Subscribe For FREE Instruction

The more time you spend around good players, you quickly understand that they have a particular pattern of ball flight that very rarely varies.

Most Pros on tour shape the ball. Meaning they either hit a draw or a fade as their shot of choice. Very rarely do good players hit the ball dead straight – there’s always a little movement/curve on the flight.

Sometimes they will have to hit it the opposite shape depending on the shape of the hole or pin placement. But for 90% of the shots they hit on the course it’s a pre-designed pattern of ball flight.

I believe the “go-to” shot should be draw. This is a shot that starts to the right and curves back into the target (for a righty).

Because we are standing to the side of the ball – our hands and club move BACK-UP-IN.

On the downswing our hands and club move FORWARD-DOWN-OUT. Basically moving up and down an inclined plane to the ball. This is the easiest way to teach something that’s complex like the golf swing.

But not all good players draw the ball! Some of the best players in history have faded the ball. So let’s take a closer look at a couple of guys who play different shape shots and try and spot some of the differences in their setup and swing.

Colin Montgomery is probably the best player ever to have never won a Major C’ship. Troy Matteson is a two time winner on the PGA Tour. Monty has always preferred to hit a fade, and Troy has commented that he gets up in the morning and only thinks about drawing the ball.

THE BASICS:

DRAW
Ball Position back – shaft leaning forward – club face pointing right (open to target) – swing even more right

FADE
Ball position forward – shaft leaning back – club face pointing left (closed to target) – swing even more left

Feel free to leave a comment or question and I’ll get to it when I can.

FREE COACHING