It’s hard to hit the driver badly when you do this – GolfWRX

How to hit a fade. At some point, if you are not a habitual carver of the golf ball and are able to hit draws with regularity, in your quest to become a better golfer, you will want to know how to do this.

Without debating the relative merits of a draw versus a fade, it is agreed that working the golf ball both ways is key to scoring, positioning off the tee, and risk minimization. If you’re a golfer who currently only swings draws, we’ve got some advice for you on how to hit a fade from three very different sources.

…according to a bot (that is, AI language model ChatGPT):

A fade is a type of golf shot that curves gently from left to right (for a right-handed golfer). To learn how to hit a fade, follow these steps:

1. Set the recording: Aim your club face at the target, but align your feet, hips and shoulders slightly to the left of the target. This open stance will help promote a left-to-right spin on the ball.
2. Get hold of the club: Hold the club normally, but loosen your grip slightly by turning your hands slightly to the left (again, for a right-handed golfer). This will help you hit the ball with an open clubface.
3. Swing the club: On your backswing, keep your clubface perpendicular to the target for as long as possible. Then, on your downswing, try to swing slightly from the inside out, which will help produce left-to-right spin on the ball. Finally, be sure to follow along towards the goal with a high finish.
4. Practice: Hitting a consistent fade can take some practice. Spend time at the driving range and experiment with different grips and swing adjustments until you find what works best for you.

Remember, hitting a fade isn’t about hitting the ball harder, it’s about controlling the spin and direction of the ball. With practice, you can learn to hit a reliable fade that can help you navigate difficult golf course layouts.

Hitting a fade takes practice and it can take some trial and error to find the right adjustments for your swing. It’s also important to note that a fade isn’t necessarily the ideal stroke for every situation, so it’s important to be comfortable hitting a variety of shots on the golf course.

How to hit a fade … according to the most viewed video on YouTube on the subject

With over one million views on YouTube, this video from Any and Piers of MeAndMyGolf covers not only hitting a fade, but also discusses drawing the golf ball as well as hitting it high and low.

…according to GolfWRXers

And of course our GolfWRX forum members have opinions on the subject.

The aptly named PreppySlapCut said: “If the face is open to the path, the ball will fade. There are several adjustments you can make to encourage that to happen, it’s just a matter of what feels best to you and allows you to do the most consistent.”

Bladehunter say: “For me, it’s just the feel of taking the club back outside the hands and then swinging left with a face square to the target while turning as hard as you can, gives a pretty straight flight that can’t hook. Unless you stall and let your hands pass you.”

“That’s my take as an upright swinger. If you’re really flat, it’s going to be hard to time up and never have that two-way miss because you’re always coming from the inside and will rely on timing the face open or close to see a fade or draw. For me, it’s just putting your face on the address and feeling like you’re holding it there until it hits”

Dpd5031 say: “Had a pro teach me this. Aim slightly to the left, stand slightly open, still hit it from the inside (just like your draw), but relax the hard chest and let the lever follow your rotation so the toe never passes the heel. He called it a “cheating fade”. The ball almost starts and looks like it’s going to draw, but rolls over to the right instead of the left. The cool thing is that you don’t give up any distance doing it this way, unlike to cut across it.”

Scottbox say: “Jon Rahm is a good example. Watch the hand path for his backswing – his hands are not as “deep” as someone pulling the ball (ie Rory). And even though he has a slightly closed face, Rahm rotates his chest and hips very hard. Because there is less depth in his backswing, the club comes more in front of him at P6. He is most likely 1-2* outside to last parallel. Brooks Koepka has a longer swing, but similar in terms of his hand path – well above the plane of the shaft going up with less depth to his hands at the top and slightly above the plane coming down.”

“Most good modern players rotate pretty hard with their hips and chest to stabilize the face, but the difference between those who draw it and those who hit a baby cut is often seen in the way they “engineer” their backswing patterns .”

Check out more on the “how to beat a fade” discussion in the forum thread.