If you’re like most golfers, chances are you’ve wondered if you should you play a draw vs. fade? It’s a great question as playing a draw or fade can have a big impact on distance, trajectory, and consistency on the course.
But there’s a lot more to the answer than just saying you should play a draw or a cut. Since there are so many variables in your swing and each course, it’s ideal to learn how to hit both golf shots. Each type of shot has their own pros and cons, which we’ll go over in this article.
Keep reading to learn the key differences between a draw vs. fade, how to hit each type of shot shape, and the best training aids to hit a draw.
Draw vs. Fade Shot – How to Choose
While I couldn’t find any “study” to back up my claim, I’m pretty confident in saying that most right-handed golfers shape the ball left to right. For some, this is a controlled fade but for others, it’s a slice or even a banana slice.
But in general, most of the golfing population plays a fade. My guess is for a few reasons; a weak lead hand position, an inside takeaway, lack of flexibility, and a steep downswing are all contributing factors.
Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a fade. Some top ball strikers hit a fade including Dustin Johnson and Colin Morikawa. But they also have their shot under control and rarely hit massive slices like the everyday amateur golfer does. Plus, they have more distance off the tee so it’s not as big of an issue.
Meanwhile, the average player hits a cut or slice and likely wants to hit a draw. In fact, “How to fix a slice” is one of the most commonly searched terms on the internet when it comes to golf. Needless to say, a draw golf shot is coveted by so many players.
But before getting into that, let’s first talk about the difference between the two shots and see if you really do need to change your swing for a draw.
The Fade in Golf (Cut Shot)
Even though you might not realize it, hitting a fade, or cut shot has plenty of advantages for a right-handed golfer. A subtle left to right shot of only a few degrees is a very reliable and trustworthy shot.
First, a fade is much more reliable since you don’t need as much wrist action and timing in the swing. It’s a simpler motion which makes it more consistent and easier to hit on the golf course.
Second, a fade has less side spin, which means your misses won’t be “as bad.” They’re more controllable and it’s been said that you can “Talk to a fade” while it’s in the air. Meanwhile, a draw has a mind of its own.
But there are downsides too, specifically with distance. Since a fade doesn’t have as much forward spin, it won’t release as much once it hits the ground and thus, isn’t as long in terms of total distance.
When to Play a Fade shot
So, when should you play a fade? Ideally, a fade works great in three different situations.
First, if the hole doglegs left to right. If you can shape your tee shot in the direction of the fairway, it can make it easier to pick a target and commit to the shot.
The second situation is a right pin position. Hitting a fade allows you to aim left of the pin and shape the ball back to the flag.
If the shot stays straight, you’re still in the middle of the green with an easy putt. And if you pull the shot (the common miss with a fade), you won’t short side yourself.
The final situation is from the rough. Since thicker grass tends to close the club face, playing a fade will ensure the club isn’t even more shut at the impact position. The longer the rough, the more you want to open the club face at address to account for the face shutting on the downswing.
Additionally, sometimes in the rough you might get a “flier” or “jumper” lie. This is when the ball is sitting up on the grass and tends to fly much further than normal.
If you’re playing a draw, it’ll add even more distance to this lie and can make for a difficult up and down over the green. In this case, club down and play a fade if the ball is sitting up nicely in the rough.
How to Hit a Fade
Hitting fade shots requires one thing; an open clubface at impact.
The more the club face is open at impact, the more it will go left to right. How the club gets to that position can happen in a number of ways.
Some of them can include:
- Inside takeaway
- Weak lead hand grip
- Ball slightly forward in stance
To learn more about hitting a fade, make sure to read our full guide here.
Draw in Golf
The opposite of the fade is the draw, which goes right to left in the air (for right-handed golfers). Hitting a draw is challenging for some golfers and about as elusive as Bigfoot for some players.
So, why is a draw such a coveted shot?
The first reason is distance. Since golf is more and more about distance, players want to take advantage of any opportunity they can to hit it further.
The second reason is because it just looks good. Nothing like slinging a driver on a dogleg left hole and watching your ball just keep rolling. Or, hitting a high draw to a back left pin and watching it land closer that you could imagine.
Executing the shot is easier said than done though.
When to Play a Draw
So, when should you play a draw? In a perfect world, if you could shape the ball both directions a draw is best for holes that dogleg left.
For example, if a par 4 or 5 doglegs left, it’s ideal to tee up on the left side of the tee box, start the ball on the right side of the fairway, and let it draw back to the hole.
The second situation for a perfect draw is a left pin position. Hitting a draw allows you to aim right of the pin and shape the ball back to the flag. If the shot stays straight, you’re still in the middle of the green with an easy putt for birdie.
And if you push the shot (the common miss with a draw), you won’t short side yourself. This should give you the best chance to get up and down and still walk away with a par.
How to Hit Draws
Hitting a draw also requires one thing; a closed clubface at impact.
The more the face is shut, the more it will go right to left. Like the fade, how you get to that position can happen in a variety of ways.
Some of them can include:
- Outside takeaway
- Strong lead hand grip
- Ball slightly back in stance
- Bowed wrist position at the top of the swing
To learn more about hitting a draw, make sure to read our full guide here.
Straight Shot
What about a straight shot you might ask? Your swing path and clubface have to be just about perfect to hit this golf shot. Of course it happens and modern golf clubs help this out, most players try to work the ball one way or another.
But one rule of thumb is to never let a straight shot get in trouble. Meaning, don’t aim your target line in the water or OB if you hit straight.
Next Steps: Picking Your Shot
If you play a cut, play that shot shape on almost every full swing shot. This will essentially take away one side of the golf course and make it easy to find a target on each shot. Which should make your misses more consistent and make it easier to score better each time you tee it up.
For example, I play a cut 90% of the time. Even if I’m hitting to a left pin or the hole doglegs left. While I can hit a draw, it’s not my stock shot and thus, harder to hit when I’m on the course.
But with my cut, I am pretty confident in the shot shape and how the ball travels in the air. So when I’m on the tee box, regardless of which direction the hole goes, I know where to aim. I find a target on the left to left-center of the fairway and take aim. The same goes for my approach shot to the green.
Simply put, I don’t have to think about my swing as much. I don’t have to try and manipulate my swing to hit a cut, it’s just natural and dependable. I have 10X more confidence, especially under pressure, to hit my go-to shot.
I suggest you do the same. While shaping shots in both directions is fun and almost a lost art thanks to new technology, it’s not always the most effective for everyday golfers.
Go here for a deeper discussion of shot shaping strategy.
Tiger’s 9-Shot Drill
Whether you decide to play a draw or fade, it’s up to you. But learning how to hit all types of shots in practice is great preparation for the course.
Don’t get me wrong, I think most amateurs should stick to one shot 80-90% of the time.But you will find yourself in positions where you simply can’t play your shot when you’re on the course.
Whether you have a tree in the way, water along the entire left or right side, or it just doesn’t suit your eye. In this case, you’ll need to hit a different shot and the best way to learn how is by Tiger’s 9-shot drill.
Tiger Woods is arguably one of the best iron players in the history of the game. He wasn’t afraid to lay back off the tee and trust his iron game to get him on the green. One of the reasons he’s such a good iron player is because of his trusty, 9-shot drill.
On the driving range, Tiger tries to hit irons with all nine shots. The nine shots you can hit any club are:
- Draws: High, low, and normal ball flight.
- Straight: High, low, and normal ball flight.
- Cuts: High, low, and normal ball flight.
He tries to imagine the ball going through a grid (3×3) to execute one of the nine shots. You can do the same on the driving range.
Editorial Note: Before you attempt this drill, make sure to study our explanation of the ball flight laws.
Two of the hardest shots are a higher trajectory draw and low cut with a penetrating ball flight. If you can master those as a right handed player, you can make the game a bit easier.
I suggest grabbing a mid-iron as it’s easier to hit than long irons but still allows you to shape shots pretty easily too. Remember, the shorter the club, the harder it is to shape the ball.
With a 7-iron, try to hit all nine of the shots above. See how many you get out of nine and then spend time working on the shot shapes/trajectories that give you the most trouble. While you don’t need to hit all nine on the course, it’s never a bad idea to have plenty of skills in your arsenal for the round.
FAQs About Shaping Golf Shots
Do you have more questions about shaping the golf ball and figuring out what’s best for your game? Keep reading to see our answers to some of the most common questions about ball flight.
Should amateurs play both shots?
Having a go-to shot that you play the majority of the time is usually the best bet for amateur golfers. Remember, even the best players in the world struggle shaping the golf ball both ways consistently.
If you’re an amateur golfer, have a go to cut or draw that you play off the tee and into greens. This should give you more confidence in your game and lead to smaller misses too.
What PGA Tour players hit a draw?
There have been a number of great players who prefer a draw to a cut. Some of them include Arnold Palmer, Sam Snead, Rory McCilroy, Rocco Mediate, Patrick Reed and others.
What PGA Tour players hit a cut?
Conversely, there are tons of players who prefer a cut vs. a draw for more consistency. Some of guys who like to hit fades for more control include Dustin Johnson, Tiger Woods, Jon Rahm, Lee Trevino, and Jack Nicklaus.
What are the best training aids to hit a draw or cut?
Learning how to hit a draw or fade might require the help of training aids to understand how to get the face to the right position at impact. Here are some of our favorite training aids to help you learn how to work the ball both ways.
Planemate by Tour Striker
If you’re the type of golfer who struggles with an over the top downswing, we have a solution for you. Coming over the top and steep on the downswing is usually the result of a backswing that is too far inside on the takeaway.
To help you get in a neutral position on your backswing, we suggest using the Planemate by Tour Striker. This revolutionary training aid has helped many golfers around the world improve their takeaway and thus, learn how to shallow the golf club on the downswing.
When you can shallow the swing it’s much easier to create an inside to outside swing. This power move directly impacts the ball flight so it’s straighter or even promotes a draw. Plus, it will help you create lag which is the secret move of all elite ball strikers.
More lag comes from dropping the club in the slot on the downswing and a much better impact position. The PlaneMate makes it easy to feel just that and something you can use at home with practice swings or on the range hitting golf balls. Works for right or left-hand players!
Click here to read our full review now.
EyeLine Golf Speed Trap 2.0
Whether you want to learn how to hit a draw or a cut, this training aid can help you out. The four pegs will make it easy to groove a more in-out or out-to in swing for a draw or fade. Plus, it works for left-handed players too.
For a small investment, this can make a massive difference in your ability to shape shots. Plus, it makes it easy to visualize the swing path needed to achieve different ball flights. You can pick one up here if you like.
Lag Shot 7-Iron
Another great training aid to help you hit a draw and groove a consistent swing is the Lag Shot trainer. This 7-iron training aid promotes perfect tempo, timing, and makes it easy to shallow the golf club on the downswing. If you struggle with a slice or timing issues, this device is a great way to fix your issues at home for a more consistent swing. Again, you can find a lag shot here if you want to give it a try.
Final Thoughts
When it comes to hitting a draw or fade, my best advice is to play the shot that comes natural to you. A lot of time it comes down to whether you have a strong or weak grip. It’s easier to control your natural shot and requires less swing thoughts while you’re on the course.
One of the common lessons from top teachers and players is to minimize swing thoughts on the golf course. The more you are thinking about mechanics, the harder it is to get in the zone and just play golf (vs. playing your golf swing).
In general, try to play one shape about 80% of the time. On the other 20%, try to hit the opposite shot if and when the situation calls for it. Don’t try to move the ball in the opposite direction if you can’t in practice consistently.
Good luck!
