Lining up (Aim) for a Draw/Fade

[One Planer]

Since I took up the game in 2010, I've always hit the ball pretty straight or with a slight fade.

As I've had lessons and my swing has begun to change I've started to hit more draws than anything else.

As a result I'm tending to miss my target left. Not by much, only usually a few yards, but have a question for you knowledgeable lot:

How do you aim for a particular shot?

As an example. You're hitting into a par 3. The pin is placed in the middle of a big, flat green as you look. If you play a consistent draw as your usual (Read as natural) shot:

Do you aim the clubface to your target, your target being the pin in the middle of the green, and align your body parallel to that line?

Or

Do you aim the clubface and body just a little right of the target (Flag stick) to allow for the curve back?

With the opposite applying for a fade.

I'm curious to hear your thoughts/opinions on aiming or allowing for a particular shot shape and how best to aim.

Any thoughts, as always, are welcome :thup:

 

[tsped83]

No idea myself Gareth, but playing with one of my partners last night ( 4 hcp - great player, always draws it) I asked him how he always manages to hit a consistent draw to target. He says that he doesn't change his aim or alignment at all, but "opens his hands on the back swing" and their is more hand/wrist movement through the ball to close the face at impact. Something like that anyway. As for alignment, he aims straight at target.

 

[patricks148]

Since I took up the game in 2010, I've always hit the ball pretty straight or with a slight fade.

As I've had lessons and my swing has begun to change I've started to hit more draws than anything else.

As a result I'm tending to miss my target left. Not by much, only usually a few yards, but have a question for you knowledgeable lot:

How do you aim for a particular shot?

As an example. You're hitting into a par 3. The pin is placed in the middle of a big, flat green as you look. If you play a consistent draw as your usual (Read as natural) shot:

Do you aim the clubface to your target, your target being the pin in the middle of the green, and align your body parallel to that line?

Or

Do you aim the clubface and body just a little right of the target (Flag stick) to allow for the curve back?

With the opposite applying for a fade.

I'm curious to hear your thoughts/opinions on aiming or allowing for a particular shot shape and how best to aim.

Any thoughts, as always, are welcome :thup:

are you sure you are not just pulling it left?

 

[One Planer]

are you sure you are not just pulling it left?

Pretty sure Patrick.

The ball starts fractionally to the right or straight, then, at the top of the flight curves gently left.

 

[patricks148]

Pretty sure Patrick.

The ball starts fractionally to the right or straight, then, at the top of the flight curves gently left.

yes thats a pull a proper draw starts right and comes back to centre. I know ive been hitting a pull for years

 

[One Planer]

See, I've always called that a draw.

Anything starting right and moving back left being a push draw(?)

 

[Foxholer]

It doesn't really matter what it's called (though I'd call it a Straight Draw as per he above chart), the effect is that it ends up e few yards left of where Gareth wants it.

The simple solution is to align body a few yards right of target and hit the same shot. That can be a little difficult - as those that start off with a slicey fade and 'correct' by aiming left and turning it into a full-blown slice a couple of swings later will attest! The subconscious brain is wonderfully reactive and can often turn really poor swings into almost adequate ones. But it can stubbornly get too involved, over-riding a 'correct' swing until it has the confidence that practice has shown it works!

 

[patricks148]

See, I've always called that a draw.

Anything starting right and moving back left being a push draw(?)

not sure what to make of that lot, G looks like a proper draw. D looks like a pull to me.

 

[garyinderry]

i've only recently started hitting fades with a closed club face (to target line) then swinging well left. aiming a little left of target line.

 

[Spuddy]

Gareth, it depends on which one of the above is your natural shot. Mine is D so I pick an aiming point to the right of target and hope it comes back in. If the pins on the left then I'll aim at the right hand side of the green so that it'll hopefully end up on the green even if it doesn't draw as much as I hope. If the pins on the right then I'll still aim at the right so if it draws or goes straight it'll still end up on the green. If I aim right of the green in the hope of a draw and it goes straight then I'll be off the putting surface so it's the lowest percentage shot.

I'm working on getting a fade into my armoury at the movement by picking an aiming line to the left of target and opening the face a little to that line (but closed to the target line). It's not consistent enough at the moment to take it onto the course

 

[la_lucha]

I've recently gone through the same issue. I align the clubface left edge of the green. Be sure to alter you stance accordingly though or you'll end up hitting (I) a push fade.

 

[One Planer]

Last night was a prime example of what is stated above.

Our 4th is a 157 yard par 3.

The pin last night was towards the right edge of the green. Behind the green are some newly planted trees with ne being on the extreme edge of the green.

Aimed the club face at this tree. Aligned my body square to that line and played the shot.

Started exactly on that line, tiny draw, one bounce and stopped 10ft past the pin (Directly behind it).

This got me thinking about how I align myself based on this kind of shot that I'm playing with more frequency and I thought I'd pose it here to gauge a response.

 

[virtuocity]

Gareth, do you reckon you'd really see a benefit to shaping the ball two ways? Or rather, do you reckon that the time taken to practice and perfect both a draw and a fade isn't better spent perfecting one shot shape?

 

[garyinderry]

the more right I aim the more I end up pulling it or flipping it and missing way left. only a touch right of target, face a touch open and normal swing should bring it back towards target.

 

[One Planer]

Gareth, do you reckon you'd really see a benefit to shaping the ball two ways? Or rather, do you reckon that the time taken to practice and perfect both a draw and a fade isn't better spent perfecting one shot shape?

I don't want to shape it both ways.

I'm curious as to how you aim for a specific shot shape.

 

[Foxholer]

not sure what to make of that lot, G looks like a proper draw. D looks like a pull to me.

I think you'd be in a distinct minority!

They are the descriptions of shots according to 'New' Ball Flight Laws.

What do you call a shot that goes left, but/and straight - that they (and I) call a Pull?

 

[Spuddy]

G and D are the same shot, or should I say flight. In both, the face is closed to the swing path. The important thing to understand is how the initial ball flight is affected by your swing. The direction the ball initially heads is dependant on your swing path. Therefore if you have an in to out swing with a closed face relative to this path then the ball will start right and draw back in (G). If this is you're swing then you must setup aimed at the target.


If you have a neutral swing with a closed face at impact (as I do) then the ball will start straight before drawing left (D). For me to hit the target I have to aim right.

 

[One Planer]

G and D are the same shot, or should I say flight. In both, the face is closed to the swing path. The important thing to understand is how the initial ball flight is affected by your swing. The direction the ball initially heads is dependant on your swing path. Therefore if you have an in to out swing with a closed face relative to this path then the ball will start right and draw back in (G). If this is you're swing then you must setup aimed at the target.


If you have a neutral swing with a closed face at impact (as I do) then the ball will start straight before drawing left (D). For me to hit the target I have to aim right.

I'm not 100% up with D-Plane, but I think you'll find this statement wrong.

The initial direction of the shot is dictated, mainly, by face position at impact and not the swing path.

If the face is open to the target line at impact, the ball with start to the right. If the face is closed to the swing path, the ball will move back to the left.

 

[lex!]

It doesn't really matter what it's called (though I'd call it a Straight Draw as per he above chart), the effect is that it ends up e few yards left of where Gareth wants it.

The simple solution is to align body a few yards right of target and hit the same shot.

This is the shot that I have been looking for with consistency since I took up the game and above is the guidance that I was given when being taught. My coach has been looking for the in to out swing path with me with the draw shape the intention.

 

[virtuocity]

I don't want to shape it both ways.

I'm curious as to how you aim for a specific shot shape.

Gotcha!

And I can't believe that there are people who still think that swing path dictates the starting direction of the ball.

For a fade, in my humble opinion, it's a case of aiming left, club head slightly open to stance but closed to target and swing path goes along the stance as normal.