Jack Nicklaus: How to hit draws and fades with the same swing

Altering your shot shapes is a premium skill. Watch the pros every week and you’ll see what I mean. When they need to hit a draw, they can hit one on command. If they need to clear a tree, they launch it higher than you thought possible.

While it’s true that everyone should have a stock shot they can rely on, being able to alter trajectories and shapes is still crucial. Sometimes, your stock shot just won’t fit the situation at hand. And when that happens, it’s important that you can manipulate your ball flight on command.

Hitting draws and fades on command might seem like a difficult skill to learn, but it’s actually easier than you think. As Jack Nicklaus explains in the video below, hitting different shot shapes all starts with simple adjustments before you even begin your swing.

How to hit different shot shapes

There are two factors that determine the shape of your shots: clubface and club path. And while it may be difficult to manipulate those two variables during your swing, they are actually quite simple to alter in your setup.

For example, let’s say you want to hit a fade. To do that, you’ll need a slightly open clubface and a path that moves from out to in. We can make sure those two things are taken care of before you even swing. First, open the clubface slightly, then move the ball up in your stance just a touch and — Voila! Now your clubface will be open at impact and your club path will be moving out to in.

The opposite is true for trying to hit a draw. All you need to do is close your clubface slightly and then move the ball a bit back in your stance. These two minor adjustments will take care of the two key components for hitting a draw.

“Try to make the game as simple as possible,” Nicklaus says. “Use one golf swing and then just adjust the clubface to play any shot you want to play.”

Golf might be an inherently complex game, but shaping the ball doesn’t have to be. All you need to do is make a couple pre-shot adjustments and you’ll be able to move the ball any direction you want.