Draw vs Fade: Golf's Dueling Shot Shapes
Share
Here's exactly how and when to play a draw and a fade in golf.
One of the fascinating aspects of golf, which can also be a challenge, is the multitude of ways you can shape your ball. With a diverse range of golfers, swings, and strategies, one key factor that often distinguishes a player is their preferred shot shape.
Understanding the what, when, and how of hitting draw and fade shots, and the implications of each, can significantly enhance your decision-making on the course. Having that knowledge and learning how to hit each shot type can make you a far better player.
Today, I am going to break down all things in the Draw vs. Fade debate. I will look at the following in order to give you a better understanding of each of these shot shapes:
- What are a draw and a fade?
- What are the pros and cons of hitting a draw and a fade?
- How to hit a draw and a fade
- When to play a draw and when to play a fade
So buckle up, we are about to embark on a journey to understand golf’s dueling shot shapes, the draw vs. the fade.
Golf’s Ball Flight Laws
Before we get rolling, it is important to outline golf’s modern ball flight laws. These principles, which involve a golfer’s target line, swing path, and clubface position in relation to both, determine shot shape.
The Modern Ball Flight Laws in golf look like this:
Clubface (in relation to the target line) + Swing Path (in relation to the clubface) = Ball Flight
There are a mind-boggling number of combinations your clubface angle and swing path can relate to each other, and your target line, to produce every shot shape imaginable, but unless you're Bubba Watson, there are only three you should strive for. Those are the draw, the fade, or the straight shot. Here are the ball flight laws behind those three desireable shot shapes.
What is a Draw and a Fade?
A draw is a shot that curves slightly from right to left for right-handed golfers and left to right for lefties. According to the modern ball flight laws, you hit a draw by striking the ball with a clubface that's open in relation to your target line and closed in relation to an inside-to-out swing path.
A fade is a shot that curves slightly from left to right for right-handed golfers and right to left for lefties. According to the modern ball flight laws, you hit a fade by striking the ball with a clubface that's closed in relation to your target line and open in relation to an outside-to-in swing path.
Pretty simple, right?
In theory, yes, but the ability to execute each shot requires both the knowledge of these ball flight laws and the ability to execute them on demand.
That means you must be able to control your swing path and clubface angle in relation to that path and the target with great precision.
This is why having a good understanding of the Modern Ball Flight Laws is important. As a coach, it is vital that my students understand these principles so they can truly become the golfer they aspire to be.
Pros and Cons of Hitting a Draw
Mastering the draw, a skill that can be a significant advantage to any golfer's game, has the potential to elevate your on-course performance. However, it's crucial to be aware of the potential downsides.
Benefits of Hitting a Draw
Increased Distance: A well-executed draw can often travel farther due to its spin characteristics. That spin can help counteract the effects of wind resistance and gravity, resulting in a longer shot, particularly from the driver.
More Control: Hitting a draw can help you control your ball flight when needed, allowing you to better navigate obstacles on the course. For instance, if you need to avoid a tree or a bunker, a well-executed draw shot can help you curve the ball around the obstacle and get closer to the green.
Pros and Cons of Hitting a Draw
Mastering the draw, a skill that can be a significant advantage to any golfer's game, has the potential to elevate your on-course performance. However, it's crucial to be aware of the potential downsides.
Benefits of Hitting a Draw
Increased Distance: A well-executed draw can often travel farther due to its spin characteristics. That spin can help counteract the effects of wind resistance and gravity, resulting in a longer shot, particularly from the driver.
More Control: Hitting a draw can help you control your ball flight when needed, allowing you to better navigate obstacles on the course. For instance, if you need to avoid a tree or a bunker, a well-executed draw shot can help you curve the ball around the obstacle and get closer to the green.
Pros and Cons of Hitting a Fade
As pointed out above with the draw, hitting a fade offers advantages and disadvantages to consider. Let's take a closer look at each.
Pros of Hitting a Fade
Control: One of the main benefits of hitting a fade is the level of control it provides. Unlike a draw, which has a greater tendency to curve too much, a fade generally flies straighter. This can make it easier to control the ball's direction and hit your target with greater accuracy.
Accuracy: Another advantage the fade provides is its potential for superior accuracy. When executed correctly, a well-hit fade can be incredibly precise, allowing you to hit the ball exactly where you want it to go. This can be particularly useful when navigating tight or challenging course layouts.
Better Control in Windy Conditions: Because a fade offers up a much more controlled shot, it can be less affected by crosswinds or gusts. This can make it easier to keep the ball under control and prevent it from getting blown off course on windy days.
Cons of Hitting a Fade
Distance: While the fade offers a high degree of control and accuracy, it can also be limited in terms of distance. Compared to a draw shot, which typically travels farther, a fade may not be the best choice when you need to hit the ball a long distance down the fairway or over a hazard.
Limited Versatility: Relying too heavily on the fade, as with the draw, can limit your options on the course. If you favor the fade and have trouble hitting a draw, adapting to different course conditions and challenges can make it harder.
Practice Required: Finally, it's worth noting that hitting a consistent fade requires a great deal of practice. If you're not willing to put in the time and effort to develop your technique, you may struggle to execute the shot effectively. This can make it difficult to take advantage of the fade shot's benefits and may limit your overall performance on the course.
How to Hit a Draw
The following four steps are classic and widely used suggestions for golfers who want to hit a draw.
Step 1: Align To The Right
Many golfers that I coach, especially those who are either newer to the game or less informed of the mechanics of the swing, may think it is counterintuitive to aim to the right if you want the ball to go left (for right-handed golfers). If you refer back to the section above on the Modern Ball Flight Laws, however, you will see why aiming more right with your body lines is important, as it helps promote an in-to-out swing path.
When setting your body up more to the right, pay particular attention to ensuring that your shoulders point to the right, which closes your body in relation to the clubface. That's a critical component in achieving a draw.
This is just a slight adjustment to the right, so keep that in mind. Do not get those body lines too far right—that could spell trouble.
Step 2: Get Stronger With Lead Hand Grip
Since your grip directly impacts your clubface throughout the swing, a widely used technique for hitting a draw is a slight grip adjustment.
By simply rotating your lead hand slightly away from the target, you set yourself up to close the clubface through impact. When done correctly, this tweak allows you to see as many as three knuckles on your trail hand, which puts the V's created by your thumb and index finger on each hand pointing right of your trail shoulder...a classic checkpoint of a strong grip.
Step 3: Bump Lead Hip
Initiating your downswing with your hips is all part of a proper downswing sequence. Many golfers struggle with this, however. Making a slight bump toward the target with your lead hip as you transition down from the top is crucial in hitting a draw. This very slight lateral movement of your hips towards the target is similar to a small baby step.
As mentioned, many golfers struggle with this initial downswing move, so this thought is particularly valuable for those struggling with an over-the-top swing. By understanding the importance of this movement, you can take control of your swing sequence and promote a more in-to-out path.
Step 4: Release Your Trail Arm
After shifting towards the target with the hip bump, followed by the hips unwinding and moving out of the way, your focus should move on to rotating your trail arm over your lead arm as you release the club after impact. This thought helps you close the clubface, which is crucial to hitting a draw.
How to Hit a Fade
Now that you understand how to adjust for hitting a draw, the steps required for hitting a fade will make perfect sense. Since the goal of a fade is to move the ball from left to right, which is the opposite of a draw, you will need to do the opposite in set-up and execution as you swing.
The following three steps are widely used suggestions for golfers who want to hit a fade.
Step 1: Align To The Left
First things first, you need to get your body lines set up correctly to hit a fade. 'Body lines' refer to the imaginary lines that run through your body, such as your shoulders, hips, and feet.
At set-up, you were told to aim to the right for a draw; in setting up to hit a fade, you will want to open your shoulders and get your other body lines going slightly left of parallel left of your target (right-handed golfers). Getting more open to your target allows you to swing in the direction of those body lines, creating a more out-to-in path.
Step 2: Weaken the Trail Hand Grip
We previously established that your grip impacts your clubface throughout the swing and, most importantly, at impact. By rotating your trail hand slightly toward the target, you set yourself up to keep the clubface open through impact.
When done correctly, the V's created by your thumb and index finger on each hand point more toward your chin.
Step 3: Keep Your Lead Arm Over Trail Arm
For a draw, the goal is to rotate the trail forearm (the forearm of the hand farthest from the target) over the lead forearm after impact.
However, we want to do the opposite for a fade and keep the lead forearm above the trail arm after impact. The sensation should be that your trail arm is more under your lead arm, which helps maintain a slightly open clubface through impact, a key to hitting a fade.
When to Play a Draw
There are situations on the golf course where playing a draw can be beneficial. Here are some examples:
- On a Dogleg Left (for Right-Handed Players): A draw can help you follow the contour of the fairway and position yourself for a better approach shot.
- When Hitting Into the Wind: A draw can help you keep the ball low and reduce the wind's effect. A draw in this situation can help you get a few extra yards.
- When there is a Hazard on the Right (for Right-Handed Players): A draw can help you avoid the hazard and keep the ball in play.
- When You Need More Distance: A draw can help you squeeze out more distance off the tee. And who isn’t looking for more distance?
When to Play a Fade
Here are some situations when hitting a fade can be helpful:
- On a Dogleg Right (for Right-Handed Players): A fade can help you follow the fairway contour on a left-to-right hole, setting you up for a better approach shot.
- Avoiding an Obstacle: When you need to avoid an obstacle, such as a tree or a water hazard, hitting a fade can help you curve the ball to the right and keep it out of harm's way.
- Soft Landing on the Green: If the pin is located on the right side of the green and you need to get the ball to land softly, hitting a fade can help you create more height and spin on the ball, allowing it to stop quickly.
- Tight Fairways: If the fairway is narrow and you need to hit an accurate shot, a fade can help you control the ball more consistently and keep it in play.
Draw vs. Fade FAQs
Here are answers to some of the most common questions players have regarding the draw vs. the fade.
Which shot is easier to hit, a draw or fade?
For beginner or newer golfers, a fade will likely be more natural. However, that is not always the case. Generally, a draw is more difficult to hit, especially one hit under control and on demand.
Should recreational players hit both a draw and a fade or stick to one?
To be a complete golfer, you should be able to hit both shots. In most cases, however, even the top players in the world have a shot preference, and that should be the case for the recreational player, too.
Does a draw go farther than a fade?
Both draw and fade shots have their advantages and disadvantages, and which one goes farther depends on many factors, such as the golfer's swing speed, the club used, and the ball's spin.
Generally speaking, however, yes, a draw tends to go farther than a fade.