Draw or Fade

[JasonMacIsaac]

First, what is your natural shot shape and what do you do to curve the ball both ways under pressure.

Since I switched to a Cleveland Launcher Ti 460 I have been hitting a high long draw 270-275 fly. First club I ever had with the correct shaft for me.

When I want to hit a draw or fade I don't even have to change my setup, it all has to do with the left arm through impact and into the follow through.

For a draw I have the left arm completly straight through impact and into the follow through. This seems to give great extention and an inside path. When I do this I usually hit my drives in the 270-280 range

For a fade all I do is bend the left arm through impact, this forces you to cut across the ball. While the fade is a little shorter it is more accurate, I hit this fade about 260-265 on average.

[EnglishGolfer]

Originally Posted by JasonMacIsaac

First, what is your natural shot shape and what do you do to curve the ball both ways under pressure.

When I want to hit a draw or fade I don't even have to change my setup, it all has to do with the left arm through impact and into the follow through.
.

I don't think I would recommend your method of fading and drawing to others but if it works for you then fair enough. Are you able to control the severity of the movement or is it just a general shape that is created by doing what you do?

I used to play with a slice for my first 4 years or so of playing, then I decided to improve and changed to a draw which improved my distance. I still tend to draw the ball with 3 wood and up but oddly my driver either goes straight or a slight fade.

[ezra76]

Fade is my natural flight. I had to work hard to develop the ability to hit the draw. I've found that the swing path is the most important factor in controlling ballflight. To hit the fade I just open my stance and open the face towards the target. I really hold off on breaking my wrists through impact. The ball starts off going towards the the stance line and fades back to where the face was aiming. To hit the draw I set up with a closed stance, actually a bit staggered (left foot closer to the ball than the right). This manufactures the inside-outside path for the draw. I really get the clubhead turned over too. The great part about knowing how to hit these two is if I start slicing off the tee, I just start hitting draws.

[Pa Jayhawk]

I play a natural draw. Just recently I made grip modifications that corrected some problems I have had for a couple years where it would start straight and then draw, and since doing so My Driver now has a fade for the first time in a few years. The way I am now hitting the ball, I am really in no hurry to change this. I figure it may change naturally, but if it doesn't I always played my driver alot more acurate when I had a natural fade in the beginning. I don't mind the loss of a little distance with the kind of accuracy I now see. I just need to work a little more on the release of the club.

The changes I made where with my grip, so I can draw my driver if desired now by simply going back to the old grip (top thumb further down the shaft, bottom thumb in the center), but it is just not as natural or accurate. I have more trouble trying to intentionally fade the ball. In general, I simply take a club or 2 more, open my stance, open the clubface and aim left. Then I pray to God that it doesn't still draw. I may toy around with it this year. I have also found that you can grip tighter with the pinky and ring finger on your top hand to do this, but it does not seem to work as well for me. With my new grip, this may be the better option now. I have more trouble fading my irons as they are slightly offset.

I was a more accurate player with a natural fade, although this year for the first time in 3 1/2 years I am seeing that same accuracy with a draw. I would prefer to actually get my driver to simply go straight with no ball path. That is my goal for this year and I think with the fairways hit it would improve my scores drastically, even if it comes at the expense of 10-20 yards.

[token_hottie]

Please explain: why not just hit it straight?

[VtDivot]

I hit the ball mostly straight. I will work the ball if I need to get around trouble, or if there is excessive wind. I find it A LOT easier to work the ball left. I have a terrible time hitting a fade especially with irons

[Adam Pettman]

I hit the ball straight and just move my feet if i want to work the ball.
TH you would draw the ball because it helps get more roll on the ball and you would fade the ball to make it stop quicker. Although its not worth trying if your happy hitting the ball straight at the moment.

[Witmaster]

Originally Posted by token_hottie

Please explain: why not just hit it straight?

If you can master a natural fade or draw you become a god when facing fairways with doglegs left/right.

It's also handy if you have to hit around an obsticle.

[ezra76]

Originally Posted by token_hottie

Please explain: why not just hit it straight?

They must put all the trouble in line with the men's tees. The course I played today, there are maybe 2 tee shots where a straight drive is best. Everything else is Straight into.. a tree, a trap, through the fairway into the woods. I have been messing with fades and draws so much I never try to hit one straight anymore off the tee.

[JasonMacIsaac]

You don't try to hit the ball completely straight, I think it may have been Nicklaus but someone said if your ball doesn't curve from right to left or left to right you probably hit it wrong. The point of hitting with a draw or fade is so you can eliminate one side of the course. Much easier to play golf that way.

[Witmaster]

Originally Posted by JasonMacIsaac

You don't try to hit the ball completely straight, I think it may have been Nicklaus but someone said if your ball doesn't curve from right to left or left to right you probably hit it wrong. The point of hitting with a draw or fade is so you can eliminate one side of the course. Much easier to play golf that way.

I'm not disagreeing with you here but following this logic one could argue that by hitting it straight down the middle you eliminate both sides alltogether.

[Youngun5]

i heard somewhere its much easier to just go with a repeatable setup for the ball to go one way or another than to try to get it go straight... that may be wrong...idk

if its in the fairway or hits the green i don't give a damn how it got there.... a draw looks better, but a fade certainly gets the job done. if i had to choose one or the other i'd take a draw. i'm totally redoing my swing, so i'm gearing it for a draw, but i'm just kinda learning as i go, so who knows how this'll turn out

[ezra76]

I'm thinking of learning to play a shank.

[GregInOz]

Controlled shank or power shank?

[ezra76]

Originally Posted by GregInOz

Controlled shank or power shank?

Both. I'll use the 5iron power shank for those 90yarders and the controlled PW shank for those short pitches. Just aim 72 degrees left of target.