Just when you thought hitting the ball straight was all you needed to figure out in golf, think again.
There are plenty of situations on a golf course that warrant a curved-ball flight. Whether you want your ball to turn around an obstructive tree, or you think you can take advantage of a hole’s dogleg shape, you’ll want to be able to manipulate the flight of your golf ball.
First, you need to know what type of shot you’re trying to hit.
(The following pointers are written for right-handed players. For lefties, simply swap every “right” for “left”)
- Draw: A draw has the ball turn in the air from right to left. Don’t confuse a draw with a hook, which is the uncontrolled, extreme cousin of a draw. You’ll know you hit it right when you see the ball start right of your target and gently turn left onto your line.
- Fade: A fade turns in the air from left to right. This shot is not to be confused with an uncontrolled slice. A fade will start left of your target and drift nicely back to your line.
How to Hit a Draw
There are a number of things people do to help turn the ball from right to left. Some golfers use a stronger grip (where the back of the top hand is facing more upwards), and some try to change the takeaway of their swing to help promote the inside-out motion that puts right-to-left spin on the ball.
But there’s a simpler way to hit a draw that doesn’t involve any grip or swing changes whatsoever. This simple draw is all about alignment. Here’s how to pull it off:
- Set up to the ball like you normally would, aiming at where you want the ball to start. For instance, if you’re a right-handed golfer and you’re trying to move the ball right to left around a tree to the green, set up aiming to the right of the tree, not to the green.
- Without moving any of your body’s alignments, turn the club in your hands so that the clubface is closed and aligned to your final target. Using the same example, your feet, shoulders and hips should now be aiming to the right of the tree, but your clubface should be aiming at the green.
- Now that you’re properly aligned, all you have to do is swing normally. Ignore the fact that your clubface is aimed to the left. Take your swing as if you were trying to hit the ball along the line of your feet, shoulders and hips.
- Because of the contrast between the alignment of your body and that of the clubface, you’ll hit the ball with the correct sidespin to get it to start on the line your body is set up to and turn into the line of your clubface.
Hot Tip: Draw Equals More Power
When hitting a draw, be prepared to get more distance. Because the face of the club is closed at impact, the club is delofted, which adds length. To combat this power boost, club down one or two clubs when you try to draw the ball. If you’d normally use a 5-iron from that distance, hit a 6- or 7-iron. You’ll notice the difference!
How to Hit a Fade
Again, there are a lot of ways you can try to manipulate the flight of your ball, but keeping it simple is the best route. To hit a fade, then, you’re going to do the opposite of what you did to hit a draw.
Here’s what you’ve got to do:
- Set up to the ball like you normally would, aiming at where you want the ball to start. For instance, if you’re a right-handed golfer and you’re trying to move the ball left to right around a tree to the green, set up aiming to the left of the tree, not to the green.
- Without moving any of your body’s alignments, turn the club in your hands so that the clubface is opened and aligned to your final target. Using the same example, your feet, shoulders and hips should now be aiming to the left of the tree, but your clubface should be aiming at the green.
- Now that you’re properly aligned, all you have to do is swing normally. Although your clubface is aimed to the right, you should ignore it. Take your swing as if you were trying to hit the ball along the line of your feet, shoulders and hips.
- Because of the contrast between the alignment of your body and that of the clubface, you’ll hit the ball with the correct sidespin to get it to start on the line your body is set up to and turn into the line of your clubface.
Hot Tip: Fade Equals Less Power
When you hit a fade, your clubface is open at impact. This adds loft to your club, which shortens the distance of your shot. The best way to get the desired distance is to club up a club or two. Use a 3-iron or a 4-iron instead of a 5-iron. This way, you can take your normal, rhythmic swing, and still get the correct yardage without trying to over-swing.
Practice
There’s a lot to consider when using a draw or a fade, including distance, amount of turn, and how the wind will affect the desired flight of the ball. Make sure you practice these shots thoroughly before trying them out on the course. Once you’ve got them mastered, you’ll have two new weapons in your arsenal, and you’ll see just how valuable they are in no time.
