Draw shots and fade shots allow a golfer to have control over the movements of the ball. On the other hand, many golfers prefer doing a draw shot instead of a fade. This is because of how powerful the flight of the ball is.
Hitting a draw shot is not easy though it is quite easy to mess up such a shot and turn it into a hook. Most of the professional golfers consistently play with either fade shots or draw shots. Whichever you do, it is essential to know that these shots allow you to control the trajectory of the ball, and thus, it is a great skill.
This guide should tell you when the best time is to do a draw shot and how exactly to do it. Let’s read on to find out!
What Exactly is a Draw?
A draw in golf is a shot where you direct the movement of the golf ball to the right. What happens in this kind of a shot is the golf ball curves right of the target in the flight. It may travel forward or to the left to achieve the target afterward.
When the ball is directed to the right too much, it becomes a hook. Likewise, when the ball flies to the left simply without a curve, it is a pull. It is important to distinguish between these shots to control where the ball goes.
When to Hit a Draw?
Whether you should hit a draw or not that depends on the kind of trajectory you prefer. There are a few situations where a draw shot is the best way to go at it such as
- If there is a wind moving in the right direction from your position, a draw can help to get the ball through it without losing its target. Draw shots are generally great for getting the ball moving in strong winds.
- If there are obstacles to get around, a draw can get you over it.
- If the pin is placed on the more left side of the green, a draw will be the best way to have access to it.
How to Draw the Golf Ball
Picking the Target (With a Draw Ratio)
You need to be able to visualize where the ball will end up. For this, identify the target you want to reach and figure out what kind of flight can help to achieve that. This may seem like general advice that is redundant for all kinds of shots.
Nevertheless, it is extra important when it comes to drawing shots because the target and your aim should not be the same for this. Therefore, it is necessary to pick a specific target.
Maintaining a draw ratio is also important. A draw ratio is a measurement for how the swing path and the angle of your club face can work together. The swing path shows the trajectory that the ball moves throughout the shot. The angle of your club face is the direction in which you are pointing the face of your club away or towards the target.
Accordingly, to figure out how to achieve a specific draw ratio, you must be able to visualize a path of the ball flight. Since the ball is supposed to go from the right to the left direction, you need to imagine that the path will start to go towards the right away from your target, but then move left in a curve to your actual target.
Likewise, if you imagine the angle of your clubface to be about five degrees, consider the path of the ball to be about ten degrees towards the right. This will construct a 2 to 1 draw ratio. In this way, you can figure out what kind of draw ratio to go for by altering your clubface angle and the swing path.
In other words, if your swing path is 30 degrees to the right, you can once again achieve a 2 to 1 draw ratio by simply turning your clubface angle to about 15 degrees. That’s because it’ll be 30 to 15, which is equivalent.
It is recommended to maintain a minimum of 2 to 1 when figuring out the draw ratio. This can help to visualize where the ball will end up. On this account, if you achieve this ratio with a driver; you can get about 10 to 15 yards of distance out of your ball. If the draw ratio is higher, the ball will start to achieve a hook shot instead of a draw.
It depends on the kind of golf club you use. If you are using a driver, it is advised that a 3 to 2 ratio is the best for a draw. On the other hand, if you are using iron clubs, you should stick to the 2 to 1 draw ratio. However, if the club is shorter, it will be more challenging to hit a draw.
Fixing the Aim
Just like your target, your aim needs to be on the right as well. Based on the draw ratio you want, the aim needs to be a specified direction to the right. At the same time, it is necessary to make sure the ball does not go straight. For that, you need to fix a certain orientation where the ball needs to go.
For example, if you are executing a 2 to 1 draw ratio where the clubface is at 5 degrees to the right, your aim will end up launching the ball in the target line that you intended to reach. This will happen when the path of the swing is about 10 degrees to the right. The lines will, of course be a curve as well. As a result, you need to be mindful of that when calculating the path.
The kind of lie you are playing can also affect the aim of your shot. It is more difficult to hit a draw shot on a lie that is thicker because you cannot fully understand or speculate where the ball can end up. In this regard, you need to be more careful about your aim when playing on thicker lies.
Preparing for the Shot
When choosing the golf club you want to use for a draw shot, it is recommended a driver that is used for beginners. This is because it is much more difficult to control an iron club having the ball on a tee. Having such a driver will allow you to control the swing and let you be flexible with it. After having mastered draw shots using drivers, you can then try irons.
Similarly, a strong grip on the golf club is important. Then again, if the grip is too strong, the shot may make transition into a hook instead of a draw. Nevertheless, a strong grip is an absolute must, because the shot would not be possible without a firm grip.
The flight of your ball will depend on the kind of grip you have on the club. The more you practice and figure out what grip is the right one, the more you will be able to alter the shots by making the grip slightly stronger or weaker. Before that, you can practice with a sort of neutral grip.
When addressing the ball, make sure that the ball is aligned with your aim instead of the target, which is again towards the right. It is also important to keep the clubface closed to the swing path as well.
The club face should be open towards the target as well. In this way, keeping the face open and closed at different positions will lead it towards a draw shot. This will help you to determine the draw ratio.
Besides, it is also important to make sure that the swing path is inside out. Of course, the path needs to be directed towards the right of the actual target line if you are a right-handed golf player. If you cannot maintain that, the shot will undoubtedly waver and move away from the target that you intended to reach.
The Swing
When you start the backswing, be sure that your hands are around your body and to the top of the backswing. They should not be upwards. The lower body also needs to be stationary throughout the swing. Otherwise, the pivot will not work the way it needs to to hit the draw.
During the backswing, there are a lot of factors that need to be controlled. The club needs to be taken inside. However, if you go too far, you might cast the club or top the ball. To prevent this from happening during the takeaway, you should hinge your wrists at the right position.
You can control the amount of weight being transferred by turning your shoulders in such a way that your shoulders become perpendicular to the line of the target. Turning your shoulder to a right angle of 90 degrees like that might be difficult for many. Some golfers have experienced physical pain due to the stretch it requires your body to do.
Hence, it might be the best to do some stretching exercises before you attempt such a swing. This will increase the mobility of your shoulders and allow you to do the stance better.
The shift of your weight can further facilitate a draw shot. The weight of your body needs to be transferred from the back of your foot to the front. This weight should be along the path of your swing. However, this is the most easy way to do it. You can also shift the weight towards the target line if you want to.
Accordingly, there is no fancy secret to making the swing like the professional golfers you see on the YouTube videos. The secret is to practice at the driving range until you figure out how to improve it. Once you figure it out, you will be able to move the club more vertically.
You can ask someone to help you understand how your positions are affecting the ball flight by making them observe the entirety of it.
The Finish
For the draw shot to be executed nicely, the ball needs to go on a path that starts from the spot you aimed at. Then it should curve to the line you initially targeted. You can do that by just releasing your hands and allowing it to maneuver the path of the ball. This needs to be done correctly as the club strikes the golf ball.
Many golfers face trouble when trying to do an inside-out swing. In that case, it is advisable to keep your right foot a bit on the back about two inches. This will lead to a higher position and make it easier.
If you can make sure the swing speed is fixed, the ball speed is aligned, and the club you use is the right one, you can get the draw shot to launch the ball very far. It might not reach a high altitude but it will have a long run.
Drills for Draw Shots
You can practice the following drills to develop your swings and improve every issue you face while trying to pull off a draw shot:
Three Balls
Try placing three balls on the range, each 2.5 inches apart. The balls need to be set in a straight line. What you have to do is practice and keep trying to hit the ball in the center. If you happen to touch any of the other balls, your swing path will not be inside out.
After practicing this way for a couple of times, narrow the distance between the balls to about 2 inches. In this way, if you can master shooting the center ball, you can get your swing right.
Right Elbow Drill
This may sound like a stupid idea. Nonetheless, try to pull your right elbow or bicep downwards into your body during the downswing. This will help you to figure out how not to cast it outside or over the top.
The swing path can be encouraged to go towards inside out by dropping the club inside in this way.
Intermediate Aim
Another drill you can do by visualizing the aim with a different position. You can try having a tee around 6 inches towards the front and slightly right of your target. After that, the farther right you go is going to determine how the swing path will be.
Likewise, it will allow you to figure out how to get the desired draw shot while ensuring that the clubface is closed and all other things are maintained to perfect the swing plane.
Battering
Golfers try another drill that requires you to hit a line drive. Many golfers find this to be an easy start to hitting draw shots, especially with the right angle on the clubface.
Positioning Hips
Many golfers face the problem of their hands getting stuck while trying to do a downswing. To solve this problem, it is recommended that you shift your hips voluntarily to align the club face. It should be open or closed.
This will help you to prevent any sort of shot that can lead to a reverse pivot. You can avoid launching the ball too high or too far right. This is a great practice.
Our Final Thoughts
Knowing how to draw a golf ball can be a great way for you to up your game. Of course, it can only be done if you know how to use it. Hence, I hope this step-by-step guide can help you understand what exactly you need to do to hit a draw shot with ease and perfection.
