Instruction
Turn your weak fade into a power fade
When I see most golfers hit a “cut” or a “fade,” it’s usually a weak shot that curves away from their intended target. That’s because most golfers use a “wiping” motion to hit the shot, and that creates a ball flight with little power that tends to spray offline.
What I’d like to do with this article is help golfers learn how to hit a “power fade,” which won’t suffer a loss in yardage and will increase control.
A power fade is more accurately labeled as a “release fade,” because it allows golfers to fully release the club through impact. I’ll explain it below in terms of a right-handed golfer, so if you’re left-handed, simply reverse the directions.
To hit a power fade, have the club face pointed left of the target at impact, and have a club path that is pointed left of the club face. So even though the club face is pointed left of the target at impact, it’s still “open” in relation to the club path, which is why the ball curves from left to right.
The wipe fade has more of a “holding on” action through impact that feels like a block. The club face is open to the target and the path, so the ball will start right of the target and go farther to the right, creating the weak, slicing ball flight that most golfers have.
Remember, golfers are always trying to position the club face at impact between the swing path and their intended target. It allows the ball to begin in the correct direction before curving back to the target. Whenever the club face does not fit between the target and the club path, the starting direction will be incorrect and the curvature will work against the shot golfers are trying to hit.
The blue line above — the one the left — indicates swing path. It is far enough left of the target (yellow line) to allow the club face (red line) room to fit between the path and the intended target.
Let’s use Trackman to show you how these shots are created.
The Release Fade
- The face is between the path and the target.
- The swing path is left of the intended target by -3.5 degrees.
- The face angle is LEFT of the target by -2.2 degrees and RIGHT of the path by 1.2 degrees.
- Whenever the club face is right of the path, the ball will move left to right. This, of course, assumes that the golfer hits the ball on the center of the club face.
The Wipe Fade
- The face is NOT between the path and the target, so the starting direction is incorrect.
- The swing path is left of the intended target by -1.2 degrees.
- The face angle is RIGHT of the target by 11.8 degrees and RIGHT of the path by 13 degree
- Whenever the face is right of the path, the ball will move left to right; however when the face is also RIGHT of the target, the ball will now begin too far right of the target and then curve away from the target even farther. Both of these scenarios assume centered contact.
The trouble here is that the swing path is almost zeroed out, or too close to the intended target for the player to actually “release” the club without the danger of the ball double-crossing leftward. Therefore, the player “holds on” through impact and keeps the face pointed wide right of the target, not just the path. A push-slice ensues.
So the question remains, “How does one learn how to hit the ‘release fade?’”
First, you must find a swing path that is far enough leftward so that you can feel like you can fully release the club without hitting a “double-cross.” You will have to experiment with different face angles and club paths, as the amount differs for most players.
Second, experiment with different release feels that still allow the ball to curve from left to right with the ball beginning LEFT of the target. Your release feels should be defined as your natural release, not a “hold-on” release.
Third, shifting the path far enough left of your natural release feeling will allow the ball to begin left of the target, yet still curve back toward the target
If you double cross yourself, your path isn’t leftward enough to accommodate your “release.” Aim more left.
Experiment and have fun!
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!
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dave
Oct 23, 2016 at 9:35 am
Hi Tom
do you do online lessons. Regards
Dave
Josh
Apr 15, 2015 at 2:39 pm
Very solid write up. I’m not quite sure why so many people are bashing this article. Simply because the method he describes is not the same as is taught by others, or the same method you personally find best suits your swing, does not mean that his analysis was incorrect. To me, the big key here is being able to fully release the club head and still produce a left-to-right shot. Being a natural drawer of the golf ball, learning to hit a fade was–and still is–a difficult process for me. I tend to hit weak, “hold-off” fades every time rather than fulling releasing the club head and hitting controlled, “power” fades. Although I’m still not a fan of a left-to-right ball flight (it just looks ugly to me), being able to hit a power fade when the shot calls for one is an essential tool for anyone who wants to compete at a higher level. This article merely simplifies the process a bit.
Maximilian Weber
Apr 11, 2015 at 1:05 pm
wrong on so many levels…. a power fade is played with an inside swing path not coming over the top. lol. “great” article. no wonder you are not getting any distance on that ball if you’re coming from the outside WITH an open clubface
BKR
Apr 9, 2015 at 2:16 am
I think your data shows a power fade and a “wiping” slice, but not for the reason you point out. You are saying that “wiping” is causing a loss of distance. But you are saying that the “wiping” is due simply to the same swing and path/face relationship being pointed in a different direction (on the “wrong side” of the target/aim line), when, in fact, the reason “wipe fade” goes so much shorter is because of the huge face to path angle difference, not the direction of the path. The distance loss has nothing to do with the fact that the path is left of target/aim line or right of target/aim line, it has to do with the fact that the face angle on the “release fade” in the article is very close to the path angle, thus creating much less curve and much more distance. This is proven by Fred Couples who hits a push fade where his aiming point or “target line” are way left of his actual target and he simply swings in-to-out but has the face slightly open to that path, creating a small power fade, and he certainly does not lose any distance. So, if you have a swing like the “release fade” in the article (face-to-path of 1.2) and turned the path any amount to the right (as would be humanly possible), it would be the same shot, it would just be further right and you would have to aim further left, a la Freddy. So, given this, are you actually saying that you get more distance if you hit a pull fade vs. a push fade (assuming the same face-to-path ratio), because I have read articles and heard teachers say that the push cut (that Couples plays) is actually better for distance? If so, I would be very interested to see your trackman data showing a 1.2 face-to-path for a path of -3.5 going farther than 1.2 face-to-path for a path of 0.5, taking into account that it would be farther right and therefore “shorter” for that specific target line.
JP
Apr 8, 2015 at 2:15 pm
Thanks Tom. I’ve been working on this stuff for both a fade and a draw and this lines up exactly with what I do when I’m successful at hitting either shot. It’s nice to have it laid out in such an easy to understand way!
Mike T
Apr 8, 2015 at 1:56 pm
I play to a power fade, but am prone to a double cross and when things go really wrong, a big slice. The problem remains: “How does one learn how to hit the ‘release fade?’”. Consistency is a big issue for us higher handicap, so although I understand the data from the flight monitor, it really does me little good in relation to my driver swing. I need more how’s and less techno babble.
Aaron suarez
Apr 8, 2015 at 12:20 pm
Nice article Tom, I love when you do these kinda articles. It would be cool to see an article on the difference in distance between a fade and draw with a short iron a medium and long iron as I think most people wold be suprised by the difference and the change as the loft decreases. Also would be interesting to do s test where you hit straight balls and 10 20 30 and 40 yard cuts or draws and show the different carry distances. Fun stuff.
Jafar
Apr 8, 2015 at 11:49 am
How should your shoulders and hips be aligned?
SJ
Apr 8, 2015 at 7:47 am
Back when I did club fittings customers would always say their typical ball flight is a “power fade.” So I always thought a “power fade” was just an uncontrollable slice.
Tom Stickney
Apr 8, 2015 at 12:59 am
Double…you can’t be serious
Neige
Apr 7, 2015 at 9:08 pm
Informative. Thanks!
Double Mocha Man
Apr 7, 2015 at 6:58 pm
Is this article an April Fool’s Joke cuz it’s ridiculous
Full of lies but what else should we expect from Tom.
Right guys?
TheCityGame
Apr 8, 2015 at 9:39 am
No.
You should try to articulate what it is you think is ridiculous.
tom stickney
Apr 7, 2015 at 3:58 pm
Kevin– I would say that is correct, sir
Kevin
Apr 7, 2015 at 2:49 pm
So let’s take your article here with a twist. First off I’m left handed. My typical ball flight is a draw. However, after the winter months (clubs 5 months in the corner) the ball flight is right to left. I have the technology to know my path is to the left, but not sophisticated enough to tell me face angle. Could I interpret this information in the article to help bring my draw back? My ball starts left of my target but fades a little more left. Could this be because of the “hold on” you speak of and not releasing enough. Again I have the technology to know my path is not to the right but my ball is fading left. Thanks for reading.
Jake Anderson
Apr 7, 2015 at 2:48 pm
Thank you! Very good article! Great shot to have!
Jeremy Anderson
Apr 7, 2015 at 2:23 pm
Great article Tom.