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!
The LPGA Tour is kicking off its 2026 season this week at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, and the pros are dealing with something most Florida golfers rarely face: freezing temperatures.
“It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, which is a first,” said England’s Charley Hull during Wednesday’s media day at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
Even Lydia Ko, who lives at Lake Nona, seemed surprised by the cold snap. “We’re pretty much getting to below zero in celsius here, which maybe in other parts of the country they would be thankful, but when you’re in Florida it is a little bit of a surprise,” she said.
If the world’s best players are adjusting their games for cold weather, recreational golfers should, too. Here’s how to play smart when the mercury drops.
Understand What Cold Does to Your Game
Before you change anything, you need to know what you’re fighting against. Cold air is denser than warm air, which means your ball won’t fly as far. Period.
Hull noticed this immediately during practice rounds at Lake Nona. She mentioned hitting a gap wedge into the 18th hole during a previous win but needing a 4-iron during Tuesday’s practice round. That’s a difference of four or five clubs for the same shot.
Action item: Expect to lose 5-10 yards on every club in your bag when temperatures dip below 50 degrees. Plan accordingly and don’t be stubborn about club selection.
Layer Up Without Restricting Your Swing
Hull admitted she wore three pairs of pants during practice. While that might be extreme for most of us, staying warm is critical to playing well in cold conditions.
Your muscles need warmth to function properly. When you’re cold, your body tightens up and your swing gets shorter and faster. Neither of those things help you hit good golf shots.
Action item: Wear multiple thin layers instead of one bulky jacket. Look for golf-specific cold weather gear that stretches with your swing. Keep hand warmers in your pockets between shots. And don’t forget a good hat because you lose significant body heat through your head.
Take More Club Than You Think You Need
This is where ego gets in the way of good scores. When it’s cold, the ball doesn’t compress as well off the clubface. Combined with denser air, you’re looking at serious distance loss.
The pros at Lake Nona are dealing with a course that measures 6,642 yards but plays much longer this week. If they’re adjusting, you should too.
Action item: Take at least one extra club on every approach shot. In temperatures below 40 degrees, consider taking two extra clubs. It’s better to fly the ball to the back of the green than to come up short in a bunker.
Adjust Your Expectations on the Greens
Cold weather affects putting in ways most golfers don’t consider. The ball is harder and doesn’t roll as smoothly. Your hands are cold, making it harder to feel the putter. And if there’s any moisture on the greens, they’ll be slower than normal.
Ko mentioned that she still sometimes reads the greens wrong at Lake Nona despite being a member for years. Cold weather makes that challenge even tougher.
Action item: Hit putts more firmly than usual. The ball needs extra speed to hold its line on cold greens. Take a few extra practice strokes to get a feel for the speed before you putt.
Embrace the Mental Challenge
Hull said something interesting about cold weather golf: “I like the mental toughness of it.”
That’s the right attitude. Everyone on the course is dealing with the same conditions. The player who stays patient and doesn’t get frustrated by the extra difficulty will come out ahead.
Action item: Lower your expectations by a few strokes. If you normally shoot 85, accept that 90 might be a good score in 40-degree weather. Focus on solid contact and smart decisions rather than perfect shots.
Warm Up Longer and Smarter
This might be the most important tip of all. Cold muscles are tight muscles, and tight muscles get injured easily.
World No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul revealed she’s been protecting a wrist injury that bothered her late last season. Cold weather makes those kinds of injuries more likely if you don’t prepare properly.
Action item: Spend at least 20 minutes warming up before your round. Start with stretching, then hit easy wedge shots before working up to your driver. Keep moving between shots on the course to maintain body heat and flexibility.
The pros at Lake Nona this week will adapt and compete at the highest level despite the cold. You can do the same at your local course by following these tips and keeping a positive attitude.
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 “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, 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!
Brooks Koepka is back on the PGA Tour, and whether you love him or hate him, the guy knows how to win when it matters. After his LIV Golf stint, the five-time major champion returns this week at the Farmers Insurance Open.
What makes Koepka fascinating? He doesn’t fit the mold. His swing isn’t textbook. He doesn’t obsess over mechanics. Yet he’s won three PGA Championships and two U.S. Opens, regularly making it look easier than guys with prettier swings.
So, what can average golfers learn from someone who treats the game so differently? Quite a bit.
Stop Overthinking Every Shot
Koepka describes his approach as “reactionary” rather than mechanical. While most tour pros grind over swing thoughts, Brooks sees the target and hits it. No mental checklist.
This might be the most valuable lesson for weekend golfers who’ve watched too many YouTube swing videos.
How to actually do this:
On the range, hit five balls where you stare at the target for three seconds prior to addressing the ball. Don’t think about grip or stance. Just burn that target into your brain. You’ll be shocked at how pure you hit it when your brain focuses on where the ball is going instead of how you’re swinging.
Next time you play, give yourself a rule: Once you pull the club, you’ve got 15 seconds to hit. Koepka is one of the fastest players on tour because he doesn’t give his brain time to sabotage him.
If you feel tension in your hands at address, you’re trying to control too much. Koepka’s grip pressure is famously light. Loosen up until the club almost feels like it might slip, then add just enough pressure to hold on. That’s your swing thought: soft hands, see the target.
This approach works better under pressure. When you’re standing over that shot with water left and OB right, the last thing you need is a mental checklist. See it, feel it, hit it.
Play to Your Strengths (Even If They’re Not Pretty)
Koepka uses a strong grip that wouldn’t pass muster in some teaching circles. But he’s built his game around what works for him, elite driving distance and recovery skills. He doesn’t try to be someone he’s not.
Here’s how to build your game like Brooks:
Look at your last five rounds and figure out where you’re actually gaining strokes. Bombing it off the tee, but can’t hit greens? Lean into it. Play courses where distance matters more than precision. On tight holes, grip down on your 3-wood instead of trying to thread a driver through a keyhole you’ll miss seven times out of ten.
Koepka knows he can scramble, so he’s not afraid to miss greens. If you’re deadly from 50 to 75 yards, start leaving yourself those distances on the par 5’s instead of going for them in two every time.
Know when to take your medicine. Koepka in the trees at the PGA? He’s punching out to 100 yards, not trying to bend a 6-iron around three oaks. You’re in the rough with a flyer lie and water short? Hit your 8-iron to the middle and move on. That’s not playing scared, that’s playing smart.
Save Your Best for When It Counts
Here’s a wild stat: Koepka’s putting average in majors is often more than a full stroke better per round than in regular events. He elevates when pressure is highest.
How does an amateur tap into that gear? It’s not about trying harder, it’s about caring differently.
Here’s what actually works:
Decide which rounds matter to you. Club championship? Member-guest? That annual trip with college buddies? Circle those dates and treat them differently. Koepka doesn’t care much about regular tour events, but majors? That’s when he locks in.
Two weeks before your big round, change your practice. Stop beating balls mindlessly. Play nine holes in which every shot has consequences. Miss the fairway? Hit from the rough on the next hole too. Three-putt? Twenty push-ups. Koepka’s practice intensity ramps up before majors because he’s rehearsing pressure, not just swings.
Develop a between-shot routine that resets your brain. Koepka is famous for his blank expression after bad shots. Try this: After any shot, take three deep breaths while walking, then find something specific to notice, a tree, a cloud, someone’s shirt. That’s your reset button. By the time you reach your ball, the last shot is gone.
The Bottom Line
Brooks Koepka’s return reminds us there’s no single path to success in golf. His “substance over style” approach proves that results matter more than looking good.
You don’t need a perfect swing; you need a reliable one that holds up under pressure. You don’t need to hit every shot in the book; you need the shots you can count on. And you don’t need to play great every time; you need to play great when it matters.
Welcome back, Brooks. Thanks for the reminder that golf is ultimately about getting the ball in the hole, not winning style points.
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 “Playing Through” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, 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!
Blades Brown made a big impression last week in the California desert, and not just because he’s only 18. He put up numbers that would catch any weekend golfer’s attention. Most of us won’t hit 317-yard drives or find 86% of our greens in regulation, but there’s a lot to learn from how Brown managed his game at The American Express.
Here are three practical lessons from his performance that you can use on your own course this weekend.
Step 1: Give Priority to Accuracy Over Distance Off The Tee
Brown’s driving stats are impressive. He averaged almost 318 yards off the tee, ranking 12th in the field. More importantly, he hit 76.79% of his fairways, tying for fourth place in the tournament.
Think about that ratio for a second. Brown could have swung harder, chased more distance and tried to overpower the course. Instead, he played smart golf and kept his ball in play.
Your Action Item: Next time you’re on the tee box, ask yourself a simple question before pulling the driver. Do you need maximum distance here, or do you need to be in the fairway? If there’s trouble lurking or the hole doesn’t demand every yard you can muster, take something off your swing. Grip down an inch. Make a three-quarter swing. Do whatever it takes to find the short grass. Brown’s approach illustrates that fairways lead to greens, and greens lead to birdies. He made 22 of them last week, along with an eagle.
The math is simple. When you’re hitting three out of every four fairways like Brown did, you’re giving yourself legitimate looks at the green with your approach shots. That’s when scoring happens.
Step 2: Commit To Hitting More Greens
This is where Brown really separated himself. He hit 62 of 72 greens in regulation, an 86.11% clip that tied for first in the entire field. Read that again. An 18-year-old kid tied for the lead in one of the most important ball-striking statistics in professional golf.
How did he do it? By keeping his ball in the fairway (see Step 1) and giving himself clean looks with mid-irons and wedges.
Your Action Item: Start tracking your greens in regulation. You don’t need a fancy app or a statistics degree. Just mark down whether you hit the green in the regulation number of strokes. Par 3s in one shot. Par 4s in two shots. Par 5s in three shots.
Once you know your baseline, set a goal to improve it by 10%. If you’re currently hitting five greens per round, aim for six. The beauty of this approach is that it forces you to think strategically about club selection and shot shape. Brown’s strokes gained approach number was positive (0.179), meaning he was better than the field average. You don’t need to be perfect. You just need to be on the dance floor more often.
When you hit more greens, you eliminate the need for heroic short game shots. Brown only had to scramble 10 times all week, and he got up and down 70% of the time. That’s solid, but the real story is that he rarely put himself in scrambling situations to begin with.
Step 3: Minimize Mistakes And Stay Patient
Here’s the stat that jumps off the page: Brown made only three bogeys all week. Three. In four rounds of professional golf against the best players in the world.
He also made just one double bogey. That kind of clean card doesn’t happen by accident. It happens when you play within yourself, avoid the big miss and trust that pars are never bad scores.
Your Action Item: Before your next round, decide that you’re going to play boring golf. No hero shots over water. No driver on tight holes just because you can. No aggressive pins when there’s a safe side of the green.
Brown’s performance shows us that consistency beats flash every single time. He didn’t lead the field in any single strokes gained category, but he was solid across the board. That’s how you post numbers and cash checks.
Give these three steps a try. Your scorecard will thank you.
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” now on R.org, RG.org’s partner site, 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!
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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.