Is hitting a draw with a driver all it's cracked up to be?

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turkish

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Just had a lesson today and was a bit eye opener- I would have to say it really is what it's all cracked up to be- was 20 yards extra carry with 20-30 extra yards total.

Went in to try and get help as usually having 2-4 quite bad slices a round which I would like to eliminate- when I asked what I would like to achieve I said I am happy to just have a functional fade which I usually have for the remaining driving holes. The pro kept quiet and just worked on changing shoulder alignment to match my feet which was a bit off, then my path.

My the end of the lesson I was hitting baby draws, with still some almost straight fades. even the straightish fades were still 15 yards shorter than the draws. Now I just need to get to work on it. Was a really good lesson.

I have a feeling that most will disagree and say it doesn't matter as long as it's in play but surely over the long term that 20-30 yards difference over the course could have a reasonable impact on score?

With a fade my carry was between 215-225 rolling out to 230-240.

With a draw my carry was up to 245 rolling out to 265 and my longest was 278, which for me is big.

Thoughts?
 
Its great whilst it stays as a small draw, as soon as it crosses the line into a hook it becomes pretty much the most destructive shot in golf imo

Not sure the difference between draw and fade should be as much yardage wise as youre finding either
 
A small draw, or small fade makes no difference in distance to me. As it shouldn't really. It's just physics.

Depending on your ball flight, the fade could be longer than the draw, or vice versa. Depends on your launch angle really. What ever gives you the best numbers.
 
a draw flight always seems to put more topspin on the ball but always thought in terms of carry it doesn't make a difference.

at the moment I hit a slight cut as i find it a more natural shot and much easier to control (I hit less slices doing this than duck hooks if i play for a draw)
 
stokie_93 said:
a draw flight always seems to put more topspin on the ball but always thought in terms of carry it doesn't make a difference.

at the moment I hit a slight cut as i find it a more natural shot and much easier to control (I hit less slices doing this than duck hooks if i play for a draw)
Click to expand...


Cant topspin a golf ball without drilling it into the ground. Any ball that takes flight is spinning backwards with potentially some access tilt.
 
Well the reason she explained to me that my fades were well shorter than the draws were the massively higher spin numbers which I know might not just be due to the path, but impact also. But all of it did seem to go hand in hand with each other. IE casting was causing me to lose lag, more likely to hit out the heel etc
 
A ball always has some spin. It then has an axis of rotation, about which it spins. Tip this one way, you get a draw, tip it the other you get a fade. If it was horizontal, the flight would be straight.

Draws having top spin is a myth.
 
turkish said:
Well the reason she explained to me that my fades were well shorter than the draws were the massively higher spin numbers which I know might not just be due to the path, but impact also. But all of it did seem to go hand in hand with each other. IE casting was causing me to lose lag, more likely to hit out the heel etc
Click to expand...

Exactly, it's about optimising launch, not necessarily drawing the ball.

In your case, making you hit a draw gives better numbers.

Nice though!
 
not sure you get less run with a fade than a draw. i play with a guy who its a low slice all the time and that always runs out further than my draw, even when its not carried anywhere like the same distance
 
patricks148 said:
not sure you get less run with a fade than a draw. i play with a guy who its a low slice all the time and that always runs out further than my draw, even when its not carried anywhere like the same distance
Click to expand...

Is that because of the trajectory the ball has hit the ground though? Ie yours peaked at say 100feet, his 70, yours came down at a steeper angle, thus the ground would take a greater impacted, decelerating the ball, his coming off a more shallow angle would have less speed taken off with a more glancing blow to the ground.. I am no scientist, but seems logical to me..
 
patricks148 said:
not sure you get less run with a fade than a draw. i play with a guy who its a low slice all the time and that always runs out further than my draw, even when its not carried anywhere like the same distance
Click to expand...

Face open to the path... ball up in your stance... ball fly's higher and lands steeper. All things being equal it rolls less.
 
Its because what most consider a fade is actually a slice. Go watch quiros or somewone hit a fade and tell me it doesnt go as far as a draw...
 
100 mph swing speed, 2000 rpm back spin, 17 degree launch angle.

Tip the axis 2 degrees one way it draws, the other way it fades.

Which one goes further?
 
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