Here’s a 4-step swing feeling to help you hit consistent draws

By Luke Kerr-Dineen / By Chris O’Connell

October 24, 2019

Many amateurs wrongly assume that in order to hit a consistent draw, it’s critical to set up with a closed clubface at address. That can help, but what usually happens when you address the ball this way—with the hopes of returning the clubface in a closed position at impact to produce the draw—is that your swing path tends to move too far to the left. The result is the worst of all worlds: an outside-in swipe and an ugly pull or pull-hook.

As the saying goes, golf is a game of opposites. If you want to hit a draw, don’t set up with, shut or snap the clubface closed. Feel the opposite instead: Aim the clubface to the right of your target and focus on swinging even more toward the right through impact.

Here’s the step-by-step process:

1) Start your takeaway by feeling like your clubhead is closed (relative to the target line) and outside your hands.

2) As you continue your backswing, work the shaft into a more vertical position, even as it begins moving behind your body.

3) In the transition from backswing to downswing, allow the clubface to open up. The feeling you’re after is that the shaft is “flattening” and your path is now moving to the right of the target.

4) If you’re thinking this looks a lot like Jim Furyk’s swing, you’re right! Continue looping the club and opening the face.

Eventually, you’ll position the club on a pure, inside-out delivery plane, with your elbows leading your hands and your clubhead trailing even farther behind. As crazy as it may seem, this is how you hit a draw.

Counterintuitive? Sure. But trust it. Once you get the hang of it, you’ll be the envy of every slicer you know.