Can not hit a draw...

[conner740]

I have tried ever thing. Could it be my shaft? I got fitted for my swing speed. It was between 109 and 115. So I got an extra stiff. I swing a nike sumo 2 5900 10.5*. I have always hit a small fade but I really would like to play a draw?. Any help?

 

[rolltherock]

I have tried ever thing. Could it be my shaft? I got fitted for my swing speed. It was between 109 and 115. So I got an extra stiff. I swing a nike sumo 2 5900 10.5*. I have always hit a small fade but I really would like to play a draw?. Any help?

All I can say from a distance is that I believe it's your swing. If anything a stiffer shaft will make it harder for you to hit a draw. Whoever sold you on the idea that a stiffer shaft will help you hit a draw is 100% clueless...feel free to give that person an obligatory wedgie.

Secondly, the Sumo drivers are anywhere from 1-2+ degrees closed face angle so if you aren't hitting a draw with that then you definitely have a swing/set up issue.

Before I started switching out equipment I would try to 1) loosen up my grip pressure 2) check my alignment of: feet, knees, hips, shoulders and club face 3) try dropping your rear foot back an inch or two, it doesn't take much.

For instance, I play a 3 wood bent open 1.5* and can play a draw by dropping my foot back. Natural shot is a baby cut, but it's mostly setup that causes the shot shape.

 

[conner740]

Okay I use a closed stance. And I use a very strong grip. Will a draw help me add a little distance? I hit it about 270 just wanna add a little distance.

 

[conner740]

Okay I use a closed stance. And I use a very strong grip. Will a draw help me add a little distance? I hit it about 270 just wanna add a little distance.

 

[rolltherock]

Okay I use a closed stance. And I use a very strong grip. Will a draw help me add a little distance? I hit it about 270 just wanna add a little distance.

You are coming over the top with your down swing then mostly likely. If your stance is closed AND you are using a hook faced driver AND have a strong grip, but then hit a fade.....you are coming over the top. Go back to a stiff or regular shaft and fix your swing if you really want to 'fix' the issue.

Oddly enough, with the low spin balls today a cut goes as far if not farther than a draw. Total distance my cut is the same as the draw, but the draw runs out more where the cut basically stops where it lands.

Not sure what your goals are, but if you truly average 270 off the tee that is good enough to play scratch golf. I drive the ball about 250-260 with my 11* and I don't need another lick of distance to get any better.....short game rules. If I magically had tee shots of 290 appear with the same short game I have now it might save me 1 shot....1 shot! I can already reach par 5's in 2 with two 11*'s so the effect would be minimal at best.

If you just want to pound balls farther then that is a different issue.

 

[ezra76]

Good advice here Rolltherock.

I'd like to mention that I play a fade with my driver as well. I joke that my "draw" is a 1yard fade. I do what most of the pros who fade the ball do when they want to hit a draw off the tee.... use my 3W. If you truly do have that SS then you'll eventually find that investing in a really good (for you) 3W will pay dividends.

 

[conner740]

I just bought a new three wood from a board bro here. Its a titleist 909 f2. Its got a stiff shaft. I took about 2 years off from playin a lot of golf. Meaning like four to 5 times a week. I have always hit a fade off the tee. My lowest handicap was a 4 about four years ago when I was 22. The course I played was wide open and the CC I am playing now is really tight. So learning a draw would really help w a lot of shots.

 

[mddubya]

I think all of us Fade hitters would love to learn to hit a draw. But a word of warning, I tweaked and jacked around with my swing trying to hit a draw for over a year. The only thing I accomplished was losing all confidence in anything off the tee box. I still can't hit a draw off the tee box and have just gotten back to where I can trust my Power Fade again.

Seems like sometimes when we don't leave well enough alone, the golfing Gods get angry,

 

[ezra76]

I just bought a new three wood from a board bro here. Its a titleist 909 f2. Its got a stiff shaft. I took about 2 years off from playin a lot of golf. Meaning like four to 5 times a week. I have always hit a fade off the tee. My lowest handicap was a 4 about four years ago when I was 22. The course I played was wide open and the CC I am playing now is really tight. So learning a draw would really help w a lot of shots.

I'm in the same boat. The CC I play at is very tight with the avg. par 4 fairway less than 25yds. wide and pretty penal rough. It is, however, only 6600 from the tips. There are a lot of holes where a draw would be optimal but I'm finding I can tighten up my cut and make it work.

I've been out playing by myself a few times in the evening and have hit a fade and a draw back to back. There is virtually no difference in distance. I got less than a yard with a draw vs. a fade. A true fade, however, is still hit with an in to out swingpath. If you are hitting a pull-cut that will impart more sidespin and kill distance. When I'm talking a fade or draw I mean 4-5yds. maximum of movement. Moving the ball like 25-30yds. right to left is more like a controlled slice. Don't get me wrong, I'll take that shot if it's in play but you lose ever inch of that 25yds. vs. a straight shot.

 

[conner740]

My fade is at most is like 8 to 10 yrds. That's on a bad day. Don't get me wrong I might spray one way right but if I didn't do that I wouldn't be on a message board asking for playing tips . I just thgt that playing a draw would help. But I guess I should just take what I hit the best all the time.

 

[PingZing2]

I used to hit a draw, but my problem was always controlling the amount of draw.

I switched to straight/slight fade and my fairways hit are so much better it isn't even funny.

If you have a controllable/consistent shot don't get away from it. You will spend the next six months trying to get back to where you were before you started fecking around.

 

[rolltherock]

My fade is at most is like 8 to 10 yrds. That's on a bad day. Don't get me wrong I might spray one way right but if I didn't do that I wouldn't be on a message board asking for playing tips . I just thgt that playing a draw would help. But I guess I should just take what I hit the best all the time.

All I can suggest is learn to play one shot off the tee and play it really, really well before you attempt to dial in a worked driver. There is no harder shot in golf than to shape a driver. It's the longest shaft and the least loft....

If your goal is to just hit the ball further that is one thing, but if you are looking to set yourself up for lower scores just find the short grass. A 10 yard cut is more than acceptable and if you ever go to a tour event look just watch how much some of those guys work it, even on shots that don't require it. Mark Calcavecchia plays a 20 yard cut on every tee shot and is extremely accurate.

If you truly hit it 270 on average and have a 10 yard cut you don't need to work on anything off the tee box. Go work on your game from 100 yards in and spend more time on that than anything else and your handi will plummet.

The tee ball is fun, but it doesn't mean crap if you have a poor iron game and can't putt.

Golf has one axiom that will never change: The closer you get to the hole the more difficult it becomes, exponentially.

In my opinion you are wasting time and money worrying about trying to play a draw when you have a tee shot that could beat many tour pros tee games. Fred Funk played to even par today at Bethpage and averaged 258 off the tee....

 

[conner740]

thanks for the advice rock. and everyone else. i will stick to my cut.

 

[floggerrushmd]

I agree that you should stick with the fade, but having the ability to call upon a draw can be helpful. I found that strategically increasing grip pressure in various parts of your grip can cause a dial up fade or draw. For a draw as a righty grip down with the last three fingers of your left hand and relax the rest of your grip. Then it is the opposite for a fade, grip down with the middle finger of your right hand. For me this allows the dial up draw and fade for working the ball on the course. But again for the most part unless you need it stick with your fade.

 

[fisher]

I have tried ever thing. Could it be my shaft? I got fitted for my swing speed. It was between 109 and 115. So I got an extra stiff. I swing a nike sumo 2 5900 10.5*. I have always hit a small fade but I really would like to play a draw?. Any help?

Its definately your clubs. I would buy new ones.:laugh: