Do More Pros Hit a Fade Or Draw? (Let’s find out!)

As a beginner, you might be focusing on improving your straight shots. The thought of playing a draw or fade might not even have crossed your mind.

However, these shots can be detrimental to your game and improve your positioning. Understanding whether the hit or draw is more popular amongst the professionals could help you focus on one or the other.

The latest trend doing the rounds since 2018 is that more players prefer the fade shot from the tee shot. The trend is increasing each year, especially on the PGA Tour, where most of the top pros play each year.

The reason is unclear why many prefer this, but due to the natural draw many players have off the tee, it could be a compensating shot.

We have done some additional research to understand the draw better and fade shot. The following article aims to show you the draw and fade shots and some of the benefits they could have for your game.

We will also try to dissect which players on the professional tours focus more on the draw and which prefer the fade shots.

You might be interested in learning the Differences Between Draw And Fade In Golf and deciding which one is more suitable for you.

How Does The Draw Or Fade Affect Your Game?

The debate between whether a draw or fade is the better shot is one that many people are still talking about. Players that prefer either have been heavily debating and lobbying for their specific shot, but these shots heavily depend on the player and their purpose.

Additionally, different situations call for different shot-shaping techniques. To better understand which is the better shot shape, you need to understand how each of these will affect your game. Since these shot-shaping techniques are commonly used off the tee, we should explore how they benefit you with your driver.

We will be breaking down each to explore what they do.

Fade Shot

The fade shot is primarily used to fade the ball from the left to the right if you are a right-handed golfer. The player would aim slightly to the left of the target, and the ball flight will angle to curve the ball to the right.

The stance, contact point, sidespin, and club positioning all impact whether the ball will have some curvature in the air.

For the fade shot, you will notice that a player’s club face is opened slightly more than it will be for a traditional straight shot.

However, this is controlled and measured by the player, as having a club face that is too open could result in the inevitable slice. The slice is an uncontrolled draw that often goes way off course.

The impact location is another important aspect to consider, and this refers to where the ball is struck on the golf club.

For a fade shot, the impact location is more to the heel of the clubface and slightly lower. The lower the impact location, the more spin is generated. An open stance should allow the ball the curve back towards the right.

Ultimately, the fade shot is used to increase distance control, and since many players already have distance in their arsenal, they choose the fade shot to get around certain obstacles like a dogleg on a long par 5. 

Draw Shot

As a right-handed golfer, the draw shot would curve the ball back towards the golfer from right to left. The player would often aim more to the right of the target and allow the ball to come back to the target while in the air.

If played correctly, you can control the golf ball and have it curve around certain obstacles for a better lie angle.

Once again, the contact position affects the trajectory of the ball. For a fade shot, the player would aim to launch the ball as high as possible to maximize the curvature of the shot.

Your stance will impact where you make contact with the ball, but more to the toe of the club with a “dragging” motion in your swing will bring it back.

Players struggling with optimal distance off the tee could use the draw shot due to the more power they can put behind the golf ball. If a draw shot is played off target, it could still come back and save you.

However, a poor draw shot could result in a hook, which might throw you completely off target for your game.

The Effect Of Golf Clubs On The Draw And Fade Shot

Modern golfing technology is improving each year. New clubs will see the light of day, and new technology will be integrated to improve the functionality of these clubs. While you can buy your desired golf club off the shelf, this is not the case for pro players. Many tour golfers have their clubs specifically designed for their game.

Depending on the golfer’s need, the club manufacturer would adjust the curvature and the clubface angle to allow the player to create more draw or fade in their shots.

The manufacturer would often work with the player and use the strengths of their swing style to create these clubs. These club differences are hardly noticeable to a beginner, but tour players will see the differences.

You might also enjoy reading: Why Don’t Pro Golfers Use Colored Balls?

Do More Pros Hit A Fade Or Draw?

According to Sky Sports Analyst Denis Pugh, more golfers prefer the baby draw if you ask any player. However, most golfers will naturally hit the fade. About 9 out of 10 players naturally fade the ball when they are playing. While the standard draw shot is a crowd pleaser, it is one of the hardest shots to play and master.

If you are reading this, you probably have a few golfers in mind, and you want to tailor your game to their style. We will be looking at whether professional players prefer the draw or fade shot more and how this has affected the game of golf:

While a 2016 interview with Dustin Johnson revealed the preference for a fade, the idea of having more distance with a draw shot is appealing to all players.

According to an analysis done by Denis Pugh, players playing in competitions like Masters will be comfortable shaping the ball both ways, with the fade being more popular.

As mentioned, the fade is the more popular of the two due to it being easier to master. Most players have a natural fade or draw as part of their game, and they hone this skill to ensure they can master the shot.

Certain situations might call for a draw shot, but players have different workarounds that help them overcome shot weaknesses.

You might also enjoy reading: These Are The Top 14 Golf Clubs For a Better Golfing Experience.

PGA Players Who Play A Fade Or Draw

To better understand which player plays which shot, we have listed a few of the top players in the world with the shot they prefer playing.

These shots could vary depending on the situation, but we are looking at their natural shot-shaping abilities when simply playing with a driver off the tee:

PGA Players	Fade	Draw
Tiger Woods	Fade
Rory McIlroy		Draw
Colin Morikawa	Fade
Cameron Smith	Fade
Scottie Scheffler	Fade
Sam Burns	Fade
Arnold Palmer	Fade
Jordan Spieth	Fade
Dustin Johnson	Fade
Patrick Cantlay		Draw

These are only 10 of the most popular golfers currently playing and from the past. As you can see, most of them have a natural tendency to play the fade shot. Recent Open Championship winner Cam Smith said that to be able to win the master, you should have confidence in shaping the ball in either direction with precision.

Should You Focus On Fading Or Drawing The Golf Ball?

When it comes down to your game, playing the fade and draw will depend on your natural swing. As mentioned, about 90% of players naturally favor the fade over the draw. You should hone your natural talent and make the adjustments as you need time to improve your game and adapt to specific situations.

The draw shot can give you a bit more distance, but this can come at the cost of accuracy and ball control. If you have a natural tendency to draw the ball, you might have slightly more distance to work with.

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Learning the draw is one thing you can add to your arsenal for certain situations, but you don’t need to focus on playing crowd-pleasing shots. The baby draw, which only curves slightly, could be a solid addition that enables you to get around minor obstacles. 

With the help of a pro to assist you and some great club fitting that will tailor the clubs to your natural swing, you can improve your game. You might want an adjusted club head driver, which could help you draw the ball a little more. 

See also: What Is Considered a Good Golf Score? (This one!)

Wrap-Up

No matter which one you prefer, the fade and the draw are excellent shots you can learn. More pro players hit the fade, but this is due to their natural tendency and is often unplanned.

Pro players will compensate for slicing if they fade the ball too much, which might result in learning draw shots. We would recommend becoming a complete player and learning both.