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The Easiest Way to Hit a Fade with Your Driver
We have talked about the ways to hit a fade in the article, How to Hit a Draw & Fade with a Driver, How Phil Mickelson Hits a Fade or a Draw and The Advanced Way to Hit a Draw and Fade.
Today, I would like to show you the easiest way to hit a fade with your driver.
How to Hit a Fade off the Tee
Here is how you can hit a fade. The most important key is in your set-up.
1. Pick you target
First, we need to pick your target on the left side of the fairway. We want the ball to start at this target and curve back to the center of the fairway.
2. Alignment
Next, I want you to set your clubface to the target you picked above. Set you clubface so that your clubface is looking directly at the target.
Now, set your shoulders, feet, knees parallel to the target line which is the line from the ball to your target.
3. Ball position
Set you ball just inside or in line with your left heel. Please see Correct Ball Position for Driver, Iron and Wedge for more information.
When hitting your fade, you might want to try to set the ball just a little bit left of your normal position. Maybe half of the ball-length or up to 2 ball length.
4. Change the face angle and re-grip the club
Finally, the clubface. At this point, your clubface is looking at the first target that you picked.
Now, we are going to open the clubface for a fade.
To do that, I want you to pick your second target that is 10 yards or 20 yards right of your first target. The more you aim right, the more you will curve the ball.
Your second target is the spot where you want the ball to land.
After picking your second target, I want you to open the clubface and make sure your clubface is now looking at your second target.
And this is very important.
I want you to open the clubface first and then re-grip your club. If you would just open the clubface, your clubface will eventually close during the downswing because of the centrifugal force.
So open the clubface first and then re-grip your club.
Like we talked about before, this is not the only way to hit your fade. But I think this is the easiest way to hit a fade for most players.
5. Golf swing
When I ask players to hit a fade like above. Some players try to cut across the ball and end up hitting pull-slice or try to hit it right and end up hitting a push-slice.
You won't get much distance off the tee that way.
So it's important to start the ball to the first target that you picked. To do this, you need to swing your club so that your clubhead path would be inside-to-inside.
Your ball will start at your first target, but if your clubface is open at impact, your ball will eventually fade to the right.
6. 3 keys to hit your fade
Here are the 3 keys to hit your face successfully.
1) Watch the ball at impact
When hitting your face, you have to make sure your clubface is open or looking at your second target that you picked at impact.
In reality, you really can't see the moment of impact or the ball being hit.
But try to watch it happen. You may not be able to actually see it happen, but I want you to try it anyway.
Try to see it in your mind, also.
Most players are not watching the impact. But instead, they are looking up to see the ball. This will make it very difficult to control the clubface at impact and cause push shots, push-slice and other trouble shots.
2) Turning of your body on the downswing
When hitting your fade, try to feel like you are going to turn your body little faster than normal on the downswing.
If there is a race between your clubhead and your body. You want to feel like your body wins the race.
This image will help you open the clubface at impact.
3) After impact
After impact, try to swing your clubhead low to the ground. Some pros do this to hit the fade.
Tiger Woods hit the fade with a driver that only curves 5 yards to the right. But this is very difficult shot to hit. So I really recommend you to hit the fade that curves a lot like 50 yards to start with.
After you become comfortable hitting a big fade, try to curve less.