Tip of the Week, Hitting a Fade

Old Warson's Director of Instruction, Rick Ewing, offers different tips to get your golf game moving in the right direction.  If you'd like to ask Rick a question or book a private lesson (Patch reader exclusive), email him at rickewing@pga.com.

This week's video discusses getting that putting average down, and other things.

One of the most misunderstood aspects of the golf swing is the grip. In actuality, whether you have a strong or weak left hand, you still can find a way to hit either a draw or fade.

Typically, instructors equate a fade with a weak left hand, but I’m hear to tell you that’s not the only way. 

An effective way to hit a fade is to adopt a strong left-hand grip. The only possible caveat from attempting this shot is that the hands will have a delayed release, meaning you’ll likely lose some power.

But if it’s a fade you want, here’s how you do it. 

The trick is to hold the left hand in a strong position at impact.  What will be required to pull this off is a strong rotation of the body, which should continue rotating well after impact with the golf ball. 

And again, because the act of holding the hand in this position will delay the release and rotation of the club head, the fade you produce won’t have a ton of power.

But if you’re looking for a repeatable, accurate shot that flies high and lands softly, the delayed-release fade is ideal. 

To prevent your fade from becoming a slice, make sure you keep rotating your body through the shot. Also, the club head will need to release at some point.

If you try to stifle your release entirely, you not only run the risk of injury, but also will slice more and lose even more power and control.

Finally, it’s important to acknowledge that although releasing the hands and rotating the hands should happen simultaneously, they’re not the same thing. The hands will release, but in the case of this shot, the rotation is what you should try to lessen in order to hit a powerful fade.

If you would like a private lesson with Rick Ewing email him at rickewing@pga.com.
 

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