However, there is no questioning the fact that it is a good idea to know how to hit both a draw and a fade.
Throughout a round of golf, you will have certain tee boxes that set up for a draw and those that set up for a fade. Hitting a draw on a tee box that has a slight dogleg left could shave 20 yards off your approach shot.
Hitting a draw with a driver does not need to be complicated. Follow our basic steps on how to hit a draw with a driver to help take your golf game to the next level.
What Is A Draw?
A draw is a way to describe a ball flight in golf. With a draw ball flight, you can take your golf shot out straight and then have it turn a bit to the left as it falls. The draw is not nearly as pronounced as a hook. Because of the way a draw is hit, the golf ball tends to fly further and allows for much more roll.
Although a draw is not a golf shot that you need to hit every time, having the ability to pull this shot out while on the golf course is crucial.
How To Hit A Draw With A Driver
Before we give you all of our best golf tips on how to hit a draw, it is worth stating that there are several ways to hit a draw. Not all golfers are going to play a draw the same way.
If you are currently using a golf swing method with your driver that allows for a right to left ball flight, keep using it. Hitting a draw shot has some feel involved, and you should continue using something that feels right to you.
Step 1: The Grip
The grip is one of the most critical steps in ensuring you are correctly set up to hit a draw. The key factor in ensuring your golf shot is going to get a draw ball flight is to ensure the club face is always square to slightly closed.
A proper golf grip can ensure that this will happen. You will want to ensure that your left hand (for a right-handed player) is slightly more on top of the club. The rotation of the left hand should be slightly right of center.
When this happens, the right hand can then be turned a bit more so that it is almost under the golf club as opposed to on the top.
To get the proper grip, you may have to play around with a few different positions and find some videos about grip positioning.
For some golfers, the rotation in the grip is going to be a bit more pronounced than it is for others. The idea is when your grip is slightly strong, you will have an easier time squaring up the club face.
Step 2: Alignment
When we hit a draw with a driver, we like to aim slightly to the right of the target. When you have your clubface point slightly to the right, it allows for a better swing path down the target line. However, the body lines to help you hit a perfect draw should be slightly right of the target as well.
It’s a good idea to check your right shoulder and make sure that it is slightly dropped back, along with your right foot. If you have the feet in the right position it is easier to swing inside out with a square club face, the ball will ultimately travel to the left.
The alignment and the setup take a little bit of time to narrow down and get right. Many golfers find that they can overdo this process and start seeing a hook shot appear. If this is the case, make sure the left foot and the right foot come back to being on the same basic line.
Step 3: Ball Position
To hit a driver with a draw, the easiest ball position is to have the ball slightly forward of where it typically is. This means that you will have the ball almost all the way up by your left foot (for a right-handed player). The idea here is that you create a little more time to turn the clubface over and make sure that it makes contact with a slightly closed to square face.
Many slicers tend to run out of time when they get to impact, and their golf club face is still open. Having this slightly forward ball position allows for a high draw.
Step 4: The Club Face On The Backswing
So many golf professionals will tell you that once you have the proper setup and alignment, you can just swing slightly inside and start hitting a draw. For players that typically slice the ball or have not yet figured out how to get a golf ball to go straight, this is really not enough information.
It’s essential to think about the club face throughout your entire swing, and this starts with the takeaway.
When moving the clubface back from the address position, you should ensure that it is square. With a driver in your hands, this means that the clubface will feel like it is pointing to the ball as you move the club away from the setup position.
Btw, there are drivers on the market that will promote a slightly closed clubface at address. If you’re struggling keeping the clubface square, you might want to try these.
One of the best ways to ensure your swing path is correct is to feel as though your arms, shoulders, and hips are all working and turning together. If you start swinging with just your arms and hands, the club face tends to open up and allows for a slice to sneak in.
The most control a golfer can have is developed by using the body and the arms to work together. One of our favorite drills to help you hit a draw is to swing with headcovers under your arms. These headcovers should stay in place as you take the club back. Essentially you won’t be able to keep them in position unless your body is working together.
Step 5: Swing Path
The swing path, when hitting a draw with a driver, must be more of an inside to outside swing path. Essentially if you get the club too far above the plane and are not able to get it back on plane, you can expect to see the exact opposite of a draw.
This is difficult for many golfers to feel at first, and it may take the help of some training aids or a video to see what you are doing wrong. Essentially if you follow the steps, we have given you for the proper setup and the clubface positions, your inside to outside swing path should be much easier to obtain.
By dropping that right foot back at setup, you created a space for the club to drop inside. The takeaway being more connected also typically allows for a slightly shallow swing path with the club on an inside path.
At the top of your golf swing, you may feel as though the driver sort of drops into place. If you have properly rotated your hips, there is room for the club to attack from the inside.
When it comes to the “outside” part of this swing path, the idea is essential that you must swing the club out and towards your target. This is why we set up aimed slightly to the right as opposed to directly at the target. The aim to the right gives us the proper target line to swing the club out towards.
Step 6: The Finish
Finishing strong is a very important part of hitting a draw with a driver. If your weight is tuck on your right side, not only will you lose out on distance, but the golf ball may curve incorrectly, and you will lose your draw.
The finish requires you to ensure that you are rotating your chest and your hips through impact. If you set up to hit a draw and it doesn’t work out, a straight shot is acceptable. However, if you set up to hit a draw and the ball slices, you may find yourself in trouble.
It’s a great thing to have club head speed with a driver as it will lead to more distance. However, if you can’t get your body to move forward towards the target, you may need to slow things down a bit until the proper swing mechanics are obtained.
As you can see, hitting a draw requires a bit of an understanding of the swing plane line and your alignment. Lastly, we can’t underemphasize the importance of visualizing the draw. If you are not able to visualize the golf ball drawing, it’s not worth even taking the club back.
The power of visualization is so strong in golf; watch the draw ball flight in your mind and then set up and hit it. The results will be quite impressive.
When Should I Hit A Draw?
Hitting a golf draw is not something you will need to do on every hole. Whether you are new to the game or have been playing your entire life, you will quickly realize that to play a great round of golf; you need to be able to hit several different types of shots.
The draw is our favorite option in a few different instances on the golf course. Let’s take a look at when you may want to break out this right to left ball flight.
Dog Leg Left
A dogleg left is a golf hole that takes a turn to the left. If you are playing a dogleg left, it can make a big difference to have a golf ball that travels from the right to the left. Essentially what this will do is cut off some of the distance that you have to the pin.
On a dogleg left golf hole, a draw could help players cut the corner, and the approach shot will be significantly shorter.
Trouble Down The Right
If there is trouble down the right side of the golf course, it makes sense to have the ball turn away from it. Hitting a golf shot down the right side that turns to the left away from the trouble is very important. When you get confident with your draw on your driver, you can almost aim right at the trouble and expect the ball to turn away.
More Distance
The draw is hit with an inside to out swing path, and the club face is often slightly closed. The end result here is a golf ball that has a bit more topspin on it, and it will roll more. Sometimes the draw results in five yards difference, and other times it could be closer to fifteen yards.
If you are a player who struggles with distance, hitting a draw with your driver can help.
Related: Our review of the Best Drivers For Distance
As A Natural Ball Flight
Some golfers are both with the natural ability to draw the golf ball with their clubs. If your golf driver has a natural ball flight, keep using it. Learn to hit a fade for a situation where the hole turns to the right, but other than that, you should always gravitate towards your most natural ball flight.
Frequently Asked Questions
We hope that you have a better understanding of the how-to hit a draw at this point. Truly the best thing to do is to head out to a practice range and start trying to get this ball flight worked out. The
Is There More Than One Way To Hit A Draw?
There is more than one way to hit a draw, and if our golf tips and method don’t work for you, you can certainly try some different methods.
In the end, your golf club must be slightly closed with a swing path that goes from the inside to the outside. This is essential for hitting a draw if your body needs to make this happen using some different techniques that are acceptable.
Why Can’t I Hit A Draw With My Driver?
The driver has the lowest loft of all the clubs in your bag (aside from the putter); therefore, it makes it more challenging to hit. A golf driver is most likely the least forgiving of all the clubs you have in your bag. It’s hard enough to hit the ball straight, let alone turn it from right to left.
If you genuinely can’t hit a draw with your driver, you may want to look into some different equipment. Sometimes a draw bias driver can help.
Is A Draw The Best Ball Flight?
The best ball flight is the one that you can repeat. If you can continually hit a draw, it is likely the best for your game. If the fade is an easier golf shot for you to hit, then continue to work on hitting a fade. The draw is considered to be an excellent driver ball flight because of the distance, but it is not going to work for all players.
Why Is Hitting A Draw With A Driver So Difficult?
Hitting a draw with a driver is typically more difficult than drawing the ball with an iron. Your driver swing is much wider and has a larger arc. This means that there is more to control.
In addition, the club is longer and therefore the club face is further from you. Having this distance between yourself and the club is a tough concept and allows some players to accidentally end up with an open club face.
When you add in the fact that the loft is low on a driver, the end result is that hitting a draw becomes really difficult. To get the distance that you need and the impressive control required, you have to have a good amount of club head speed.
If you spend time working on hitting a draw and you practice it at the driving range and on the course, you will eventually acquire this important skill.
Conclusion
We know this is a lot of information to take in. Hitting a new type of golf shot is an adjustment and will almost make you feel like a beginner again. Luckily learning these different shots will teach you a great deal about your game and allow for tremendous improvement in the long run.
If you know how to hit a draw with a driver and you start slicing the ball, the ability to self-correct is of great importance. Learning different types of golf shots increases your overall awareness of the game and develops a stronger golfer.
It’s hard to hit a golf ball straight, but learning to hit it left and hit it right can help you understand what it takes. Now it’s time to head on out to the driving range and get working on hitting a draw with your driver.
