Think Fade or Draw to Hit Fade or Draw

GolfLivesMatter

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Now this might sound completely insane, and I predict very few positive emoji responses, but this concept comes from first hand experimentation.

I saw online somewhere, and I cannot find it now, but if I do, I will post the article, but the author talked about how the body will naturally adjust to hit the shot you want, and he/she claimed that's why visualizing the shot is ultra-important because it gives "instructions" to your brain/body to produce the desire shot, or at least help.

What I have done on the course is setup in my normal neutral stance for a straight shot, more or less, and right before I swing I say "draw". The whacky thing is almost every time the ball draws. Then I say "fade" with the same results. The shots aren't massive draws for fades, just slight, maybe 5 yard movements. Then I setup on the range and do alternate fade/draw and it almost always works.

I was wondering if anyone else has tried this?
 
I have tried just about everything and I personally haven't seen success with this.

I am certainly not going to tell anyone how to play golf, and hell, if it works for you more power to you, but doesn't do anything for me in my experience.
 
I have tried just about everything and I personally haven't seen success with this.

What has worked?
 
I have tried, with success, something similar to that with putting. It was in one of the putting books I read, I can't remember. Basically I envision hitting the ball the distance I need it to go, and then let my body figure out how hard to hit it to get it there. It usually does a pretty good job. :geek:
 
I have tried, with success, something similar to that with putting. It was in one of the putting books I read, I can't remember. Basically I envision hitting the ball the distance I need it to go, and then let my body figure out how hard to hit it to get it there. It usually does a pretty good job. :geek:
I think it's the same concept. Like how much do you think about tossing a set of keys to someone 10 feet away? It's like there's the person, the keys weigh this much, and toss.
 
I think it's the same concept. Like how much do you think about tossing a set of keys to someone 10 feet away? It's like there's the person, the keys weigh this much, and toss.
That's exactly it. And if you miss, its not by more than a few inches.
 
That's exactly it. And if you miss, its not by more than a few inches.
It seems in golf we tend to not trust ourselves to perform. I am actually going to use your approach on the course tomorrow. I didn't think about putting. Well done!!!
 
This probably works best if you are an accomplished golfer that already knows how to hit a fade and a draw. Meaning your body and brain knows how to do it in muscle memory, at least as a concept that has been hit successfully. I agree it actually is pretty important, that you are purposeful with a certain shape intent. I definitely blend setup with visualzation/swing feels working together to shape, ie. turnover from the inside vs. holdoff from the outside. If you don;t already know what muscle motions feel like draw or fade, well, that's tougher.
 
This probably works best if you are an accomplished golfer that already knows how to hit a fade and a draw. Meaning your body and brain knows how to do it in muscle memory, at least as a concept that has been hit successfully. I agree it actually is pretty important, that you are purposeful with a certain shape intent. I definitely blend setup with visualzation/swing feels working together to shape, ie. turnover from the inside vs. holdoff from the outside. If you don;t already know what muscle motions feel like draw or fade, well, that's tougher.
Good point. There probably has to be some fairly solid foundation to move to this type of level. I know how to hit fades and draws, or hooks and slices by way of stance based on Nicklaus's books, but I likewise found it interesting that I could hit both without the mechanical setups.
 
Good point. There probably has to be some fairly solid foundation to move to this type of level. I know how to hit fades and draws, or hooks and slices by way of stance based on Nicklaus's books, but I likewise found it interesting that I could hit both without the mechanical setups.

Many levels of mastery in this great game ?o_O
 
I think it can work. My son is a better golfer than me and that is what he does.

It really only works for me if I want to hook. Normal for me is a draw and I can’t hit a fade on demand to save my life despite being able to do it after a few reps on the range.
 
Now this might sound completely insane, and I predict very few positive emoji responses, but this concept comes from first hand experimentation.

I saw online somewhere, and I cannot find it now, but if I do, I will post the article, but the author talked about how the body will naturally adjust to hit the shot you want, and he/she claimed that's why visualizing the shot is ultra-important because it gives "instructions" to your brain/body to produce the desire shot, or at least help.

What I have done on the course is setup in my normal neutral stance for a straight shot, more or less, and right before I swing I say "draw". The whacky thing is almost every time the ball draws. Then I say "fade" with the same results. The shots aren't massive draws for fades, just slight, maybe 5 yard movements. Then I setup on the range and do alternate fade/draw and it almost always works.

I was wondering if anyone else has tried this?
Is this some sort of golf witchcraft? Do you have to say draw or fade in a tongue only wizards understand?

I do speak in tongue after a shot but it’s more like.... what the F&$@! DRAW! GD it! don’t FADE!
Maybe i need so help with my mental preparation or lessons on witchcraft! ?. :mad: ;)
 
Is this some sort of golf witchcraft? Do you have to say draw or fade in a tongue only wizards understand?

I do speak in tongue after a shot but it’s more like.... what the F&$@! DRAW! GD it! don’t FADE!
Maybe i need so help with my mental preparation or lessons on witchcraft! ?. :mad: ;)
Yes?
 
Now this might sound completely insane, and I predict very few positive emoji responses, but this concept comes from first hand experimentation.

I saw online somewhere, and I cannot find it now, but if I do, I will post the article, but the author talked about how the body will naturally adjust to hit the shot you want, and he/she claimed that's why visualizing the shot is ultra-important because it gives "instructions" to your brain/body to produce the desire shot, or at least help.

What I have done on the course is setup in my normal neutral stance for a straight shot, more or less, and right before I swing I say "draw". The whacky thing is almost every time the ball draws. Then I say "fade" with the same results. The shots aren't massive draws for fades, just slight, maybe 5 yard movements. Then I setup on the range and do alternate fade/draw and it almost always works.

I was wondering if anyone else has tried this?
This sounds a lot like the thoughts of Chris Riddoch. I think he’s a sports psychologist, although I‘m not sure of his actual credentials. He argues that a few “larger“swing thoughts are easier to execute than several “smaller” swing keys. I read one of his shorter books recently, “The Rule-Free Golf Swing”. I think his best known book is “The Golf Swing: It’s Easier Than You Think.” Basically, he says that an “internal“ focus on mechanics is ineffective, and argues that an “external” focus on a result will automatically guide your proper mechanics.

Link: C. Riddoch’s books.

Personally, I didn’t buy into it. No doubt, conscious thoughts can interfere with natural movement. Well, OK, but I’m not so sure that a golf swing is a natural movement. Besides, if I could control my conscious thoughts, I would be the Dalai Llama Himself. And I think he prefers badminton.

 
To shape the ball, I need to visualise the shot. For a fade I rotate the hips faster than usual to get a separation between between body rotation and the arms swinging down which slightly wipes the clubface across the ball from out to in producing cut spin. To shape a draw, my hips and arms are more in synch, which for me wipes the clubface across the ball from the inside to out.
 
This sounds a lot like the thoughts of Chris Riddoch. I think he’s a sports psychologist, although I‘m not sure of his actual credentials. He argues that a few “larger“swing thoughts are easier to execute than several “smaller” swing keys. I read one of his shorter books recently, “The Rule-Free Golf Swing”. I think his best known book is “The Golf Swing: It’s Easier Than You Think.” Basically, he says that an “internal“ focus on mechanics is ineffective, and argues that an “external” focus on a result will automatically guide your proper mechanics.

Link: C. Riddoch’s books.

Personally, I didn’t buy into it. No doubt, conscious thoughts can interfere with natural movement. Well, OK, but I’m not so sure that a golf swing is a natural movement. Besides, if I could control my conscious thoughts, I would be the Dalai Llama Himself. And I think he prefers badminton.



I posted the below on another thread on THP in Golf Thoughts Over the Years. I think the overall message is similar to this thread.

My college golf coach brought us in one day to a classroom on the 3rd floor. We never met in any classroom before. He stands up to the chalkboard and draws a flight of stairs, then a stick figure at the top of the stairs. Then he said "please write down, in detail, how exactly you walk down a flight of stairs, in enough detail to train someone who never walked down a flight of stairs". He added "I want to know about knee movement, weight transfer, where the arms are in relation to the body, swinging forward and back or not, where your eyes are looking, is your head bent over looking down or not, etc".

Everyone proceeded to write the steps in detail, then the group started to review everyone's "instructions" for comments. Some argued that A happens before B, D before B, etc., with even some intensity as people felt strongly about their "method". Some guys had sketches and arrows for knee movements, and even got up to demonstrate precise movements.

Then the coach said "Ok, Dave, come with me". Dave and Coach left the room and after about a minute the Coach came back without Dave. Then the coach called another guy and they left, then Coach came back without him too. Then the Coach called me. I'm thinking "maybe the guys who didn't come back were cut from the team?". The coach took me to the top of the stairs and said, "Ok, I want you to walk down this flight of stairs based upon the detailed instructions you presented, and don't hold onto the railing because you should be an expert at this".

Guess what? After the third step I grabbed the railing! The Coach laughed and said, "you too!!". Then he said "get out to the range with the other guys".

He gathered us on the range and said "your golf swing takes about as long as the first 2 or so steps down that stairwell that all of you experts panicked and grab the railing. Who here was comfortable trying to think of every move to walk down those stairs?" Nobody raised their hand. Then he said "Ok, while we can never do about anything without some form of thought, we can't possibly bark out orders in the time it takes to make a golf swing, otherwise your brain will grab for that railing during your swing".
 
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