A draw is one of the most desired shots in golf. It’s favored by many top players for a number of reasons but is also ideal for holes where there is a dog leg from right to left. If you’ve ever wondered how to hit one when you’re out playing, this article could be just what you’re looking for. Here we’ll take a look at what a draw golf shot is and learn how to draw the golf ball.
Let’s get into it and find out how to draw the golf ball.
How To Draw The Golf Ball?
What Is A Draw In Golf?
A draw shot in golf is when the ball turns from right to left in the air, for a right-handed golfer. For a left-handed golfer, the ball will move in the other direction, from left to right.
Starting to the right, the ball will move from right to left and back toward the middle or toward the intended target. A draw occurs when a level of sidespin is put on the ball so that it spins in a direction to move the ball to the left in the air.
This type of shot is not to be confused with a hook shot. A hook is a golf shot that also turns from right to left, but far more aggressively with a greater amount of sidespin on it.
A draw shot is a very attractive golf shot to hit and is used by a lot of top players to help them shoot better scores.
How To Draw The Golf Ball?
There are a few different techniques you can use to draw the golf ball, all of which will work but not all are needed to successfully hit the ball gently from right to left.
Aim Right, Face Square
The first and perhaps the most popular method of hitting a draw is to aim your body to the right of the target, but keep the clubface square to the target. Then all you need to do is swing along your body line to the right and as you hit the ball, the path of the club will be traveling to the right whilst the clubface will be pointing at the target. As the clubface impacts with the ball, it will put a sidespin on it and promote the draw shot.
This is usually the favored technique for hitting a draw because it doesn’t require any change in the golf swing and it allows for greater consistency in the strike. Everything stays the same in the golf swing, but instead of aiming your body straight at the target, you’re aiming slightly to the right.
Of course, you never want to go too far to the right as this can lead to the ball having too much spin on it and turning into a hook. Or if the club is not square to the target and is more square to where your body is aiming, this could lead to a block to the right.
Ball Back In Stance
Moving the ball back in your stance is another simple method to hit a draw shot. This ball position helps promotes a downward strike on the ball, de-lofting the clubface.
It also means the clubface is more likely to be closed at impact. As mentioned earlier, having the face square to target but the swing path to the right will result in a draw. Essentially that means the face is closed. Not closed to the target, but closed to the swing path.
Therefore, having the ball back in your stance, which produces a closed clubface will lead to a draw. If the clubface can remain closed relative to the swing path, then it will produce the right-to-left draw shape.
However, it’s important to mention that if the clubface is closed to the target, it will result in the shot starting straight or left and moving further left. So it’s always important to make sure the path of the club is to the right of the target and not straight at it.
Out-to-in Swing Path
An out-to-in swing path is another technique for hitting the ball from right to left. Many good golfers will naturally have this type of swing path and therefore they’ll standard shot shape will be a draw.
However, if you don’t usually hit a draw naturally, feeling like the club path is going inside on the backswing and then pushing out and through to the right on the downswing will help promote that draw spin. This again is all about the clubface being closed relative to the club path, and so the ball will start right and turn back towards the target.
Strong Golf Grip
To hit a draw, you can also adjust how you grip the golf club. You can help promote a draw shot just by positioning your hands on the club in a stronger position.
A stronger golf grip sees the hands rotated slightly more away from the target so that you can see three or more knuckles on the top of the leading hand.
This helps a golfer hit a draw because of a number of different reasons. Firstly, it makes it easier to keep the clubface closed or square to the target at impact, thus promoting that right-to-left spin. Because of this closed clubface, it also helps promote the in-to-out swing path we mentioned previously.
Although this seems like a fairly simple fix for hitting a draw shot, changing your grip during a round is never really a good idea and can lead to all kinds of mess. Changing to a stringer grip can lead to some great results, and fix that slice you’ve been struggling with, however that’s best left to the driving range where it can be honed.
Rotate Hands Through Impact
Finally, perhaps one of the most difficult methods to hit a draw is to focus on rotating your hands through the ball. This basically means that you’re turning the clubface over at impact so that you can get that draw-spin.
Although a definite technique for hitting a draw, it is in fact very different to control the amount of draw that will be put on the ball when you’re flipping your hands at impact. This technique is often better suited for hitting a big hook on those occasions when it’s needed out on the course.
Controlling how much rotation and how closed the clubface is at impact when you’re swinging at 80+ mph can prove very difficult and rather unpredictable.
Benefits Of Hitting A Draw Golf Shot
Being able to hit a draw shot is a very useful skill to have in the bag. If you’re able to successfully hit a draw on demand and it doesn’t turn into a block or a hook, then it can be very beneficial to your score.
So now we know what a draw shot is and how to hit one, here are a few reasons why a draw is a good shot to have:
Ball Goes Further
Due to the spin that’s put on the ball, a draw tends to have less backspin and more topspin. This means that it will fly further in the air and also roll further as it hits the ground.
On a hole that is rather long, hitting a draw off the tee is a great way to hit the ball further down the fairway and will leave you with a shorter next shot.
A draw is therefore especially helpful for shorter hitters who are looking to gain some yardage off the tee. Some of the best players in the world have tried to make the switch from a fade to a draw (sometimes to their detriment) with the intention of hitting the ball further.
Lower Ball Flight
When you’re placing the ball back in your stance to help promote a draw, it’s also de-lofting the club and steepening the angle of attack. This will result in a lower ball flight as there is less angle on the club to launch it into the air.
This is incredibly valuable for rounds in windy conditions where you need to keep the ball low and out of the wind. It’s also great if you’ve got branches or leaves to go under and you need to keep the ball underneath them.
Better Positioning
A draw shot has plenty of benefits, especially for improving players positioning on a hole. Shaping your ball from right to left is ideal for a hole that dog-legs from right to left, as it means you can follow the natural shape of the hole. Without a draw shot, it can mean your ball ends up too straight and perhaps in the right-hand rough.
It also means you can draw the ball towards the pin on a green. This can help reduce the risk of any hazards near the green such as a bunker or water, because you can start the ball to the right of the flag and draw it back towards it, instead of perhaps having to play over any danger.
Get Out Of Trouble
Even the best players in the world hit bad shots, so it’s how they deal with the next shot that’s important. Being able to draw the ball means that if you’re stuck behind an obstacle such as a tree, you’ll be able to aim right and draw it back round towards the target and avoid hitting the tree.
Without the draw shot, it might mean that you’ve got to chip out sideways and back into play, but instead you’ve got an opportunity to get to the green.
Final Thoughts
Hitting a draw shot in golf is hugely important if you want to improve your game. It allows you to move it from right to left and gives you the opportunity to hit it further, lower, and with less spin. It can get you out of trouble, put you in the middle of the fairways, and help you attack flags.
But like with most things in golf, it’s not the easiest shot to do well consistently and can also lead to a more extreme version called a hook. The main thing to ensure is the path of the club is to the right of the target (for right-handed players) and that the clubface remains square to the target.
Founder, Editor
Ed is the founder and editor at EEE Golf. He’s been playing golf for over 20 years, competing in many top amateur events. He’s played courses all over the world and played with some of the best players in the game. His aim is to help educate people about the game of golf and give insights into the sport he loves most.