fade and draw

[tigerwannabee]

Re: fade and draw

I have said this before, but probably bares repeating. If you try to hit a straight shot and aim for the middle of the fairway, you are seriously limiting your self. one, it is very unlikely you can hit a straight shot with any consistancy, and you are subject to hook or slice, draw or fade, either way you are moving away from your target. Two you are reducing the fairway to half a fairway, left of center or right of center.

First thing to do is decide to fade or draw and setup for that, if it is a fade, aim for the left side, now you have the entire fairway to work with, hit it straight you are on the left side, fade as intended you are in the center of the fairway, overcook it, your still in the fairway, just on the right side, point being you are in the fairway, the only danger is the double cross setup for fade and pull hook, not likely if you used a weak grip and open stance. For the draw same thing setup for draw, aim for right side, straight you end up right, draw to center or overcook a hook, your on the left side of fairway. Much more room for mistakes taking this approach. The same applies for approach to greens work the side with the least amount of trouble, think about the worst shot you can do, and where it would end up, and setup to avoid it, draw or fade, but never, never try to hit it straight to a target, alway use the draw or fade so as to work TOWARDS the target. This is what is meant by course management.

This method depends on just how serious you take the game or just how good you want to get at it. I had a slice my first year and worked it very well, finishing the year with a 6 handicap. I'd aim way out to the right (lefty here) and knew the ball was gonna end up in the fairway. All that is doing is playing with a problem and not trying to fix it. My 2nd year, I decided to fix it. If this other guy can hit it straight, so can I, was my motto. I went to the range like crazy, watched a few good golfers hitting the ball straight all the time and figured out how to make that work for me. It may take a little time, but it can be done and I encourage everybody to get out and practice the right way to do things, instead of just playing that slice because you know it's there. Now in my 4th year golfing I play to a +2 handicap and aim down the middle off most tees and hit it there. If I can do it, so can you, or anybody else that has half a mind to get out and practice a bit. By practice, I don't mean go to the course and just jump on and play...........yesterday I played 18, wasn't happy with my iron play, so went back to the range after supper and hit 4 large buckets of balls. (about 2 hours).......2 hours of practice once in a while is better than 2 hours of playing 9 holes the wrong way........


My advice to the guy who started this thread.........::
I will fade the ball if it is too far ahead also and I draw it if it's too far back.......I fixed that by going to the range and finding the spot where the ball went straight. It was somewhere between that fade and draw spot. It's not that hard to hit it straight when you know just where to play the ball. You know what the ball will do when played ahead or back, so just go find that spot in between there where it goes straight.

[Liam Hancock]

Re: fade and draw

try to get your swing on camera and show it to all of us. because it might be a swing fault. for the moment do want you think is right.
Liam,

[pnearn]

Re: fade and draw

This method depends on just how serious you take the game or just how good you want to get at it. I had a slice my first year and worked it very well, finishing the year with a 6 handicap. I'd aim way out to the right (lefty here) and knew the ball was gonna end up in the fairway. All that is doing is playing with a problem and not trying to fix it. My 2nd year, I decided to fix it. If this other guy can hit it straight, so can I, was my motto. I went to the range like crazy, watched a few good golfers hitting the ball straight all the time and figured out how to make that work for me. It may take a little time, but it can be done and I encourage everybody to get out and practice the right way to do things, instead of just playing that slice because you know it's there. Now in my 4th year golfing I play to a +2 handicap and aim down the middle off most tees and hit it there. If I can do it, so can you, or anybody else that has half a mind to get out and practice a bit. By practice, I don't mean go to the course and just jump on and play...........yesterday I played 18, wasn't happy with my iron play, so went back to the range after supper and hit 4 large buckets of balls. (about 2 hours).......2 hours of practice once in a while is better than 2 hours of playing 9 holes the wrong way........


My advice to the guy who started this thread.........::
I will fade the ball if it is too far ahead also and I draw it if it's too far back.......I fixed that by going to the range and finding the spot where the ball went straight. It was somewhere between that fade and draw spot. It's not that hard to hit it straight when you know just where to play the ball. You know what the ball will do when played ahead or back, so just go find that spot in between there where it goes straight.

Great post. Learning to hit the ball different ways is part of the joy of golf. I like to draw the longer clubs but have a tendency to pull them because I play the ball too far forward and my shoulders have turned too far by the time I get to impact but most people can learn how to fade or draw a 7i by experimenting with ball positions, alignment, grip etc. And for higher handicappers, if you fade/slice the ball then set up for that and play it. Learn to really control it. Then you can have it as a banker shot for the course and learn how to straighten it out a little on the range

There's an unhealthy obsession with drawing the ball, like its a holy grail. A draw goes longer, yes, but its helluva hard to control. I personally would never draw any shot into a green unless I had to (extreme pin position)

[kbp]

Re: fade and draw

There may be an obsession with drawing the ball, but I don’t believe it HAS to be unhealthy. IMO, the draw is the logical result of the most efficient swing path and the most efficient release and impact location along the swing arc. Sometimes we rightly choose to sacrifice raw efficiency for direction or control, but IMO, the natural flight of the most efficient swing is a draw.