How to Hit a Draw in Golf - Draws Made Simple

Quick answer: To hit a draw, your clubface must point slightly right of the target at impact, with your swing path traveling further right than the face. The ball starts right and curves back to the target. The fastest way to learn it: aim your feet and shoulders right, move the ball slightly back in your stance, and train an in-to-out path. (Left-handers: mirror every direction in this guide.)

In this post, WhysGuy will cover:

• Why it's important to have the ability to hit a draw in golf.
• Practical swing adjustments you can make to start hitting draws.
• How the WhyGolf Alignment Discs can help you learn how to hit a draw in golf.

Why is it Important to Know How to Hit a Draw in Golf?

Aside from the fact that draws are aesthetically pleasing, draws can provide many benefits to your golf game.

Key Benefits to Draws in Golf:

1. Draws penetrate the wind much better than fades (draws make the ball spin less).
2. Draws generally go farther than fades. Due to less spin, draws typically roll out more than fades.
3. Draws will help you attack tucked-left pins safely (right pins for left-handers). Instead of having to aim directly at a left pin, you'll be able to aim towards the center of the green and use draw spin to get closer to the hole.

Before we dive into swing tips, it's worth taking a moment to discuss the impact conditions required for a draw.

So, What is a Draw in Golf?

For a right-handed player, a draw is an airborne golf ball that ideally starts to the right of our target and curves back to our target. If you haven't already, we highly recommend reviewing our post on the Ball Flight Laws for a refresher on the 9 ball flights and how to hit them.

Put simply, the club's face angle at impact primarily determines your ball's starting direction and the resulting curve reflects the difference between your clubface angle and swing path at impact.

How to hit a draw (for right-handers):

• The club's face angle at impact must be aimed to the right of the target (so the ball starts to the right of the target).
• Swing path needs to be slightly right of face angle at impact, which will produce draw spin.

How to Hit a Draw in Golf

Four adjustments, in order from easiest to most involved. Most golfers see the ball start shaping within one range session.

1. Aim Right with Feet and Shoulders

• Since you'll need your swing path to the right (for right-handers) of the target at impact, we recommend that you align your feet and shoulders to the right of your target at setup.
• Your swing path will naturally follow the direction in which your body aims - aim right, swing right.

2. Move Ball Position Back Slightly

• When you move the ball back in your stance, your swing path will naturally come more from the inside, which will help you hit a draw.
• Ball position is one of the most overlooked elements of a sound golf swing. Play around with it! You'll find it's much easier to hit a draw with the ball in the middle of your stance as opposed to off your front heel.

3. Add Width to Your Backswing

• At the top of your backswing, focus on keeping your lead wrist (left wrist for right-handers) as far away from your head as possible.
• This will add depth to your swing and it will give you a better chance at dropping the club underneath the plane on your downswing.

4. Learn a Draw Swing Path with the Alignment Disc

• With the Alignment Disc, you can place alignment rods at specific angles to facilitate a swing and shot shape of your choosing.
• For many golfers, practicing with a reference point enables them to better feel where the clubhead is and should be throughout the swing.
• See the adjacent illustration for a visual.

How to Hit a Draw with the Alignment Disc

• Set the Alignment Disc about a club-length from the ball and a foot outside the target line (see picture).
• You should feel forced to swing under the rod, which will facilitate an in-to-out swing path.
• If you hit shots in this position and your ball isn't drawing, move the Alignment Disc closer to the target line. This will move your swing path even farther in-to-out.
• Repeat for a few shots until you get the feel for hitting draws, then see if you can apply that feeling to shots without your discs.

Why Your Draw Isn't Drawing - Common Mistakes

• Your grip is too weak. If the clubface can't square up, the ball starts right and stays right. Rotate both hands slightly away from the target on the grip.
• You're swinging over the top. An out-to-in path with a face aimed right produces a push-slice, not a draw. The Alignment Disc drill above exists precisely to fix this.
• You're aiming the face left to "help" the curve. A face left of the path with a path left of target turns into a pull-hook. Trust the face slightly right, path further right.
• The ball is too far forward. Off the front heel, your path is already swinging back to the left at impact. Middle of stance keeps the path in-to-out.

Key Takeaways

• A draw in golf happens when your club's face angle is slightly closed to your swing path at impact.
• To learn how to hit a draw in golf, we recommend adjusting your setup and ball position before making further changes to your golf swing.
• The WhyGolf Alignment Disc can be a useful tool to help learn how to hit a draw in golf.

Check out our YouTube channel for drills and tips: