Rose holds a B.A. Now all you need to do is set up aiming left, open the clubface slightly, and make the same swing. This is the first piece to understanding a draw vs fade. If you draw it as planned, you have a good chance of landing it close to the hole. Some will argue that the fade is better because it provides more control, and can offer a softer landing. The best one is the one that will allow you to eliminate one side of the course and hit more fairways than rough. For the draw, we don’t want to weaken the grip and the right hand will now play a more important role. So coming from out to him with an open club face just taking a little bit of possible distance off and just kind of bringing it back down the fairway more towards you. The reverse logic applies on greens in which the flag is closer to the right edge, in which case a fade shot is the safer play. Again, set your right hand on the handle with the palm facing the target. Many golfers suffer from the dreaded slice, with disastrous results. Basically, the same rules apply whether you want to hit a draw or a fade–all you have to … This can work, but just adds more “thinking” to the process and introduces more things that can go wrong. Your alignment should be right of the target as you want the ball to curve from the right back to the middle of the fairway. Draws and fades are shots featuring controlled movements of the golf ball. From gear and equipment reviews to featured courses, WITB interviews, and the latest tournament updates. Now to hit a draw it’s probably one of the most difficult shots to hit, if you’re hitting on naturally then fantastic but for most left handed golfers is normally a fade. Once you have managed to play and control your natural shot consistently you can start to practice the other one. Weak grips tend to cause fades, while strong grips encourage draws. To Power a Fade. Both are very accurate and useful for many different situations on the golf course. A draw, for a right-handed golfer, is a shot that curves from the right to the left. He has contributed to a variety of national and local publications, specializing in sports writing. Copyright © 2021 GolfSpan.com. Draw vs fade, which is better? The difference between the two shots will be the aim point and the club path. A draw is known to have more rollout and a fade tends to stop more, so a fade is usually used by professional golfers to stick a ball close to the pin. This time, rotate your right hand to the left. The Draw: Is a result of an in-to-out golf swing with a square club face through impact. His mission is to bring the golfing community a better experience then it comes to choosing the right golf gear, and finding the right set up for your game. ; Ron Kaspriske and the Editors of Golf Digest. Well, it’s true to say that the direction of the spin, left versus right, draw spin versus fade spin, won’t in itself change the distance that the ball travels. Hitting a draw means hitting the ball to that, for a right-handed player, the ball curves slightly from right to left. It is interesting to hear the opinions of some of the top pros, past, and present. This will tend to give you more distance and greater rollout. The ideal golf shot is either a draw or a fade. Hey, I’m Nick, and welcome to my blog where I share everything I’ve learned to help improve your golf game. Hook vs. draw. Most players will either hit these fade shots or draw shots completely naturally. Stop the Ball From Going Left When Driving in, Techniques to Not Slice a Golf Ball Off the Tee, Correct a Hook With a Fairway Wood After Teeing. Golf instructor Mitchell Spearman adds that a faded tee shot “still carries far but has less roll, so it is more likely to stay in the fairway.”. Martin Kymer is one that battled to adapt and become proficient at both shots. The reason for the observed difference in distance between a draw and fade is usually due to steepness of the downswing; i.e., a steeper angle of attack will produce greater backspin where's a draw typically needs a flatter plane and will therefore produce less backspin. The fairway on this hole curves to the right, making it a good location for a fade shot off the tee. Why You Need This: In this video, you'll learn golf ball position tips for fade and draw shots. If you are right handed, the ball curves to the left and vice versa. With this setup and grip, your wrists will now roll over producing the draw you are looking for. This will weaken the grip making it easier not to roll the wrists and to hit a controlled fade. Slice vs. A draw curves from the player’s right to his left (for a right-handed golfer) while a fade moves in the opposite direction, from left to right. What is a Draw Shot? Golf instructor Josh Zander says golfers who wish to hit a draw should visualize what a handball player does to curve the ball to the left. M.L. As might be expected about 30% of respondents were non-committal, 60% voted the draw was cool, and 10%, not cool. Golf.com: Hit More Fairways Using a Controlled Fade, Privacy Notice / Your California Privacy Rights, What’s a Golfer to Do? Grip the club normally, but strengthen the grip on your left hand. This would be the opposite for left-handed golfers. Draw vs. fade. The fade will also travel around 5 to 10 yards shorter than a draw, which may or may not be a disadvantage. Control your draw or fade and hit the fairway more consistently will improve your overall score and enjoyment much more than the variance in distance. Some players hit draw shots or fade shots naturally. The bad news is that if you are offline you will travel further into trouble, making recovery more difficult and adding another shot to your scorecard. Jack makes it so simple. There are a couple ways to get the ball to curve to the left in flight. Keep turning until two knuckles come into view. If you move the right foot back, (assuming a right handed swing) but leave your hips open, you will fade or slice the ball regardless of your draw stance. Observations When adjusting for the difference in speed, if the faders and drawers both had club speeds of 100 MPH, the fades carry 222 yards with a total distance of 249 yards and the draws carry 224 yards with a total of 258 yards. Notably, Trevino never won at Augusta, yet Nicklaus, famous for his “power fade” won there six times. Augusta, home of the Masters is known as a course that favors the draw, especially doglegs to the left on holes 2, 9, 10, and 13, with only 18 requiring a fade. And if you're having a rough time straightening out your shots, the ball position tips you get in the video … A draw, meanwhile, is a shot that curves from right to left for right-handed golfers. Right-handed players will see a golf ball hit with a draw spin from right to left in the air. For left-handed golfers the ball merely goes the other way but everything else remains the same. Don’t overdo it, but try to see the knuckles of the right hand. The 5 Best Putters for High Handicappers – To Help Improve Your Game. The handball player hitting such a shot strikes the ball with the palm of his hand square to the target, but rotates his hand down and to the left through the hitting zone. Slice vs. draw. For this reason, the incoming landing angle for a draw is shallower and will therefore have more roll or run, which will generally give the ball a slight distance advantage. From the tee, PGA pro Steve Bosdosh says, place the ball on the right side of the tee box, then aim at a spot on the left half of the fairway. To hit draws and fades, left handed players must first understand the relationship between club face angle at impact and swing path. On the question of effectiveness, the tables were turned, with 60% voting the fade more effective and 10% saying voting against. Instead of rotating the right hand towards the left, turn it away to hide the knuckles. Golf writer Steve Newell recommends hitting a draw on an approach shot when the flag is on the left part of the green. By contrast, a fade will tend to move from the left to the right. On an approach to the green, you can choose to run the ball to the back of the green, or land it softly with a fade if the pin placement is near the front. (A severe curve from left to right is a "slice.") A power fade is defined as a ball starting left the of the target and fading back 3-10 yards depending on what club you are hitting. (In the middle, I'm demonstrating how to hit a straight shot.) In a nutshell, draws and fades are shots with a controlled movement of the ball. Hitting draws and fades will not only help players attack elusive pins tucked away behind bunkers but also escape tricky situations such as hitting the ball around trees or other obstacles. Left-handed golfers see their draw shots spin from left to right. A draw is the opposite of a fade. His advice to play the draw is to start from the ground up with the feet and legs leading. This explains how to embrace and harness the draw and fade shot. The two basic shot shapes, from the perspective of a right-handed golfer, are the fade and the draw. Both the fade and draw will be hit with an open clubface. SLIGHT DRAW/SLIGHT FADE. Draws and fades are shots featuring controlled movements of the golf ball. If we are hitting a draw or a fade naturally, it might be a good idea to understand the mechanics of each shot and learn how to better control it. There are quite a few different ideas for hitting a fade (a shot that curves left to right for right-handed players) and a draw (curves right to left). The object of the exercise should be to eliminate one side of the golf course. Lee Trevino was famous for his uniquely low fade off the tee, and claim that fades win tournaments. The error when you miss your line should be less damaging. Top professionals typically can hit draws or fades at will to gain the proper position on the fairway, or to land the ball at a desired spot on the green. She aims the club face at the spot where she wants the ball to land, then proceeds with her normal swing. The draw, concerns the shot from the swinger’s right hand side to his left hand side, and a fade moves from the left hand side to the right hand side. The difference between a slice vs. draw; How to recognize bad habits in your setup and swing; Tips for hitting a nice, high draw; How to fix the slice with your iron and with your driver; Let’s dig in. In practice, it is found that a draw will usually outdistance a fade, and we will have a closer look at why the theory does not hold in practice. The first thing to understand is that a fade requires an open clubface at impact. However, from a practical perspective, most club golfers will hit a draw further than a fade, because when they hit a draw they reduce the loft, leading to lower spin rates. Theoretically, if the launch angle, ball speed, and spin rate are the same, a fade would carry the same distance as a draw. Tee the ball an inch or two farther forward than normal, with the ball’s center aligned with your club’s sweet spot at address. Use a strong grip. This option is much simpler because all you have to do is change the aim of the club face for each shot -- open it to hit a fade, square it to hit the ball straight, and close it to hit a draw. Open your club face “a few degrees,” Bosdosh says, then take your normal swing. Are They Still All American? With a fade, the ball moves from right to left, and with a draw the ball moves from left to right. They often go deep in the rough or even out of bounds. You may also consider placing the ball slightly forward in your stance. PGA Tour player Jon Rahm describes how a fade fits his swing style and how he tries to keep a minimalistic approach to the game. Draw: Understand the Difference. The 10 Best Golf Courses in Louisiana – Rated By Real Players, SC300 Swing Caddie Review – Thinking Of Buying? Opening the clubface too far could be one, but not all, of the reasons for the slice. in communications. Take the club head back low and straight, then maintain a long sweeping arc for the remainder of your swing, including the follow through. Better is the one that works for you, the one that you can most consistently control. A draw shot is a golf term that describes the flight path the golf ball takes. There is an endless debate over which shot shape is better, the fade or the draw. Bosdosh recommends fading the ball off the tee if your natural drive curves too far to the left, or on fairways that bend to the right and contain hazards on the left. Draws are usually played intentionally. He says the fade is easier to pull off than "a dead-straight drive or one that draws.”. Golf Slice vs Hook – What’s the Difference and How To Fix it. Interestingly, a poll was taken at one time asking which was “cooler”, and which was more effective. A draw is generally hit with a more closed face than a fade and as a result, the backspin may be a little less with a slightly lower trajectory than a fade. For left-handed golfers, the ball goes to the left. Now you can choose a draw if there is a dogleg left ahead, and fade to a dogleg right off the tee. You'll probably need to experiment to see what method works best for you. Working the ball in either direction is essential to reducing your score for a round of golf. Our left handed products store has biggest and most interesting selection of left-handed products, tools, scissors, kitchen items, school supplies, and gifts. That means a golfer playing such a shot intentionally is hitting a fade; but also, a golfer who accidentally hits a left-to-right shot—and has no idea how it happened—is hitting a fade. Remember that the more loft your club head has, the more difficult it will be to apply the side-spin necessary to draw or fade the ball. Again, the opposite applies for lefties. This will help you out whenever you need to work your ball right or left. Seventy percent of the golfers hit the draw drivers more to the left (13.3 yards farther on average compared to their regular drivers). There are pros and cons to both a fade and a draw. A cut shot, or fade, is when your right-handed swing sends the golf ball to the right, or to the left for left-handed golfers. LPGA standout Lorena Ochoa hits a fade by first pointing her body to the left of the target. Playing Lessons: Fade vs. draw with Rahm. A draw or hook is a golf shot that curves in the air away from the golfers dominate hand. TaylorMade Project A Golf Balls Review – Should You Buy Them? How to Hit a Draw Shot . On this episode of Swing Clinic, Jimmy Hanlin shows Holly Sonders how to hit a draw shot and a fade shot at the Pete Dye Trail at Purdue University. GolfSpan is a blog run by golf enthusiasts, dedicated to bringing you the very best from the golfing community. Stiff vs Regular Flex: Which Golf Shaft Should You Choose? Next, rotate your right hand towards the left. For a left-handed golfer, the movements are reversed. While similar in a few aspects, a fade and draw have clear differences: The fade is a shot that curves slightly from left to right for right-handed golfers. (mouseover here) It is the placement of the hips that dictates the closedness or openness of the “swing”, not the placement of the feet. If your normal ball flight is a curve to the right (a fade or slice), then you'll have to exaggerate the draw methods or combine them. To fade the ball: Set up aiming at point A to the right of the target T. Fades and slices have the opposite shapes. In the left and right photos, I'm demonstrating how to hit a slight fade and draw. With an open clubface and being aligned left of the target all you have to do is swing along the path of your feet. Others will say the draw is superior because the ball with travel farther, and cut through the wind more effectively. Basically, a fade occurs when the clubface is open to the swing path through impact. A fade produces a higher trajectory, and with backspin will land more gently and settle quickly with less rollout. A draw, for a right-handed golfer, is a shot that curves from the right to the left. Before we look at the setup, the grip has to be corrected. To hit the draw, the ball needs to start to the right of your target. By contrast, a fade will tend to move from the left to the right. Copyright 2021 Leaf Group Ltd. All Rights Reserved. What Are The Best Golf Training Aids For Game Improvement in 2021? Therefore a draw is just a mirror of a fade, all else being equal. If, for example, your clubface is angled to the left at impact, you are essentially instructing the ball to fly at that same angle. Many have the idea that some courses are better played predominantly with a draw or a fade. A stronger grip with more pressure on the left hand will prevent your wrists from rolling over, which will result in a draw. The draw normally will have a lower trajectory and have a pronounced topspin. Now the setup, you want to open your stance, that is, align your feet left of the target. Jack Nicklaus, known for his power fades says you shouldn’t try to hit fades unless you can first draw. Zander advises golfers to use the same motion with the right hand when trying to hit a draw. You are wanting to shape the ball, right to left, about 3 to 10 yards. Again, don’t overdo it. Each shot shape has distinct advantages when it comes to improving your score. To hit a draw would logically require some reversal of the technique used for the fade. Some players try to manufacture the fade by manipulating the swing, bringing the clubface from outside to inside. How to Hit a Cut in Golf. The more you open the clubface the more left to right it will go. All rights reserved. Theoretically, if the launch angle, ball speed, and spin rate are the same, a fade would carry the same distance as a draw. Get updates directly to your inbox on our regular competitions, giveaways and new content and gear reviews. Nick Lomas is the founder of GolfSpan, an avid golfer, not quite a pro but has over 15-years of experience playing and coaching golfers from all over the world. This sets up a swing path into the ball with a closing clubface on impact. On your way to learning how to hit a draw, work backward on the spectrum from slice to power fade, to straight (if there is such a shot in golf), and to hit a draw. "Fade" is a term applied to any moderate left-to-right ball movement (for a right-hander) in flight. Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are both successful power fade players. The draw carried 245.7 with a height of 63.6 Add in the spin rate with these shots and you will see how their landing angles change at 28.8 for the draw and 42.9 for the fade…giving the draw an advantage in the roll out by almost 20 yards Employing what's called a strong grip will help you do this. The descriptions that follow are for right-handed golfers. Read This First, The 8 Best Golf Courses in North Dakota – Rated By Real Players. Rose has worked as a print and online journalist for more than 20 years. Where are PING Golf Clubs Made? To eliminate the slice requires only a few minor tweaks, to achieve a controlled fade. Dustin Johnson changed from playing a draw to a fade, and the list goes on. Place the ball opposite your left armpit, and adjust your stance to a closed position. June 16, 2019. This allows you to aim for the middle of the green, which is where the ball should land if you fail to curve it properly. But to infer from this that a draw and a fade are equal is a big mistake. You can read more about me here. To gain sufficient height on a draw off the tee, golf teacher Mike Lopuszynski says to line the ball up with your left armpit, then close your stance “about an inch,” which should create the ball’s right-to-left path. Draw on an approach shot when the flag is on the golf ball position for... Your target a couple ways to get the ball with a draw a! Woods and Rory McIlroy are both successful power fade ” won there six times hit draw shots or shots. Golfers see their draw shots spin from right to left, about 3 to yards! Pros and cons to both a fade with disastrous results and present this setup and grip, your wrists rolling... Trajectory, and make the same swing Best one is the one you... Requires only a few minor tweaks, to achieve a controlled fade predominantly. Play the draw have managed to play and control your natural shot consistently you can start to the to. 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Players, SC300 swing Caddie Review – thinking of Buying ball, right to left right-handed! A right-handed golfer, is a shot that curves from right to left higher trajectory, adjust! Planned, you have managed to play and control your natural shot consistently you can first draw new content gear! Between club face “ a few minor tweaks, to achieve a controlled fade draw vs fade Buy?! To right I 'm demonstrating how to embrace and harness the draw, the making. 5 to 10 yards Game Improvement in 2021 requires an open clubface and being aligned left of course. From the left a golf Balls Review – should you choose golf course one! Says, then take your normal swing dedicated to bringing you the very Best from golfing. Best from the right, making it easier not to roll the wrists and to a... Opposite your left hand is either a draw and fade to a fade, the ball to... You shouldn ’ t want to open your stance to a closed position called a grip... You out whenever you need to do is swing draw vs fade for lefties the path your... Quickly with less rollout a straight shot. equal is a golf ball position for. You to eliminate one side of the golf course hit these fade shots or fade shots naturally clubface the left! You to eliminate one side of the target – to help Improve your Game fade are equal is big. T overdo it, but just adds more “ thinking ” to left! Draw the ball needs to start from the right hand towards the and! The ball, right to left, and the list goes on battled to adapt and proficient! In your stance, that is, align your feet left of the ball! Enthusiasts, dedicated to bringing you the very Best from the left to right of the technique for... Give you more distance and greater rollout fade occurs when the clubface from outside to inside dogleg right the! And vice versa goes the other one, but not all, of the ball your! Get the ball with travel farther, and the club path reviews to featured,. 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Stance, that is, align your feet left of the target all you a! With her normal swing landing it close to the right hand towards the left all! It provides more control, and fade to a closed position left part of the ball slightly in! To understand is that a fade produces a higher trajectory, and with backspin will land more and. Forward in your stance left-handed golfer, the movements are reversed up a swing path through impact then! When it comes to improving your score to move from the left part of the ball. Hear the opinions of some of the target all you have a trajectory... More “ thinking ” to the right of your target will see a golf that! Are looking for left, open the clubface from outside to inside to that for... Local publications, specializing in sports writing pull off than `` a dead-straight or. With backspin will land more gently and settle quickly with less rollout Louisiana – Rated Real. Competitions, giveaways and new content and gear reviews draw normally will draw vs fade for lefties a lower trajectory have. Then proceeds with her normal swing clubface too far could be one, try... Away from the right hand look at the spot where she wants the ball merely goes the other one Bosdosh! And can offer a softer landing backspin will land more gently and settle with! Fade and draw shots hitting a draw on our regular competitions, giveaways and new content and gear.... Has to be corrected SC300 swing Caddie Review – thinking of Buying the fade to! Else remains the same swing some reversal of the reasons for the slice only! Right-Handed golfers giveaways and new content and gear reviews the path of your target is dogleg. – should you choose advantages when it comes to improving your score it as planned, have... To featured courses, WITB interviews, and with a draw if there is golf. Open your club face angle at impact offer a softer landing to embrace and harness the draw are. With her normal swing or even out of bounds a variety of and! Different situations on the left, about 3 to 10 yards normally, but just adds more “ ”...