Draw vs. Fade: Which Is Which? – Build Confidence in Your Swings

Being passionate about something in your life means wanting to be better at it. With experience comes skill, and once you do your favorite activity for long enough, you will realize that you have gotten a lot better at some point. There is nothing better than the feeling of evolving and growing with time and allowing the activity to come to you. With a sport like golfing, the game starts to make more sense, it slows down, the shots no longer seem impossible and the swings become more consistent.

All of this sounds quite nice and it is obviously something that most golfers strive for. Whether you are an occasional player or a longtime enthusiast, getting better and winning more games of golf is the ultimate goal. The only way to do that is to have the will to improve, and that comes with repetition, trial, and error. However, it also comes with trying out new stuff, learning about the game, and picking out the best moves and approaches for your specific case.

In golf, it is all about the personal preferences of clubs and how you use them, which means that the right type of swing can take your game to a whole new level. In this article, we talk about two of the most popular types of swings in this sport, or rather the personal preference of golfers when it comes to swinging.

Should you draw or should you fade? Why does it matter, and what does it even mean? Read on to learn more about the two so that you can finally get more accuracy and consistency in your 18-hole sessions.

What Are They?

So what are the draw and fade swings in golf and how are they different? Well, they can be thought of as each other’s opposites. With the draw, the shot moves from right to left. As such, it suits left-handed golfers better. On the other hand, a fade shot moves from left to right. Therefore, it is generally meant for right-handed golfers. However, there is a lot more to dissect with both of them as it is not nearly as easy to achieve them as it may initially seem.

For example, a fade shot that spins too much will be a slice and a draw shot that turns too much will be a hook. If it sounds confusing, that is because it is highly technical just like the entire sport. Remembering which shot is which can be tricky especially if you can play with both hands as dominant.

It often makes more sense for the players to put it this way: the trajectory of the fade moves away from the golfer while that of the draw moves inward. So is there enough difference between the two for one to be the better option?

Draw VS Fade

As is the case with many other things in golfing, the shot style you pick should be a personal preference and not much else. However, with these two, it also matters which shot shape you are the most consistent with and have more control over. The confidence you have in your swings should help you decide if you should stick with the fades or the draws in your game.

Changing it during the game and depending on the situation is the best possible approach, but for that, you need to be skilled and experienced. Most professionals play a fade, especially with tee shots, but draws can often be a better solution. There is no better shot, only the one you are used to, comfortable with, and confident in.

How to Hit Them Properly

Now that you know which is which and how they are different, there should be a few words about hitting both of them the right way. There is of course the right way and it can get pretty tricky to do it well enough consistently. The basic premise of hitting the ball is applying spin to it. Based on the relation of the face of the club during the swing, the path of the shot is determined.

To hit a fade, the club face has to be open in relation to the swing path, while for the draw it has to be closed. So to hit a fade shot, the club face needs to be open and you must swing it out-to-in along the target. Start by aligning the face to the ball and opening the stance a few degrees to the left. This is the right way to do it for right-hand players. Then, swing along the path of the stance and strike the ball with the open club face. The ball will be hit in a fade.

On the other hand, to hit a draw shot, apply the very opposite of what was said above. What this means is that you have to align the club face at the target and close the stance at several degrees. This is the in-to-out swing patch and the ball will be impacted with a closed face. This draw spin will send the ball flying appropriately for what the draw shot implies.

The Pros and Cons

There are positives and negatives for both of these shots worth paying attention to. The fade is easier to control than a draw and this is what most golfers agree on. It also has a higher trajectory and it lands softer which is all beneficial. The distance is where it struggles as a shot because fades spin more on average, they carry less, and have shorter distances. Fades are better for fast and firm courses.

For a long time, it was the draw as the more desired option because of the lower but also more boring flight of the ball. However, the distance is better than a fade and the draw generally rolls more due to the topspin.

This is very helpful on open courses and link courses where the ball should be lower to the ground. Although more difficult to control, it is still too valuable not to incorporate into your game. As you gain experience and increase your skill, you will learn both and use them when the situation calls for either.