Instruction
How to hit a push draw and a pull fade
Most GolfWRXers know that the flight of a golf ball begins mostly in the direction of the club face at impact, and curves away from the swing path. Many golfers still misunderstand the concept, however, which is why this statement will probably get you thinking:
Golfers draw the ball with an open face at impact and fade the ball with a closed face at impact.
Yes, you did read that correctly.
In this article, I want to show you the two most desirable shot patterns — the push draw and the pull fade — and how golfers can learn to hit these shots with the assistance of Trackman numbers.
The Push Draw
Everyone wants to hit a draw, but few know what a real draw looks like, so here it is. The ball begins right of the target (for a right-handed golfer), apexes, then falls back to the target without moving left of it.
Here’s how it happened in the shot above.
At impact, the club face was right, or opened to the target at impact by 2.1 degrees. For that reason the shot started 2.7 degrees to the right of the flag.
Please Note: If you contact the ball off-center, especially with a driver or fairway wood, the launch direction of the ball can change due to something called “Gear Effect.” Learn more about it here. This article assumes that you are contacting your shots in or around the center of the club face.
As for the club path, it was 4.9 degrees to the right of the target line, which means that the club face was left of the path by -2.8 degrees. So the club face was opened to the target, but closed to the club path, creating the desired right-to-left curvature.
If the club face was any more closed (left) of the club path, the curvature of the shot (due to something called spin loft) could easily turn the shot into a nasty hook. Remember, it doesn’t take much differential in the face-to-path ratio, the difference between where the club face is pointing at impact and the direction of the club path, to create ball flight curvature.
The Push Drawer’s Problem
When most people try to hit a draw or push draw, they get overzealous and rotate the face too far left of the target at impact. When this happens, the face is pointed well left of the inside-to-outside path, leading to a pull hook.
In the shot above, you can see that the path was 4.5 degrees from inside to outside, but the face was -8.5 degrees left of the target. It was also -13 degrees left of the path. Pull-hook city!
The lesson to learn here is to trust your release through impact and try not to manually force the club face closed.
The Pull Fade
In my experience, the average golfer’s “fade” is actually a “wipe slice,” a weak shot that fills the trees and water hazards that line the right side of golf holes across the country. The fade that most golfers desire is called a “power fade,” which begins left of the target, apexes, and then falls back to the target without moving right of it.
As you can see in the shot above, the path is -3.5 degrees left of the target line as shown by the blue arrow, while the face is right of the path by 1.2 degrees, causing the ball to move left to right. The face was -2.2 degrees left, or closed to the target at impact, which started the ball slightly left of the target at -2.5 degrees as desired.
The Pull Fader’s Problem
The shot above shows a wipe fade, which begins well right of the target and moves farther right. It is a weak, non-compressed shot that feels like the ball is “crawling” up the face.
As you can see, the path is still left of the target at -1.2 degrees, but the face is 11.8 degrees to the right of the target, giving us a face-to-path ratio of 13 degrees. Whenever a (right-handed) golfer’s face is well right of a leftward path, he or she will increase spin loft and subsequent spin rate with all other things being equal. And as spin-loft increases, compression is lost.
Hopefully this analysis helps you see how to hit the pull fade and push draw, and what happens when each shot is performed incorrectly. The best way to learn these shots is to experiment on a launch monitor such as Trackman to see how different paths and face positions effects ball flight.
If you don’t have access to a launch monitor, make sure to note where your shots are starting compared to where they end up to better understand the impact of your face-to-path ratio.
Happy New Year!
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” on RG.org each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more Tips!
‘Why would anybody want to change that swing?’ – Brandel Chamblee says PGA Tour star was wrong to change his swing
‘The stupidest freaking thing I’ve ever heard’ – Billy Horschel slams Open idea suggested by Padraig Harrington
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Golfer proudly posts photo of ball mark on iron, receives immediate roasting
WITB Time Machine: Matthew Wolff’s winning WITB, 2019 3M Open
Oakmont Country Club bans Wyndham Clark over locker incident; Reveals specific conditions to earn reinstatement
Adam Scott puts Callaway blades in the bag at Wyndham Championship
Report: LIV star fires caddie and coach in shock shake up
Rickie Fowler makes equipment change to ‘something that’s a little easier on the body’
The championship formula: How 3 key stats separate winners from the field
Peter Malnati WITB 2025 (August)
Peter Malnati what’s in the bag accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. More photos from the event here. Driver: Titleist...
Cameron Young’s winning WITB: 2025 Wyndham Championship
Driver: Titleist GT2 (9 degrees, A1 SureFit setting) Buy here. Shaft: Mitsubishi Tensei 1K Pro Orange 70 TX 3-wood: Titleist...
Camilo Villegas WITB 2025 (July)
Camilo Villegas WITB accurate as of the Wyndham Championship. Villegas was undecided on a 3-wood when we shot his bag. ...
WITB Time Machine: Brandt Snedeker’s winning WITB, 2018 Wyndham Championship
Brandt Snedeker fired a final-round 65 at the 2018 Wyndham Championship to outlast Webb Simpson and C.T. Pan. His 5-under...
George
Jan 5, 2016 at 11:18 am
Nice Article but can you make a video and post it with the articles?
Chris
Jan 4, 2016 at 12:52 am
Great Article Tom. I have been struggling with a push draw or as commonly known a nasty hook because my club face has been far too closed at impact. Plus, my negative angle of attack increased further pushing my path right exacerbating the problem.
Swinging a little bit more left with a more open club face has brought the push draw back.
No more
Jan 3, 2016 at 6:15 pm
You know what would easier? Instead of saying draw or fade, just say “right to left” or “left to right.”
Then you can apply it to right hand and left hand without saying those other words, and then all you have to do is pick the point of the bend of the ball to whatever target you’re hitting. No need for those words any more.
Joe
Jan 3, 2016 at 2:11 pm
I guess I am stuck on “old school” terminology. To me a “push draw” used to be just a “draw”, and a
“pull fade” was just a “fade”. I have always hit a draw and fade this way, and don’t know any other way to play those shots.
Kind of reminds me of the term “blade putter”! Originally, a blade putter was a putter like the Arnold Palmer 8802, SC Circa no. 1, etc. Sometime in the not too distant past a blade putter because the Ping Anser style that is perimeter weighted.
Things change, I guess.
Steve
Jan 2, 2016 at 9:43 pm
This guy loves trackman, is he useless otherwise. I can get a sixteen year old to tell me the trackman stats. He is only 1/60 that thought attending trackman university was worth it. Trackman university, that is funny all by itself. Did they have a graduation ceremony with cap and gown?
prime21
Jan 3, 2016 at 7:46 am
What exactly is the point of your comment? I realize you now feel better about yourself, taller, better looking, etc., but your commentary does not offer ANY information. Tom has amassed an impressive resume over the years, yet you fire out that he is useless? Your explanation of that point is solid by the way. Then, you attack Trackman U? Another brilliant offering. Until you are willing to right an article to help EVERYONE, make a comment that challenges the information provided, or simply provide a question regarding the article, crawl back into your hole under the bridge and be a good troll.
Extremer
Jan 1, 2016 at 9:48 am
Well that was easy! I’ll just watch Bubba Watson and go to the extreme for ball movement!
dan
Jan 1, 2016 at 12:03 am
I really don’t like this way of explaining ball flight laws. Using the terms “open” and “closed” when referring to the target is what gets most people confused. To hit a draw, the only thing that has to happen is the clubface must be left of the path at impact. When describing how to get a draw to end at your target, the words “aim your face to the right of your target at address and swing twice as far to the right as your face is pointing” rather then “open” helps prevent confusion.
Matto
Jan 1, 2016 at 3:54 pm
Agreed! It’s always mentioned as if it’s a revelation; “guess what, you have to open your face for a draw!”…..It just confuses people I think.
How about this?!
•To hit a draw: Aim your club a little right of target, aim your feet twice as far right as you’re aiming your club… swing normally. Simple!
Norm. Al
Jan 2, 2016 at 2:41 am
Idiot. Swing normally? Tell that to the wicked fader who’s never had a proper grip nor have ever aimed right of target but left of target with an over the top out-to-in swing, with your aim-right set up with feet aimed right, and he swings normally – guess where that ball goes for him? 90 degrees right.
Good luck swinging “normally”
Matto
Jan 2, 2016 at 4:48 am
Idiot!? Ouch…got me!!!
Brian K
Jan 2, 2016 at 12:34 pm
Oh. How rude you are. Shame on you!!!
prime21
Jan 3, 2016 at 7:26 am
It does? Did you help any left handed players with your non-confusion based model? Does the path really have to be twice as far to the right to create draw in your “easy to comprehend” scenario? If a clubface for a right handed player was 1° open to the target line and the path was 1.5° to the right, would the ball not draw? Everyone learns differently & no matter how good any article is, there will always be those whom know better, such as yourself. But, if you’re going to be a critic, you better get your information right, otherwise you look exactly like the troll you are.
Matto
Jan 3, 2016 at 5:21 pm
Troll? Idiot?
Go the Internet! Love it!
A 2:1 ratio is simply a tad easier to spot than a 1:1.5
Dennis Clark
Dec 31, 2015 at 4:37 pm
Great job señor, spot on!
tom stickney
Dec 31, 2015 at 4:09 pm
Muchas Gracias, Senior Ronald! Feliz Ano Nuevo.
Ronald Montesano
Jan 1, 2016 at 10:29 am
Igualmente…hace falta un ano nuevo.
tom stickney
Dec 31, 2015 at 4:09 pm
I’d love to get David Edel to send me clubs to test; I should give him a call to do so.
Allan
Jan 4, 2016 at 4:09 pm
Tom,
On your push draw your spin rate still looks high (5361 rpm) compared to some of your articles for recommended driver spin rates to optimize distance. Is this a function of the -3.9 degree attack angle? Is it possible to move your attack angle in a more positive direction as mentioned in some of your articles, lowering this spin rate, and still get the nice push draw?
Great stuff as always!
Arm Chair Doctor
Jan 5, 2016 at 5:51 pm
These are not driver spin rates. Guy in the photos is hitting an iron.
Allan
Jan 8, 2016 at 5:33 pm
Thanks – I did not look carefully enough
jeff
Jan 12, 2016 at 8:32 am
One thing to remember Allen, is even though attack angle and loft delivered play a part in spin rate, Strike will always be king when it comes to any measurements effecting ball flight.
Ronald Montesano
Dec 31, 2015 at 2:56 pm
If you need a (cough, fellow GolfWXRer, cough) for Spanish translation, I’m your guy! Congratulations on the new job, from the king of the push fade.
Mihajlo Pajevic
Dec 31, 2015 at 1:02 pm
Nice article Tom.
But do You have a plan to compare on Trackman single lenght irons (Pinhawk or 1irongolf) with standard irons.
I think that it will be very interesting for all off us who reading Your articles with pleasure.