Fade vs Draw in Golf: Key Differences, When to Use Each, and How to Hit Them

If you could pick one shot to play consistently – fade vs draw – which would it be?

Most amateurs would likely choose a draw, but it’s important to understand the value of being able to shape both shots.

This article explains when to use a draw or fade, how they differ in shape, and what’s required to hit each one. It covers the key differences in alignment, ball position, clubface angle, wrist action, and swing path so you can develop control over both shot shapes.

Fade vs Draw in Golf (Key Takeaways)

The difference between a fade and a draw may only be a few yards, but you won’t have much success pulling off the shots you want to hit without the right adjustments in your game.

Here are the major fade vs draw takeaways that you need to understand before hitting a shot.

• A fade shot requires a slightly steeper path with a more open clubface; changes from square to open are subtle when hitting a fade, or the end result will be a slice.
• A draw shot requires a slightly more shallow path and a slightly closed clubface.
• Make slight adjustments to your setup and stance to get the fade vs draw ball flight in your golf swing.
• Your wrists help to control the clubface; if your wrist are in the correct position, you will have a much easier time controlling your ball flight.
• A pre-shot routine should help you ensure you have the right setup and mindset to pull off the fade or draw shot.

Overview of a Fade versus Draw

A fade and a draw are two intentional shot shapes that help golfers manage the course more effectively, avoiding hazards, shaping around trees, or improving positioning for approach shots.

• Fade: Starts left of the target and curves gently back to the right. Useful for playing away from trouble or hitting into left-to-right winds.
• Draw: Starts right of the target and curves softly to the left. Great for cutting corners on doglegs or creating more rollout on tee shots.

What is a Fade in Golf?

A fade curves gently from left to right for right-handed golfers. It’s especially useful on holes that bend to the right, helping you cut the corner and shorten the hole.

Many golfers prefer a fade because it can feel more consistent and easier to control.

Pros	Cons
Ideal for holes that dogleg right	Tough to use on holes that dogleg left
Helps curve around trees or hazards on the right side	May bring left-side trouble into play
Works well in a left-to-right wind	Can launch higher, making it harder to control in strong winds
Offers more control for many players	Higher flight may lead to loss of distance in windy conditions

When Should You Play a Fade?

A fade suits shots where you wish to take the right side of the hole out of play, or you have a tree directly in your line.

In addition, you can shorten the length of a hole by playing a fade on a right-shaping dogleg. By using the curve you can cut the corner and leave yourself a short approach shot.

How do You Play a Fade?

1. Open Your Stance

When setting up for a fade, ensure your body is open to the intended target. If you’re right handed like I am, that sees your feet and shoulders pointing to the left of your desired landing zone.

Opening your stance accounts for the curve on the ball and promotes an inwards club path through impact. This combination sees your ball start to the left and curve right to the target.

2. Cup Your Wrists

The ultimate goal with a fade is to get your clubface open to the swing path at impact. You need to cup your wrists on the downswing, which will steep your swing and open your clubface leading into contact.

A steeper swing causes your club to follow an inside path through contact, with the clubface open to the line. The combination starts your ball left of the target and fades right towards the intended target.

Using the HackMotion wrist sensor, gauge how much extension you create throughout the swing. When I hit a fade, I tend to over-extend my wrists prior to impact, before extending them through impact.

You can use the sensor to develop greater clubface control leading into impact, ensuring you deliver the correct path and clubface angle for a fade.

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3. Swing Inside

The next step is to induce an inside swing path through impact, which will cause your golf ball to start left of the target. If you swing on an outside path with your face open to the target, your ball will start and finish right of your intended line.

Padraig Harrington exhibits a prime example of the ideal swing path for a fade. He doesn’t overdo it; he only swings 1 to 2 degrees inside, making it barely noticeable to the naked eye, but the outcome is a 7 to 8-yard fade.

4. Open the Clubface to the Path

The last step to play a fade is to get your clubface open to your path at impact. When your clubface is open to an inside path at impact, it should align with your intended target, be it the fairway or flagstick.

As your club swings inside through contact, the open clubface helps you generate the curve required to shape your ball from left to right.

What is a Draw in Golf?

A draw is a controlled shot that curves from right to left for right-handed golfers. It’s especially useful on holes that bend to the left, helping you cut the corner and reduce the distance.

A draw can also be helpful when a straight shot or fade isn’t possible, like when a tree blocks the left side and you need to curve the ball around it.

Pros	Cons
Perfect for holes that dogleg left	Not ideal for holes that dogleg right
Creates a lower, more controlled ball flight	Can bring right-side hazards into play
Useful in windy conditions to reduce launch and stay under the wind	Harder to execute consistently for many amateur golfers

When Should You Play a Draw?

You should consider inducing a draw when you’re playing a hole that doglegs to the left, or when a tree is in your line. A Draw still gives you a shot at escaping trouble and getting the ball onto the green.

In my experience, a draw also proved helpful in gale force winds, because striking the ball with a delofted clubface prompted a lower launch and flight.

How do You Play a Draw?

1. Close Your Stance

The first step in generating a draw shot is to close your stance relative to your intended landing zone. A closed stance means your feet and shoulders are pointing to the right of your target for right handers, and left for lefties.

You do this to account for the right to left curve on your ball, leaving room for it to draw back to your target. If you aim parallel to your target and induce a draw, the ball will curve left away from the mark.

2. Position Ball Back in Your Stance

Next, position the ball back of center in your stance. Adjusting this simple thing help send the club on an outwards path, striking the ball with a closed and delofted clubface.

3. Bow Your Wrist

Bowing or flexing your wrist prior to impact is often overlooked in a draw, but it is essential to your plane, angle of attack, and club path. Inducing wrist flexion before reaching the strike zone enables you to shallow the shaft and close the clubface, relative to your path.

The shallow angle of attack gets you into a position to swing outwards through impact, while keeping the clubface closed to the path.

4. Swing Outside

Opposite to a fade, where you swing on an inside line, a draw demands an outside path through impact. Sending your club face outwards causes you to launch the ball to the right of the intended target, leaving space for it to curve left back towards your target.

Additionally, swinging outside helps you keep your clubface close to your club path through impact. Although closed to your swing path, your clubface should sit squarely in line with your intended target, be it the fairway or the flagstick.

5. Clubface Square to the Target Line

The final step in inducing a draw is to keep your clubface square to the target line at impact. If you’re aiming for the flagstick, keep your clubface square to the flagstick.

Many suggest you close your clubface for a draw, but the clubface remains neutral; it is only your path and alignment that change.

Combining a square clubface with a closed stance causes the clubface to sit marginally closed to your swing path at impact. When you add in an outwards swing path, your square to the target face now becomes closed to the path, enabling you to induce a right-to-left curve on the ball for an optimal draw.

Difference between Fade and Draw in Golf

There are a few key differences between the fade and draw in golf. Make sure you have these down to hit the shot you want.

Category	Fade	Draw
Grip	Slightly weaker grip helps keep clubface open	Slightly stronger grip helps square or close the clubface
Stance	Open stance (aim left of target)	Closed stance (aim right of target)
Swing Path	More outside-to-in path	More inside-to-out path
Wrist Angle	Lead wrist has more extension (cupped) at impact	Lead wrist has more flexion (bowed) at impact
HackMotion Tip	Helps track wrist angles to avoid over extension at the top and again at impact.	Use to monitor wrist flex at impact for a controlled draw

Drills to Work on Hitting Draws and Fades

Learning to hit a draw and a fade is easier sometimes if you have drills to work on. Here are a few to help you groove the feeling of each shot:

Learning to shape shots on command takes more than just theory—you need to feel the wrist positions and setup changes that produce a draw or fade. These drills will help build that awareness.

Draw vs Fade Wrist Control Drill

Use this drill to feel how different wrist angles change the shape of your shot.

Exaggeration Drill: Build Feel for Shot Shapes

When learning a shot shape that doesn’t come naturally, you need to exaggerate wrist movement to override your defaults.

When you stand back up to the golf ball again, you won’t have to exaggerate as much, but the feeling will be there.

HackMotion Top Drill

Build consistency in your wrist position at the top of the backswing—even at full speed.

This drill is an option in the HackMotion app. You can work on it in real time and check your positions.

FAQ

Is a fade easier to hit than a draw?

Yes, a fade is easier to hit than a draw, because amateurs often produce excess wrist extension in the lead wrist on the downswing and leave the clubface open.

Additionally, the average golfer struggles to flex their wrists through impact and close the clubface relative to the swing path, which is necessary to induce a draw.

Does hitting a fade or draw cost distance?

No, hitting a fade or draw does not cost distance in normal conditions. I have hit some of my longest drives employing a power fade.

However, the reduced spin and low launch of a draw do deliver increased yardage in windy conditions.

Draw or fade vs straight shots?

A draw or fade improves your ability to take water, trees, and bunkers out of play by curving it around them. This suits mid- and low-handicappers seeking greater control on approach.

High handicappers should focus on straight shots for now to work on accuracy before attempting to shape shots.

Do more pros hit a fade or draw?

Most pros hit a fade and draw depending on where their ball is positioned and the line to the target. Although pros may favor one shot over the other, the majority have the skill to produce both shapes.

The ability to hit both shots enables them to attack the green from most positions on the golf course and cut the corner on doglegs.

How to stop an accidental draw or fade?

You stop an accidental draw by cupping your wrists on the downswing and opening the clubface slightly to avoid generating a right-to-left curve.

Conversely, you prevent a fade by bowing your wrists before impact, which marginally closes and delofts the clubface, promoting a straighter flight.

Should amateurs play both shots?

Yes, amateurs should play both shots as it increases your shot selection repertoire and enables you to position yourself optimally from tee to green.

Final Thoughts

Our review of fade vs. draw highlights the importance of knowing how to play each shot and when to do so. Although there is a common misconception that a draw is a better shape, it doesn’t aid you on right doglegs or when trees block your path to the right.

Ultimately, you should learn to play both of these shots. The key to executing a fade and draw is your club path and clubface angle. Your wrists dictate 80% of your ball flight direction and are key to a successful draw or fade.

Explore the HackMotion golf training aid to help you control your wrist angles to close or open the clubface at contact.