fades are draws really...aren't they?

[birdieman]

Just read a very interesting article in Golf World (ashamed ) by Nick Price on driving.
He is saying that all the pros nowadays play draw swings with their drivers for any shape of shot and if they want to fade the ball they still play with a draw swing (in to out) but simply leave the face open at address to cut it a little and make it go left to right.

I had never come across this before, me assuming that when a fade was mentioned it was done with a traditional out to in swing path and trying not to turn the hands over through impact.

The theory being that on a draw swing the clubhead approaches the ball on a shallower plane and with more speed so generates more distance, something the pros cannot afford to give up on the monster courses they play nowadays.

Did anyone else know this? I thought I knew quite a lot about golf but Nicks article made for interesting reading and a good few things I hadn't read before.

 

[Herbie]

There are a number of ways to create a draw and a fade, it all depends on how the club face hits the ball, how you get to that point can be created in a number of ways.

But they are not the same as they spin differently, land differently and roll differently. Whereas mine, do what the hell they want

 

[MVP]

i swing the same way to hit a draw or fade but i just change my grip a little and open or close my stance to suit

 

[birdieman]

MVP that is the way nearly all of us do it, I just hadn't heard of setting up for a draw with stance and grip but leaving the face open enough so that it fades but you're not forsaking distance as you normally do with a fade! Confused...I am.

 

[Macster]

Its easy to do either in my opinion.....

Aim club at target and set up square etc,

and then....
1 Right foot back 4/6/8" for a Draw
2.Left foot nack " " " for a Fade.

I tend to draw the ball anyway, as my swing is slightly from the inside, but the above is how I'd ensure either.

:-/

 

[USER1999]

I can see what Birdieman means though. If you stand slightly closed, and swing in to out, then you need to hold off your hand release to keep the club face open. I guess it is a powerful shot, but very difficult to time without a lot of practice. I would think when this goes wrong it must be a real mess. Aim for a draw, aim down the left, snap hook way way left.

Fore!

Or as Madandra would say, ****ing fore!

 

[stevelockie]

I was working on a technique with my coach last week. Setting up the same way and hitting a draw or fade based on how much I release my hands. Worked well on the range, maybe if I practised like a pro I could trust it. Would I do it on course? No.

 

[TonyN]

I hit mostly draws now a days but if I wanted to fade it, I would just push my hands forward at address so the club sat square and I know my hands will be ahead when I get to the ball, leaving the face slightly open. I am not sure I could swing reliably on an out to in! Thats said I can't swing reliably anyway

 

[andiritchie]

When i try to fade it i swing the same then try not to release my hands

Results vary from good to shank i try not to do it until i get a bit better

 

[USER1999]

My natural shot is dead straight. Could be left (a slight pull is not unusual), could be right (don't like hitting right), but normally straight. I guess I must use a lot of hands to get this right, as when my timing is off, my whole game is off.

I can fade, draw, etc, but I have to work hard to get it. Or, I can just play badly and hook, slice, top, and shank to order.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I have enough trouble usually controlling my draw and stopping it becoming a hook without worrying about setting up to draw it and then trying to hold off for a draw. I guess if you have a pro's talent then it probably comes fairly easy but I'll stick to the aim left and put left to right spin on as normal.

 

[AlchemyGolf]

It is surprising to hear that from a pro never mind Nick Price.

For me I stand way open at address and still draw the ball slightly.This can be clearly seen on the vid of my swing in my sig.
The key to this is making sure that my hips,shoulders and clubface are still square at address.
If I want to fade it then i just line my shoulders up with my feet and it forces the take a way on an outside path so the swing path comes across the ball from the outside and imparts the left to right spin.

All good players have a slightly out to in swing path so you can attack the ball on an inward path which helps generate power as well.Fred Couples and Jim Furyk are extreme examples of this.

An in to out swing path really is to be avoided if you want to hit consistant shots and be able to work the ball both ways.

 

[AlchemyGolf]

I wonder if Nice Price adopts this method now he is a senior and not as supple as he once was?

 

[SammmeBee]

birdieman - I think you have to differentiation between a fade that starts left and comes back right or a cut that starts straight and goes gentle right....

I actually think that most pros nowdays hit it straight as modern balls don't like to move much left and right and it the most efficient shot for distance with a modern driver...

Sounds like Mr Price is still living in 1994.....

 

[RGuk]

I guess *almost* anything is possible. Pros that draw the ball (as part of their inherent "shape") are not coming that far from the inside. Rather than changing the path, it makes sense to aim a little left and hit a push-fade....I can believe this.

If pros are doing it aligning square (parallel left, or like 100 yards of railway track) of target, then it's mathematically a pile of tosh...

Is it 1st April already?

Nick Price was a draw merchant....I bet he can hit a push-fade on a whim, which is why he'd like it.....

I guess it's all about how you define these things......a ball that starts 0.1 degree right of straight and ends up 5 degrees right of straight might look like a fade, when actually, it isn't.....Therefore, If you aim 5 yards left of centre and finish centre, you can do this with a draw path....I get it.....

 

[Macster]

"All good players have a slightly out to in swing path so you can attack the ball on an inward path which helps generate power as well.Fred Couples and Jim Furyk are extreme examples of this."

Sorry,...Wrong : If you have an Out to In swing path, you arent attacking the Ball from the 'inside' are you ? You are playing across the ball, as most club golfers do, hence most fade.
Your own swing is In to Out, in relation to your stance, so you probably do draw.
Jim Furyk I believe, takes the Ball on an out to in swing plane, but loops at the top and brings the club back In to Out.

"An in to out swing path really is to be avoided if you want to hit consistant shots and be able to work the ball both ways."

Sorry....No.: I swing from In to Out, but with a little adjustment of my stance, I can easily fade it too.

No offence, as you can obviously play, but your stance is as strangely individual as Jim Furyk's swing is, and an example to all of us what can perhaps be achieved with a lot less than perfect setup.

 

[Cernunnos]

Or of course you can hold off a bit through impact...

Many ways to impart fade....

 

[AlchemyGolf]

Chris Mc

Sounds like you have it all sussed out.
Im turning over a new leaf, No Comment!!

 

[fastmover2]

I just loved Nick Price's comments. They are of course very relevant to golfers with superb feel and total control of their action..i.e tour pros. I think trying this if you are less than a scratch player might give you a headache.

The comment on Fred Couples was interesting. Not really concerned about how he does it but Freddy's shot is generally a slight push but he has it controlled so that he aims down the left side. Very good way of playing for most club players to me as it is easily repeatable.