Draw vs Fade, when do you hit each?

[staticline]

Considering the fact that your a 16 handicap, I think you're asking for trouble. While there is nothing wrong with using some practice time to try it on the range, I don't think you want to take that to the course. For most amateurs, as mentioned multiple times above by other posters, trouble usually starts with, "I'm gonna try to....". It's kind of like a redneck's favorite last words of, "Hey Bubba, watch this.", or "Hey Roscoe, hold my beer."

With that being said, the only time I really try to work the ball is if it's to get around trouble, like the tree in front of me. So, I would hit a punch fade/slice or draw/hook. In those cases, accuracy is not my primary concern. I'm more wanting to, in order of priority: 1) avoid hitting the trouble, 2) advance the ball 3) put ball in fairway 4) put ball on side of fairway that is advantageous for the next shot. There are obviously other scenarios if getting on the green is a realistic option, but you get my drift.

From the tee box the only time I purposely hit a fade/slice is if the are trees on the left that have overhang and their is trouble on the left. In that case, I have to hit a cut to avoid the trees and move, hopefully, the ball away from the left side trouble.

 

[thepete]

All kinds of stuff. Most obvious is what's ahead of you, where do I want to be off the tee but also what shape feels best today.

Personally, I wish I could just hit it straight every shot, but I don't feel as confident playing it dead straight with some clubs.

That's quite common. You easily end up with a two-way miss if you try to hit it straight, at least I do. It's easier for my mind if I aim, say, 5 yards left and hit a fade. I hit it straight with no fade? No problem. I hit it perfect? No problem. I hit a bit too much fade? Also no problem. The only dreadful shot is the big pull or a draw, but they should be pretty well ironed out before you try shaping it all the time.

 

[Fourputt]

I am thinking about starting to try to work the ball a little more this year. How do you decide whether you hit a draw or fade? Is it to stay away from danger, is it because of wind, is it because of pin position and the breaks in the green?

Usually hit a fade when I need a draw, and vice-versa.

 

[ogiebogie]

haha, seriously? Are you that good at hitting it straight that it becomes boring? You might be playing the wrong courses in that case.

Paulo maybe i shouldn't have said hitting it straight is boring just isn't for me and my game right now. I hit a draw bacause i feel that i can get the ball closer to the hole on approach shots b/c it helps with miss hits like if i hang one out to far right i know that it still will come back in towards the pin .As for hitting it straight towards a target if i push or pull one its going to keep getting farther and farther away from my target.Hitting a draw or a fade off the tee also has helped me keep the ball in the fairway alllitle more instead of hitting it straight sometimes they run out into the rough.So i ask you this why would it make a difference in what course i play

 

[AHA]

A good general rule of thumb if you're going to work the ball into the green is to aim at the middle of the green and draw it to a left pin or fade it to a right pin.

 

[StupidLester]

A good general rule of thumb if you're going to work the ball into the green is to aim at the middle of the green and draw it to a left pin or fade it to a right pin.

Bingo

I use ball possition. Move the ball back in my stance for more fade move it up for more draw. If I wanna hook or slice around something I will turn the club in my hands sometimes then just swing like normal.

 

[the_paulo]

Paulo maybe i shouldn't have said hitting it straight is boring just isn't for me and my game right now. I hit a draw bacause i feel that i can get the ball closer to the hole on approach shots b/c it helps with miss hits like if i hang one out to far right i know that it still will come back in towards the pin .As for hitting it straight towards a target if i push or pull one its going to keep getting farther and farther away from my target.Hitting a draw or a fade off the tee also has helped me keep the ball in the fairway alllitle more instead of hitting it straight sometimes they run out into the rough.So i ask you this why would it make a difference in what course i play

Now that makes more sense. As Pete said above you, hitting a fade or a draw to guard against a bad miss is perfectly acceptable if you're comfy with the swing that produces that shape every time.

When I said you've been playing the wrong courses, I meant that I've played many courses where a straight shot to a green or a fairway is anything but boring!

 

[ogiebogie]

Now that makes more sense. As Pete said above you, hitting a fade or a draw to guard against a bad miss is perfectly acceptable if you're comfy with the swing that produces that shape every time.

When I said you've been playing the wrong courses, I meant that I've played many courses where a straight shot to a green or a fairway is anything but boring!

There is absolutley nothing boring about golf and i will never post those two words together again SORRY

 

[PiratePenguin]

Only hit an intentional hook or slice when I am behind a tree. Otherwise, I play it straight.

This is pretty much my approach. I can rarely pull off an intentional fade so I do my best to avoid needing to try. It generally doesn't turn out very well and often just ends up as a pull with no fade. I can draw the ball pretty easily, but can easily turn the draw into a hook, so I try to not get too aggressive with intentional draws, either. I try to just play my natural baby draw or dead straight and leave it alone unless a tree impels me to do otherwise.

 

[One-T]

I hit a draw yesterday....it was not on purpose. I missed the green to the left.

 

[Flooder]

I hit a draw yesterday....it was not on purpose. I missed the green to the left.

Sounds like me. I hit a draw when my club decides to close too quickly coming thru impact and a fade when it decides to stay open too long thru impact

 

[the_paulo]

There is absolutley nothing boring about golf and i will never post those two words together again SORRY

You're allowed to post them in the 'slow play' thread if you like. :wink:

 

[Dent]

Rarely do I ever hit draws and fades for pin positions, I'd take centre of the green most of the time unless it's a little wedge in. I mostly draw and fade off the tee to avoid trees and bunkers and hazards.

As far as wind I usually just play the wind instead of cutting or drawing into it.

 

[IceyShanks]

I usually hit each by accident!! I haven't mastered them, so for now I'm just shooting for straight!

 

[jmingt]

I'm not good enough with the amount of draw/fade I'm hitting so I never actually do it towards a target. Instead, I hit them to avoid trouble. For example, big freaking lake on the right side, so aim towards the right part of the fairway and draw it. Besides, that gives me the entire width of the fairway to work with rather than only half if I just hit it down the middle and leave it to luck which direction it moves.

 

[SD Charlie]

For the original poster - You mentioned just about all the reasons one would try to shape their shots. I assume you watch golf on TV, so next time you're listening to Faldo (since he seems to talk about it the most) or Feherty, pay attention to what they say about club selection and shot shape. I've learned a lot just trying to figure out why they would suggest a draw here, fade there. One of the big ones, it seems, is keeping your ball over playable lies throughout it's flight. For example, on a dogleg right, a righty would play a fade, so the ball generally hangs out over the fairway as it flies. That way, if you "accidentally" hit it straight, you won't be in as bad shape as if you had played a draw over some trees or water.

i tend to hit a draw, especially off the tee. i've really worked on lowering my ball flight for this season and hitting the draw helps that. irons are mostly straight. i can hit a big hook on demand but hitting a solid fade/slice is a little lacking when needed.

I'm the same way - once I figured out a draw swing, it seems that's going the other way is fairly difficult. I have hit some fades / cuts on demand, but more often than not, it doesn't work out. I've been working on this at the range, because I also like to shape my shots. It tends to force me to focus on the shot, and I get good results. When I have a 100 yard straight wedge into the green is when I let my focus slip and don't hit the green. Of course, that's just one of the many problems I have to work on in my golf game.

I don't decide when to hit a draw or fade, my ball does.

Stupid ball.

Haha - Seriously, I'm with you on that one!

 

[All4's]

I shape a shot to either hold against or to ride the wind, depending on target vs trouble equation, or to get the ball traveling on a certain line. I rarely try to work the ball away from trouble or anything like that. I am more of a steady fader until I am really pressed to move it the other way.

The more strategic I get with course management the less I find myself shaping shots.

 

[bumpnrun]

Last year I stopped trying to hit the straight ball and started using the shot shaping method from Nicklaus' Golf My Way. When I'm thinking about the curve and trajectory of the ball I stop thinking about pounding it as far as I can and the shots come out better. It also helps me to plan my misses better. My standard shot starts with a slight fade with my driver and transitions to a 10 yard draw as I get into my short irons. If I need something different I just open/close my stance and clubface to suit the shot.

 

[jefrazie]

Straight is a victory for me. I usually top it when I try to hit a draw or slice it badly when trying to hit a fade.

 

[hypovolemicshok]

Like a lot of people I mostly use it to get around hazards. I actually got pretty good at a fade last year. I am hoping this snow stops soon so I can get back out and try again.

 

[Ole Gray]

My normal shot is a draw. My goal is to have a Kenny Perry type draw and that is the shot I will live off of. One shot for me as that's all my simple mind can manage. If I have a big dogleg right I aim down the middle and play a longer club into the green. Keep it simple and play to your strength.