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Push Draw vs Pull Fade Swing Pattern

Have you ever wanted to know difference between PUSH DRAW and PULL FADE pattern and how the clubface direction influences the shot shape?

Read this post and watch the videos to learn it from Scott Cowx – Canada PGA Teacher of the Year.

The terminology used:

  • Flexion (-)/Extension (+) (green line) = Bowing/Cupping of the lead wrist
  • Radial(+)/Ulnar (-) deviation (blue line) = Cocking/Uncocking of the lead wrist
  • Global Rotation (purple line) = Global Rotation relative to address, Counter-clockwise (+) /clockwise (-)

All wrist graphs display the motion of the lead wrist.

Push Draw Release – Stable Wrist Flexion/Extension, Rotation Release

  • Player Examples – Thorbjorn Olesen, Tommy Fleetwood.
  • Shot Shape – Generally a release seen in Push Draw Players.
  • Clubface vector – The clubface direction (clubface vector) is pointed up and to the right before impact and low and left after impact. Clubface Vector has more loft and right bias entering the impact interval and less loft exiting than other release styles.
  • General Miss – Either high block right (open clubface) and low left (closed clubface).
  • What to Avoid – Be careful of overloading radial deviation at the top of the backswing. Important to manage the amount of lead wrist extension in early transition. Too much radial deviation often causes too much wrist extension and open clubface.

Players often train to get consistent movement of wrist extension/flexion. Release becomes a “turn down” release where clubface vector moves more horizontally.

  • Advantages – Stable dynamic loft through impact interval
  • Disadvantages – Can be more changes in the ball starting line

Pull Fade Clubface Vector Explained

Yellow arrow is showing how the clubface vector is moving from being pointed high right before impact to low left after impact. Green lines are showing where the clubface vector is pointed at each frame.

Pull Fade Release – Flexion to Extension

  • Player Examples – Dustin Johnson, Viktor Hovland, Collin Morikawa, Bruce Koepka.
  • Shot Shape – Generally seen in Pull Fade players.
  • Clubface vector – has less loft and slight right bias entering the impact interval and more loft exiting.
  • General Miss – low right and high left.
  • What to avoid – do not allow stalling of the pivot. Pivot driven swing, player must be able to rotate, older players might not be able to use this style of release if they can not rotate.
  • Advantage – more stable direction of the clubface/starting line through impact. More Pivot driven and less axial release (less handle twist) less hands dominance.
  • Disadvantage – less control of the dynamic loft. Great for long clubs perhaps less consistent for wedges due to changes in dynamic loft.

Pull Fade Clubface Vector Explained

Yellow arrow is showing how the clubface vector (direction) is moving from being pointed low right before impact to high left after impact. Green lines are showing where the clubface vector is pointed at each frame.

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