Being able to curve a drive on command is one of the most useful shots in golf. It can help you navigate doglegs, play away from penalty areas and counter the effects of wind. Many pros favor one type of shot shape over another, but make no mistake, if they have to shape their tee shot in the other direction for whatever reason, they can do it. You can do it, too. It might seem a tough task, perhaps requiring some mid-swing adjustments, but the reality is that you can hit a draw (a shot that starts right of the target for right-handers and curves toward it) or a fade (starts left of the target and curves toward it) largely by making a few setup adjustments. You don’t have to spend hours on the range trying to rehearse a different swing. Here’s all you need to know to curve it either way.
THE DRAW
First, it’s important to understand what I mean by a “draw.” You might picture a big sweeping curve right to left. But when tour pros hit a draw, it’s usually a small curve, less than 10 yards. The more the ball curves, the less control you have over the outcome. The good news is, you don’t have to think about your swing to hit a draw; all you have to do is change your baseline.
Let me explain. Picture a dead-straight hole, like a runway. If you were to set up completely square to the center of that fairway, including your shoulders, hips, feet, even your clubface perfectly aligned with that target, I call that orientation “zero.” Here’s what it looks like (below).
Now, just like the turret on a tank, if you want to start a ball to the right of that line, shift your body alignment to the right (below). The clubface stays pointing to the target, but your body is now set up to produce a swing to the right. When you swing, these baseline adjustments create the desired draw curve, because your clubface is closed to your in-to-out swing path. There’s no manipulation of the hands or clubface as you swing. Your body adjustments do the work.
Let me show you what my draw swing looks like. I think you’ll notice it really doesn’t look much different than a swing that sends the ball straight—no funny moves with the hands and arms, no unusual body action. Just a standard swing (below).
THE FADE
Back to the visual of a tank, if you want to curve the ball so it starts left of your target and moves to the right, you have shift your baseline to the left. That means orienting your shoulders, hips and feet so they are aligned left of the target (below). Your clubface stays in its starting position, which means it will be open to your swing path. That’s how you pre-set a fade.
Like the draw, you don’t do anything different with your swing. It’s the same end-to-end motion. Don’t try to abbreviate it because you’re afraid a full swing will result in a shot that goes left. You have to trust that the baseline adjustments you made will bring the ball back to the center of the fairway. The only difference you’ll see from the draw swing is the direction of the path (below). And that’s how you curve it left or right—the easy way.
Jason Baile, one of Golf Digest’s 50 Best Teachers in America, is director of instruction at Jupiter Hills Club in Tequesta, Fla.
This article was originally published on golfdigest.com
