One of the best ways for amateur golfers to add a bit of extra distance is by learning how to hit a draw.
Draws usually come off with less spin, which helps the ball roll out further compared to a fade. Plus, when you are used to slicing everything early on, it is a nice change to see your shots start turning from right to left.
Jack Nicklaus may have preferred playing with a fade, but you do not win 18 majors without being able to shape the ball both ways. He was always willing to adapt when conditions called for it.
The ‘Golden Bear’ is always willing to share his golf knowledge with amateurs, including his ‘simple’ technique for hitting a draw.
Jack Nicklaus shares his method for hitting a draw
Writing in an edition of Golf Digest magazine, Nicklaus discussed why players should not aim for a perfectly straight shot and offered a straightforward approach to moving the ball right to left.
“The toughest shot in golf is one that’s perfectly straight. It’s tough to execute because so many things must be exactly right at impact,” he said.
“It’s tough strategically because it reduces the target area – if you aim at the centre of the fairway, then hit a slice or hook, you have only half of the fairway to play with.
“Whereas if you aim, say, down the left side and play a deliberate fade, almost the full width of the fairway is at your disposal if you overdo it.
“My method of drawing the ball is simple. All I do is aim a little to the right of the target, close the clubface slightly, and then swing normally. If that doesn’t work, and remember, it won’t without practice, you could try turning your hands further to your right on the club than normal.”
Jack Nicklaus explains when a fade is better than a draw
While a draw is generally beneficial for most amateur golfers, it is not universally the best choice. For instance, early in his career, Nicklaus preferred a fade, because he was a long hitter.
He explained that controlling his power was always his biggest challenge, not generating it.
“I like to fade the ball most of the time, because control is a bigger problem for me than distance.
“If I were a shorter hitter, I might well have grown up favouring a draw. But because power was not my problem even as a boy, my coach, Jack Grout, taught me to regard a fade as my basic shape.”
If distance is what is holding you back, leaning into the draw could help. If accuracy and control are your main issues on the course, then working on your fade might be the answer – at least according to Nicklaus.
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