October 02, 2011 At 09:43 PM By Hunter L
Hunter LLa Follette, TN
Geoffrey BCelina, OH
What is wrong with a fade? I would much rather be more accurate with a fade then gain a few yards with a draw and hit it less accurate.
Jeffrey GClinton, MS
I agree with Geoffrey, as long as it is reproducible. I have introduced quite a bit of uncertainty off the tee by "fixing" my fade. Wish I had the skill to draw or fade at will...oh well, practice, practice, practice.
Randy WHemet, CA
What has helped me with my fade is a check list before I address the ball. Grip: make sure it is firm but relaxed. Position: make sure you are in proper alignment with the ball, even while in a practice swing off the ball. Posture: lead arm straight, knees bent, and back relatively straight, and stay relaxed. Practice swing: while making practice swings at three quarters speed, watch where the club face strikes the surface and what position (angle) the face comes through there. I have found that sometimes that I am striking the ball with the face still slightly open. A simple adjustment to myfoot position (only an inch or two) usually corrects the problem. I usually see what is happening in a couple of practice swings, then usually I have to open my stance slightly or step about an inch posterior to the direction of flight. On the last practice shot, the motion is usually fluid, the face square, and at the bottom of the swing. I address the ball to the right distance, wiggle the grip, straighten the lead arm, bend knees to the ball, slow my back swing and feel the recoiling of my body. Nice easy swing (don't try to kill it) and follow through. I'm hitting much straighter, farther, and end up on the fairway way more often. Try taking some time and running through the checklist.
Quintin HMorehead, KY
What is the ball flight?
rob cLOUISVILLE, KY
next time you go to the range try this, remember left foot forward draw's it, left foot back fade's it, keep your shoulder's aligned your target and swing through naturally. don't force it ! that's the old school way of doing it.
Try a stronger grip with your lead hand (left if right handed) and possibly shift it slightly to make your hands turnover sooner during your swing. This will cause you to draw rather than fade. Elbow straight, swing through the ball, not at it. When practicing at the range, try to figure out if you are also dropping your shoulder. Practice!
Knowing what you're doing is half the battle! Try slowing down to hit straighter during practice. If you get profecient, then step on the gas. I would rather hit a shorter shot straight than a long ball in the woods!
Chris MWhite Plains, NY
timothy jhampton cove, AL
I agree with slowing down and making a good shoulder turn.
On another note, has anyone been through Ttileist fitting? I am considering it and interested to know what difference it made once you got your new clubs in your hands, Thanks.
Jake LLagrange Park, IL
You don't need to "fix a fade" Just use it if you're a righty just aim a little left of the fairway and it should land right in the middle. But with your skill level you might need a draw or a straight shot so just experiment really, like ask some club pros what they think and test it out.
Brian MFederal Way, WA
I was a chronic slicer my whole golf life until I had this simple revelation: concentrate on your left shoulder (if you are right handed). Take your normal grip, stance, and take-away. As you move into the ball, concentrate on keeping your left shoulder down over the ball longer - you're not coming over the top chopping wood, just keeping it down as you move into the shot. You will probably hit it fat and then some snap hooks, but after a good session on the range, you'll get the feel and realize you've discovered how to hit a draw. If you want to hit that fade again, let that left shoulder fly up and away from the ball.
Lou GSan Diego, CA
My strong drive for about the past 3 years has been a power fade (consistent, though) around 240 yards. A totally dead straight drive had a bit too high of a trajectory (even with a stiff driver - but a loss of about 20 yards). I had been using a neutral face G2 10.5 degree driver with a 44.5" shaft until the beginning of this year. I have been using a 2007 Burner Draw HT loft "M" flex (45" shaft) and hitting 230-240 dead straight and can get 250+ with a small draw. Baffled how a so-called "old man" driver can achieve such? (I even had my first eagle putt about 2 months ago; unfortunately 3 putted for a par because it was a 2 tier green). Story: I picked up the driver used (the store has a 90 day playability guarantee and you can return the club, no questions asked). It felt great at the store so I took it to the driving range and started hitting some 250+ yard drives with it. Research showed it is 13 deg senior flex (the club length is 45" so it may actually be more like R flex). I also found out I can tee the ball 1 1/2" or so for the best drives (I'm not one of those that can tee the ball up 2 1/2"; I'll airmail the ball). First time on the golf course my drives were pretty much down the center of the fairway and I used the driver on every par 4 and 5 (used to use one sparingly before and often teed off with a 5 wood). The draw face apparently turns a power fade into a straight drive. I took it to a demo day and compared it to three R11 10.5 degree drivers (with stiff, regular and M flex) and it just blew them away. Agreed with the rest that a fade is caused by an outside-in swing. "Over the top" is caused by trying to swing too hard (the arms take over). I have an outside-in swing by nature on the woods so I take a closed stance with the driver and fairway wood (it makes it more inside-out); I hit a square stance on my hybrid and irons, though and go dead straight. I also get a lot more power with a slightly closed stance. I used to have a flatter swing before and my tendency was to pull or hook woods and hybrids; I changed to a more upright stance 3 years ago and got more consistent but with a fade. I also went from a rotational swing to a combo of "Stack n Tilt" and Don Trahan's PPGS because the former caused back problems. If anyone ever observes Chi Chi Rodriguez, he swings with a closed stance on woods.
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