most of the time, but the bad misses really, really sucked.

 

Over 15 years ago, having an instructor teach me how to hit a fade has turned driver into my most counted upon weapon to better scoring. With the fade, my dispersion is tighter, and I have very few tee shots ending up in unplayable positions. The truly horrific bad miss OB is virtually gone. Sure, I miss with the driver. Relatively often, in fact, but the misses are generally very playable.

 

For me, my "non-natural shape" is my better shape.

[robbbennett58]

All depends on how I’m working the ball that day… Usually capable of shaping the ball both ways, but depending on the situation and how the hole suits my eye I do my best to try and execute accordingly… lot easier said than done… but a butter cut is essentially my guarantee more often than not with a driver.. driver is 2* open, for some reason I can’t stand a square or draw bias driver head, just not visually appealing to me or my swing… all in all I was taught to play from the green to the tee box so essentially shot shape all depends on pin placement and contours on greens, as well as a few other course management details I’ve learned.. 

[jah7838]

I prefer playing a fade.  It's a lot easier to control for me.  I hit it far enough on the courses I play, and if I need to draw a club, I can do that a lot easier with my 3 wood and lay back a bit.  

[Z1ggy16]

Fade unless I'm extremely sure I won't toe the ball. 

[Davidv]

Ideally the ability to hit either a draw or fade depending on the hole layout. For me easier to hit and control a fade.

[kasting333]

Small draw is preferable for me. It’s really more of a straight ball. If I’m snapping it hard I just weaken my right hand a little and make sure the club isn’t too shut on my backswing. 
 

When I’ve played a fade my miss becomes a massive block and I get a two way miss from trying to correct it.