I've decided to fade the ball

[Sluggo42]

After playing the front 9 and missing the fairway with every drive, from either a duck hook, or a block to the right, I started the back 9 with a slightly open stance, and the club faced down the center. And then put every drive in the middle of the fairway. I've always thought my "normal swing" was a draw, but it's never been a "sure thing".. The last few years my buddy has often told me I should just play the power fade, as it's usually right down the middle. I found that it's 10-20 yards shorter than a perfectly struck drawn ball, but reality is that I don't always hit that perfect ball. Part of me hates the thought of a shorter drive, but the other part of me likes the short grass.

Is it crazy to change ??

[Blade]

Crazy to change? Go with what works. Crazy is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result.

[Mr_Theoo]

Seems like a good idea to me if it puts you in the FW. No point in fighting your natural swing.

[westy]

Never crazy - if you can do it! I started fading my drives about 5 years back (not a conscious decision) and my fairways hit has gone up a lot.

 

it pains me to say this, stuff distance if it means hitting an iron shot off the fairway.

 

If you can hit one shape reliably then just do that - we don't all have to play like Bubba - hitting it left, right and all over the place.

[RookieBlue7]

Some Nicklaus guy did okay with the fade...

[Sluggo42]

It's just odd aiming at trouble, but then real fun to watch it just kind of ease back into play. It's going a lot higher understandably, perhaps I bump the setting down to 8 from 9...

[JBones]

Always go for distance, fairways are overrated. Ask the two high school kids I played with yesterday.

[Kenny B]

Never aim at trouble unless you know you can't get there.

[Kor.A.Door]

I asked our club pro one time since I was having the same issue a while back, he basically said go with what you came with, in other words, if you are hitting the fade on that day play the fade, if you are hitting the draw that day play the draw. There is nothing wrong with trying to play one or the other, I would just be careful not to get yourself and your swing all messed up.

[westy]

What the difference between aiming down the right and drawing it? Still aiming away from the Middle and shaping it. I See more people aiming to hit a draw and blocking it than aiming for a cut and hooking it.

 

I'd have said finding a shape of shot that you reliably hit is one of the most useful things you can do - fairways and greens. If it's a fade - who cares? Less likely to see the ball run off the fairway (less run with fade - which I believe is the only reason that draw spin goes further for most of us) with cut spin.

 

Ironically it's only when I try and hit a bigger fade than normal that I end up double crossing myself.

[MattF]

I'd rather be short and in the middle than long and wrong.

[mbrodeur86]

Hitting the draw is overrated! My goal in golf is to become consistent. I don't care if it's going left or right as long as it's ALWAYS going left or right. Golf is a hard game, when you can simplify it like that - why wouldn't you? 

[Sluggo42]

"What the difference between aiming down the right and drawing it? Still aiming away from the Middle and shaping it. I See more people aiming to hit a draw and blocking it than aiming for a cut and hooking it."

 

Exactly Westy, well put.

[revkev]

How's life these days Sluggo?  Good to have you around.

 

It is what it is and at our level I don't know that a fade is any shorter or longer than a draw, solid shots go farther than misshits so a solid, consistent fade is going to trump a draw that's all over the lot that's for sure.

 

I've only had one brief flirt with a fade  - it was for a couple of years when metal woods first came out back in the late 80's.

[westy]

Rev, isn't it that fades don't run as far as draw? I always think of draw as like topspin in tennis and fade more like backspin.....simplistic I know but that's how my mind works!

[BIG STU]

I taught myself the fade about 25 years ago to combat my rope hooking. I do exactly like you said with an open stance and the club face open about 2* at impact. I also swing a little outside in by design. BTW my old man could not stand a fade he was a draw man. But if you can hit and control a fade and have confidence in it you will eliminate one side of the course. I have gotten older now and my swing has slowed down lots and I can hit a controlled draw with some clubs when needed. But I have found out if I try to constantly hit a draw as a stock shot I will go back to rope hooking

[Blade]

Rev, isn't it that fades don't run as far as draw? I always think of draw as like topspin in tennis and fade more like backspin.....simplistic I know but that's how my mind works!

No top spin. The ball would nose dive immediately if it somehow had top spin. A draw from the same person with the same club will generally have a more penetrating trajectory, quite possibly a little more ball speed due to the release, and a bit LESS backspin than a fade that can help get a little more roll, but it's still back spin. But depending on how the club fits, the higher spin and trajectory of a fade could translate to more distance for some. No rules across the board that's for sure.

[revkev]

Regardless my point is that well struck shots are going to go farther than poorly struck ones. I will take a well struck fade over a duck hook any day. The fade will go farther.

 

As Blade said too many variables to generalize whether a draw or a fade goes farther for a certain player. This one could under the lies thread.

[westy]

There we go MGS helps bust another one of my misconceptions....every days a learning day round here

[Blade]

There we go MGS helps bust another one of my misconceptions....every days a learning day round here

Yep, back spin is what creates lift as the ball moves through the air. You need it, but it's easy to have too much, especially with a driver if you hit down. As the loft increasrs on your clubs down through the set, each one will produce more back spin than the last because the difference between the vertical face angle/loft and the attack angle/vertical path, increases.

[westy]

So - does a draw have less backspin than a fade?

[Blade]

So - does a draw have less backspin than a fade?

All other things being the same, for the same person with the same club, it should. The club will be delofted slightly in relation to the path compared to the fade shot. But at the same time someone could change their swing so much trying to draw it that may not always be the case.

[revkev]

Bottom line Westy - go with the shot shape that is easiest for you to reproduce and hit solidly and don't worry about it - be happy!

 

I draw the ball, I wish that I could fade it because that Nicklaus guy was my hero but through lots of trial and error I learned that I visualize a draw (I think this comes from my baseball days - I was a catcher but also pitched some and was used to making a baseball go right to left) far better than a fade.  A high draw coming off of my club fits my eye and I'm able to visualize very well where I need it to start to end up where I'm aiming.  So that's what I play.  If I can see it, I can hit it.

 

Man this game is so difficult - just go with what works and forget about the other stuff.

[westy]

No worries about that Rev, I hit a fade - it's my shape and I'm happy with that.

 

But I do like to understand more of the science - I'm a curious kind of chap.

[revkev]

No worries about that Rev, I hit a fade - it's my shape and I'm happy with that.

 

But I do like to understand more of the science - I'm a curious kind of chap.

 

You know what they say about curiousity!   I'm the wrong Loughran to teach a course in physics.  If my son weren't out wreaking havoc in the Indian Ocean I'd let him have at this one.  I know for a fact that I've seen trackman numbers that show that the draw goes farther statement is wrong as an absolute and that it depends on lots of factors.  I'm hopeful that someone else here will come across with the physics of it.

[GolfSpy Tim]

I've come to the conclusion that on the course/when playing a round, I need to embrace the swing of the day - which with a driver is typically a fade fighting off a slice.

 

The rest of my clubs I'm closing in on a draw.

But - I'm still working on trying to hit a draw with my driver when I'm at the driving range. On the course I'd rather hit fairways, but when I work on a draw at the driving range, I find at the very least I stop slicing my driver altogether - fingers crossed long-term I'll be able to have the slice be a thing of the past with no concern of it when on a tee box.

[Kenny B]

I find that the straight shot works best.

 

I don't try to draw it anymore unless there is an advantage to do so, but I don't count on it to draw because it mostly doesn't. However, I can hit a fade fairly easily, but prefer not to, unless again there is some advantage to hit it.

 

With the driver I play it straight and if it draws or fades a little, who cares. With irons it's always straight unless there is a tree in the way. Where I get into trouble is when a pin is tucked and I think I can either fade or draw it to get it close. But I keep trying those shots!

[westy]

Oh to have the option of straight!

 

Actually I say that, I hit my mid to short irons straight; fade kicks in once I get past 5 iron.

 

Trouble usually follows when I try anything too clever kenny, think there's a lesson there somewhere.....

[Sluggo42]

Hi rev, been doing well, just side tracked a lot these days, thanks for asking

 

Well, yesterday I went out to try to dial in the fade, and low and behold, the ball wanted to draw. I was by myself, and the track was almost empty. So I started playing two balls with multiple extra shots, not keeping score. So I tried playing one ball draw, and the other ball fade. At the end of the day, the draws worked better on the front, and fades on the back. The draws were ALWAYS longer. I'm thinking a draw effectively de lofts the club which makes sense. I also lowered my driver to 8* from 9.5. This kinda helped the fade and really started the duck hooks. The best fades were baby fades, and at 8* I seemed to get pretty decent distance. If it were easier to change loft, I would have changed every other shot.

 

Final analysis is still to be determined. Nothing stood out as remarkably more effective. I learned to club down with a fade. I think if you are really good, you can go after pins by using either shot, depending on pin placement. But if I'm going for a score, I don't mess about too much.

It's fun to play with, but come money time?, I hit the ...... Oh hell, probably the draw...

[BIG STU]

I find that the straight shot works best.

 

I don't try to draw it anymore unless there is an advantage to do so, but I don't count on it to draw because it mostly doesn't. However, I can hit a fade fairly easily, but prefer not to, unless again there is some advantage to hit it.

 

With the driver I play it straight and if it draws or fades a little, who cares. With irons it's always straight unless there is a tree in the way. Where I get into trouble is when a pin is tucked and I think I can either fade or draw it to get it close. But I keep trying those shots!

When I was experimenting with irons a year or so ago my friend who is a fitter and builder was trying to get me into somewhat GI irons. Now I could hit two types good (Infiniti 302 and Infiniti Assure) but could not hit my baby fade with either one. Actually I could hit those irons straight but that was the problem for me. I could not feel what I was doing at all and I have played the baby cut so long that I absolutely had no confidence at all in the straight ball even though I tried.In retrospect I say do what ever you feel confident in doing and can score with