How to Hit a Fade with Your Driver

← Golf Instruction & Improvement | Swing Mechanics & Fundamentals

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Quick Answer

• Set your clubface slightly open at impact, aiming it more towards your target than your body line.
• Align your feet, hips, and shoulders to the left of your intended target.
• Swing along your body line, allowing the club to arc through the ball and impart a gentle rightward curve.

Who This Is For

• Golfers looking to add a new dimension of control and shot-shaping to their drives, especially those who struggle with hooks or want a more manageable ball flight.
• Players who have a solid understanding of their swing but want to intentionally curve the ball to navigate challenging fairways or set up specific lies.

What to Check First for a Fade with Your Driver

Before you even think about swinging, let’s get your setup dialed in. This is where most fade attempts go sideways.

• Grip Check: Your grip is foundational. For a fade, you want it neutral or even a touch weak. This means your hands are rotated slightly more to the left on the club (for a right-handed golfer). If your hands are too strong (rotated to the right), you’re already setting yourself up for a draw or hook. I learned this the hard way – spent a whole round fighting a hook because I forgot to check my grip!
• Stance and Alignment: This is crucial. Your feet, hips, and shoulders should all be aimed left of your actual target. Think of your body line pointing significantly left of where you want the ball to end up. This encourages an out-to-in swing path relative to the target, which is key for a fade.
• Clubface Position at Address: At address, your clubface should be aimed slightly open to your target line. It shouldn’t be pointing way off to the right, but just a touch open, maybe a degree or two. This offset between your body line and clubface is what initiates the fade.
• Ball Position: While not as critical as grip and alignment, try to keep your ball position fairly standard – typically off the lead heel or just inside it. Don’t move it drastically forward or back, as this can mess with your swing arc and impact.

Step-by-Step Plan: How to Hit a Fade with Your Driver

Alright, let’s get into the swing of things. Remember, this is about finesse, not force.

1. Adjust Your Grip: Take a neutral or slightly weaker grip. For a right-handed player, this means rotating your left hand slightly to the right (clockwise) on the grip so you see fewer knuckles. Your right hand should also be positioned a little more to the left (counter-clockwise).

• What to look for: You should feel like your hands are positioned more “on top” of the club rather than “underneath” it. It should feel less like you’re gripping a baseball bat and more like you’re holding a steering wheel for a gentle turn.
• Mistake to avoid: Gripping too strongly (too many knuckles showing on the left hand, right hand too far right) will naturally close the clubface through impact and promote a draw or hook, completely negating your fade attempt.

2. Aim Your Body Left of Target: This is where many golfers get it wrong. You need to align your entire body – feet, hips, and shoulders – to a point left of your intended target. How far left? It depends on how much fade you want, but start with aiming at a spot about 10-15 yards left of your actual target.

• What to look for: When you stand over the ball, your body line should clearly point left of where you want the ball to go. Imagine a railroad track – your body is on the left track, and the ball is on the right track heading towards the target.
• Mistake to avoid: Aiming your body at the target, or even slightly right of it, will encourage an in-to-out swing path relative to your body line, but an out-to-in path relative to the target. This is the recipe for a slice, not a controlled fade.

3. Set the Clubface Slightly Open: With your body aimed left, now set your clubface so it’s aimed directly at your intended target. This creates an intentional “gap” between your body alignment and your clubface alignment.

• What to look for: The clubface should feel slightly open relative to your body line, but square or slightly open to your actual target. It should feel like the face is pointing where you want the ball to go, even though your body is aimed left.
• Mistake to avoid: Having the clubface square to your body line (which is aimed left) will result in the face being closed to the target, promoting a pull or a hook. Conversely, closing the face to the target will also kill the fade.

4. Execute an “In-to-Out” Swing Path (Relative to Target): Now, make your swing, focusing on swinging along your body line, which is aimed left of the target. This naturally encourages an in-to-out swing path relative to the target.

• What to look for: Feel like your hands and the clubhead are moving from slightly inside the target line to outside the target line through impact. The club should feel like it’s arcing out and away from you towards your body’s alignment.
• Mistake to avoid: Trying to swing directly at the target will fight the setup you’ve created. This usually leads to a weak push or an over-the-top move that results in a slice or a pull-hook. Trust your body alignment.

5. Impact and Follow-Through: At impact, the open clubface and the in-to-out swing path will work together to impart sidespin on the ball, causing it to curve gently from left to right. Allow your follow-through to be natural, extending towards your target line.

• What to look for: The ball should take off on a line slightly left of your target (or on your body line) and then gently curve back towards the target. The curve should be controlled, not a drastic hook or slice.
• Mistake to avoid: Trying to actively “cut” or “slice” the ball with your hands at impact is a common error. This often leads to deceleration, poor contact, and a loss of control. Let the setup and the swing path do the work.

How to Hit a Fade with Your Driver: Common Mistakes

Getting the fade right isn’t always straightforward. Most golfers stumble on a few key setup points.

• Grip Too Strong — Encourages a draw or hook, making it impossible to fade the ball intentionally — Weaken your grip slightly by rotating your hands a bit more to the left (for righties). This helps the clubface stay open through impact.
• Aiming Body at Target — Promotes an in-to-out swing path relative to your body line, which is an out-to-in path relative to the target, leading to a slice — Aim your body line well left of the target. Your body is your swing guide here.
• Clubface Too Closed at Impact — Prevents the ball from turning over, negating the fade — Ensure the face is open relative to your swing path at impact. This is a result of setup and swing, not a conscious effort to “cut” it.
• Trying to Force It — Leads to awkward swings, poor contact, and loss of control — Trust the setup and let the physics of the open face and in-to-out path work. A gentle, flowing swing is key.
• Not Checking Setup Rigorously — All the swing thoughts in the world won’t help if your alignment and clubface are off — Always start with your grip and aim, double-checking before every swing. It’s the foundation of the shot.
• Overly Steep Swing — Can lead to a push or a slice, even with an open face — Focus on swinging along your body line, which should be aimed left. This encourages a shallower, more sweeping arc.

FAQ

• What is a fade in golf?

A fade is a shot that curves gently from left to right for a right-handed golfer (or right to left for a left-handed golfer). It’s a controlled shape, often described as a soft draw in reverse. It’s a valuable shot for accuracy and control.

• How does a fade differ from a slice?

A fade is a controlled, intentional curve with a relatively small degree of side spin. A slice, on the other hand, is typically an uncontrolled, much more pronounced curve from right to left (for a righty) caused by a severely open clubface and an out-to-in swing path. A fade is a strategic shot; a slice is usually a mistake. Mastering the Fade Shot with Your Driver can help you understand the nuances.

• Is a fade always a good shot?

For many golfers, yes. It provides more control, can help neutralize hooks, and can sometimes yield more distance than a draw because the clubface is less closed at impact. It’s a versatile shot that can be used to navigate doglegs, avoid hazards, or simply keep the ball in play.

• Can I hit a fade with any club?

Yes, the principles are the same for all clubs, but it’s generally easier to shape shots with longer clubs like the driver and fairway woods because of their lower loft and wider swing arc. It’s also more common to need a fade with a driver to control distance and accuracy off the tee.

• What if I’m already slicing the ball?

If you’re already slicing, you might be swinging too far across the ball (out-to-in relative to the target) or have an extremely open clubface at impact, or both. The steps to hit a fade – specifically, aiming your body left and swinging along that line – might actually help straighten out an existing slice if implemented correctly, as it encourages a more neutral or slightly in-to-out path relative to the target.

Sources:

• Mastering the Fade Shot with Your Driver