When I was growing up, the conventional wisdom was that if you wanted to hit a draw or a fade, you’d point your clubface to where you wanted the ball to finish and your body to where you wanted the ball to start. That means for a draw, you would set the clubface closed at address. For a fade, your clubface would be open.
With all due respect to teaching pros and players from the old days, that’s all wrong. I figured out at a young age that I needed to have the clubface open in relation to my target at address to hit a draw, and closed for a cut. High-speed cameras and TrackMan data have confirmed what I’ve long known – the angle of the clubface determines where the ball starts, and the path of the clubface determines how the ball spins. If you’re hitting a draw, you want the ball to start right of your target and then have the spin curve it back towards the target. So you need to have an open clubface in relation to your target at impact combined with an inside-to-out swing path. (To clarify, the face is closed in relation to the path.) If the clubface was square to the target at impact, the ball would start at the target and then hook left of it.
One thing I love about this method for amateurs is that it helps them straighten out a slice because you really have to swing in-to-out to get the ball to draw. Next time you head to the range, try working on shaping shots using the principles I just laid out. It might seem strange at first, but trust me, it works.
my putting drill
I’m a huge believer in two things when it comes to putting practice: simplicity and consistency. That’s why I’ve been using the same putting warm-up for as long as I can remember. I put two tees in the ground, just wider than my putter, and hit a straight putt. I do it first with just my right hand, so I can feel the release of the putterhead as it strikes the ball. Then I put both hands on the club and do it again. The routine makes putting on any greens seem familiar, and it’s a great confidence builder.
– with Daniel Rapaport
