The draw in golf has almost always been looked at as the preferred ball flight. Not only does a draw look and feel great, but it also produces shots with plenty of distance and a penetrating ball flight.
Learning how to hit a draw is not nearly as hard as some golfers think it is. In fact, the way we like to hit a draw usually requires just a few quick adjustments to your swing. We do recommend practicing this on the driving range. Before heading to the course, you will want to have some idea how to hit a proper draw.
What Is A Draw Ball Flight?
The draw is a shot that starts right of the target and starts to make a turn to the left. As the ball falls from the sky, it is still turning slightly left. Most controlled draws only travel a few yards to the left of the intended target.
A draw shot is much different than a hook shot as it does not turn nearly as much. With a draw shot, expect a slight turn, but certainly, less than you will see with a hook.
How To Hit A Draw With A Driver
When learning to hit a draw, it is often easier to start with a driver.
With the driver being longer, the motion you make will be slightly more exaggerated. Therefore it can be a bit easier to learn at first. Hitting a draw with the driver requires a few simple adjustments.
You will notice that golf professionals all like to teach this differently. However, after having tried numerous ways to hit a draw, this is the most repeatable.
Step 1: Fix The Stance
To hit a draw, you can manipulate your clubface, but it’s much easier to change the stance and the path just a bit. With the driver, you already have a wide stance with the ball in the front, near the inner left heel (for right handed golfers).
The ball position and weight distribution can stay exactly the same. The only adjustment you need to make here is a slight drop back of the right foot. We like to see about one to two inches here, nothing more.
If you exaggerate this, you could end up with a hook.
Step 2: Feel The Club Swing Around You
When you have an upright golf swing, it is much harder to hit a draw. In addition, an upright golf swing with the driver is never really a great idea.
Try to feel a slightly more shallow path. For most players, the sensation is that the club is tucked a bit behind your shoulder as opposed to above it. If you have a golf alignment stick, you can put it in the ground behind you. This will allow you to see the proper swing plane and try and keep the club under it.
Step 3: Let the Legs Lead
From the top of the swing, you will want to feel like you are leaving the arms behind a bit. If your arms, especially the forearms, get a bit too active, it can turn the clubface over and result in a shot that ends up well left of the target.
Take a moment to let your legs rotate toward the target.
Step 4: Throw The Club To The Right
To hit a draw properly, we need this shallow path, but the club must swing out to the right of the target.
This is what starts the ball right and has its draw in towards the target. Once you are at the top of your swing and you feel like your legs are leading, take the club and let it get thrown out to the target.
Don’t try and turn the hands over, as it will likely close the clubface, which you don’t need to manually do.
If you remember how we dropped that foot back initially, it will create plenty of room for your golf club to fall into place. In other words, there is no reason to come over the top. The golf club should fit in the slot on the downswing.
So many golfers think that in order to hit the ball left, they have to turn the clubface over. With the draw, this is not the case. We like to think o fit more like swinging the club around you. If you swing the club around, the ball will turn this way too.
Hitting A Draw With An Iron
Hitting a draw with an iron follows the same process as you saw above. First, you must fix the stance, then the club path gets a little more shallow, and you let the club fall into place on the downswing.
With an iron shot draw, make sure you don’t over-exaggerate your setup and aim. Some players aim so far right from the target that they eventually start hooking the ball. It’s much more beneficial to aim slightly right so that if the draw spin doesn’t happen, you still end up on the right side of the green.
It is a bit easier to get your draw ball flight if you have a blade or forged-style golf iron. Some of the game improvement irons do such a great job of correcting our swing flaws that they straighten out the shot you are attempting to hit.
If you feel like you are following all of the right steps but the draw is not the flight you are getting, make sure the irons you have are properly fitted to your golf game.
What Are The Negatives of Hitting A Draw?
The draw is, without a doubt, the preferred ball flight of most golfers. However, there are some problems with a draw that are not always talked about; the biggest of these issues is the increase in distance that you get.
Many times with that shallow path and the out-to-in swing, golfers are able to grab a little bit of clubhead speed, and the backspin rates are not nearly as high. This results in a golf ball that goes a few yards further and then rolls a few more yards once it hits the green.
None of this is a problem as long as you are prepared for it. If you know your golf ball will jump ahead a few yards, simply take half a club less from time to time, and it should work out.
In addition, if the draw is the only shot you know how to hit, it can be hard to attack a pin on the right side of the green. Chances are you will have to take the ball out to the right of the target. If you don’t hit a perfect draw, you can miss the green altogether.
Why Is It So Hard For Some Golfers To Hit A Draw In Golf?
A draw is not an easy shot to hit for many players.
The reason behind this is quite simple. Most golfers have a hard time getting a more shallow club path. The most common path for players is a more upright or steep path, which creates more of a fade or even a slice flight on the golf ball.
If you are looking to hit a draw, you have to understand a bit more about the path and swing plane. One of the things we have found most helpful in this process is to take a video of your golf swing. If you have a clear view or vision of what your swing looks like and why it may not produce a draw, it’s easier to pull off the proper motion.
Some players just need this mental image, and then they are able to make adjustments to their own golf swing.
Where do you aim for a draw?
When hitting a draw in golf, it is best to aim just slightly right of your target. You have to prepare for the ball to draw back in, and you want to give it room to do that.
If you don’t aim right of the target, you will likely hit the ball further left than you would like. The draw shot can quickly be exaggerated by amateur golfers, so it’s best not to aim too far to the right.
One of the most important considerations is where the ball will end up if it does not draw. If the shot is not going to draw, it should still put you in a position where you can hit a great shot.
How do you hold the club to hit a draw?
A slightly stronger grip can help players hit a draw, but it is best to work with a neutral golf grip whenever possible. The grip is the only connection we have with the golf club, and when you start to make too many changes to the grip, it becomes difficult to feel confident in your swing.
If you had a different grip each time you wanted to hit a fade or a draw, or a straight shot, it might get confusing.
We have always found that the best strategy is to choose a neutral grip and then adjust the setup and swing path to ensure that the ball flight is more of a draw.
Is it better to hit straight or a draw?
Now that you know how to hit a draw and the dangers of overdoing it when you are working on hitting a draw, it’s time to learn more about whether or not this is the right ball flight for you.
The bottom line is that the draw should be a great addition to your golf game.
Think of it as an extra tool you have to use should you come across a situation that needs it. It’s still very important to be able to hit a straight golf shot when the situation calls for it.
Final Thoughts
At this point, you should feel a bit more confident about your ability to hit a draw. The process does not need to be over-complicated, instead, you can stick with a slight adjustment to your stance and path. For some players, this is as simple as changing your mindset when you stand over the ball.
Head out to the driving range and take a few swings that will intentionally bring about that draw ball flight. Once you trust it on the driving range, it’s time to head to the golf course.
