How to Hit a Draw in Golf

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Ever wished you could make your golf ball curve from right to left towards your target? Learning how to hit a draw in golf can help you tackled doglegged fairways and access tucked pins that seem out of reach with a straight shot.

Creating a drawing golf ball flight demands some specific grip, stance, swing and impact adjustments to shape trajectory ideally from inside-out.

Let’s break down exactly how to hit draws through a comprehensive guide covering setup, backswing, downswing, strike and finish position. Read on to unlock this signature shot!

How To Hit A Draw in Golf

A golfer in mid-swing, demonstrating the art of hitting a controlled draw in golf. The left hand grips the club with two visible knuckles, promoting a clockwise rotation for increased control. The golfer's stance is purposefully open, aligning feet, knees, hips, and shoulders to the left of the target line. The swing path follows a graceful inside-out trajectory, with the clubface expertly closed about 3 to 5 degrees. The moment of impact is captured, with the ball compressed before a divot is taken, resulting in a beautifully arcing draw. This visually guides the reader through the four crucial steps to achieve this impressive golf shot.

Four steps to hit a controlled draw shot. First, rotate your left hand clockwise on the grip to see two full knuckles. Keep your right palm facing the target.

This stronger left hand leverage promotes closing the clubface through impact. Second, align your feet, knees, hips and shoulders between 5 to 10 degrees left of your target line.

Third, maintain this open stance as you swing from the inside out, with your clubface closed about 3 to 5 degrees relative to this inside-to-outside path. Fourth and finally, strike the ball before taking a divot to maximize compression.

Unite this specific combination of elements – strong left hand grip, open alignment, inside-out swing plane, closed clubface and ball-then-turf impact – and you will shape majestic, high bombs bending desirably left off the tee or into greens.

Commit these exact positional and technical specifications to muscle memory to repeat curving draw trajectories on command.

1. Have A Proper Grip

A golfer showcasing the art of achieving a proper grip for shaping golf shots. The image depicts the hands on the club, with a focus on the left hand turned slightly to the right, revealing one to two knuckles. The right hand maintains a neutral position, ensuring a harmonious coordination between both hands. The grip exudes stability while allowing for the necessary wrist movement. The golfer's grip strikes the right balance - not too tense, not too light. This visual guide communicates the nuanced adjustments required for a stronger left-hand grip, promoting a controlled draw without compromising on precision. A cautionary note against overdoing the right-hand grip is also conveyed, preventing potential issues like blocks or pushes.

A proper grip is essential for shaping shots in golf. To promote a closed clubface through impact to produce a draw, you’ll need to use a stronger left-hand grip.

Turn both hands slightly to the right on the club – this will allow your wrists to flatten out on the downswing and close the clubface. However, be careful not to make your grip too strong, or you may end up hooking the ball.

Take your normal grip first with both hands on the club. Then, rotate your left hand towards your right hand so you can see one to two knuckles on your left hand.

Your right hand should stay in a more neutral position. This stronger left-hand grip will make it easier to manipulate and close the clubface through impact.

When you strengthen your left-hand grip, it’s important both hands work together. So turn your right hand slightly to the right as well – this will keep both hands working in tandem.

Find a grip pressure and tension that keeps the club stable while still allowing you to hinge your wrists up and down. Your grip should not be too tense or too light.

Be careful not to overdo your right-hand grip. Gripping too firmly with your bottom hand or rotating it excessively to the right may prevent you from releasing the club properly.

This could lead to blocks or big pushes instead of draws.

2. Have A Open Stance

A golfer assumes a purposeful stance to master the draw in golf. The image showcases the precise alignment of feet, hips, and shoulders slightly left of the target line, promoting an inside-out swing path. The golfer's front foot is flared out more than the back, emphasizing the open stance. A counterclockwise rotation of the shoulders ensures proper alignment, with the chest pointing just left of the original target. The balanced weight distribution between both feet or slightly favoring the front side is evident in the stance. This visual guide encapsulates the essential elements for achieving the desired draw, emphasizing the importance of a well-balanced and open stance for an effective in-to-out swing

Your stance is also vital for proper ball-striking and directing your shot shape. To hit a draw, you’ll need to align your feet, hips, and shoulders slightly left of your target line.

Additionally, you’ll use an open stance to encourage the proper inside-out swing path.

First, pick an intermediate target that is 5-10 yards left of your ultimate destination. Set your body alignment to match that inside target line.

Your feet should be angled out towards the new target, with your front foot flared out left more than your back foot.

Keep your hips aligned with your feet in an open position. Then arrange your shoulders to match that alignment.

Avoid having your lower body aimed left with your shoulders still square – this will make it very difficult to swing from the inside. Rotate your shoulders counterclockwise so your chest points just left of your original target.

In your stance, the majority of your weight should be balanced evenly between both feet or slightly favoring your front side. To hit a draw, you don’t need excess weight on your right side. Instead, stay centered to make an in-to-out swing easier.

3. Do A Backswing

A golfer in the backswing, embodying the essentials for a draw shot. The image showcases the golfer maintaining a precise spine angle, establishing a wrist hinge, and allowing the hips to turn away for optimal torque. Attention is drawn to the initiation of the takeaway, highlighting the wrist hinge and spine tilt away from the ball. The golfer avoids early extension or posture loss, ensuring a solid foundation for the upcoming downswing. The visual guide emphasizes maintaining backswing width, preventing arm collapse or an overly inside swing. A full shoulder turn and a minimum 45-degree hip opening contribute to the vital 'coiling' effect, building torque for a powerful downswing. The clubface remains square or slightly closed, as the focus shifts to grip, posture, arm width, and hip turn. This image encapsulates the intricacies of a proper backswing for executing a precise draw in golf.

In your backswing, the most important things are maintaining spine angle, keeping normal width in your swing, and allowing your hips to turn away from the target to build torque. The backswing sets your body angles and establishes the foundation to swing in-to-out.

As you start the takeaway, immediately establish your wrist hinge and spine tilt away from the ball. Try to maintain these angles moving back as your shoulders turn away from the target.

Avoid early extending or losing posture until the downswing begins.

Keep your backswing width very similar to a stock shot. If your arms collapse or you swing the club too far inside, it will be very difficult to swing out towards the target on the downswing.

Make a full shoulder turn while keeping normal arm width.

Allow your hips to open up at least 45 degrees on the backswing. This “coiling” builds torque in your body that you’ll use to accelerate into the ball on the downswing.

Set your wrist angles early, then make a full turn against resistance created by your closed lower body.

The clubface itself can be held in a square or slightly closed position throughout the takeaway and backswing. There’s no need to manipulate face angles excessively before you start down.

Focus instead on your grip, posture, arm width, and hip turn.

4. Transition and Downswing

A golfer transitions into the downswing, showcasing the critical movements for an inside-out swing path and a closed clubface. The image captures the golfer regaining posture, shifting towards the lead side, and initiating a powerful hip clearance. The downswing unfolds with the lower body leading, as the front hip fires back towards the target, initiating a seamless torso rotation. The golfer maintains a steady head and constant spine angle, avoiding lateral slides or sways. The image emphasizes the lead knee's flex, allowing the hips to fully unwind, and the belt buckle pointing towards the target post-impact. The arms and club drop naturally into an inside, downward swing plane, aligning with the momentum generated by hip and torso rotation. A focus on wrist lag and maintaining the angle between the left arm and clubface adds finesse to achieve a square or closed impact position. This visual guide encapsulates the intricacies of a well-executed transition and downswing for mastering the draw in golf.

The transition starts the sequence of events that creates an inside-out swing path and closed clubface through impact. Body motion is initiated from the ground up to properly sequence the kinetic chain.

Regain your posture, shift towards the lead side, and clear your hips.

The downswing sequence is powered by the lower body. Your first move should be firing your front hip back towards the target.

From here, rotate your torso through impact while keeping your head still and spine angle constant. Avoid sliding or swaying laterally – rotate instead.

After you shift towards your lead side, aggressively throw your rear hip around through contact. Keep some flex in your lead knee and allow the hips to fully unwind.

You’ll know you’ve made a good body rotation when your belt buckle points at the target post-impact.

As the lower body leads the downswing, the arms and club will naturally drop into a more inside, downward swing plane. Use the momentum from your hip and torso rotation to swing the club from inside the target line into a square or closed impact position.

Maintaining lag in the wrists until late in the downswing will also help square and close the clubface. Keep the angle between your left arm and clubface for as long as possible before rapidly releasing through the hitting zone.

The closing of your wrist angles should match up with your lower body clearing out of the way.

5. Swing For An Impact

A golfer executes the perfect draw, captured at the moment of impact. The image showcases the golfer's precise swing, emphasizing compression of the golf ball before a divot is taken. The clubface is slightly closed relative to the inside-out swing path, creating the classic ingredients for a drawing golf shot. The golfer strikes the ball before making contact with the turf, generating optimal energy and backspin for controlled shape and increased distance. A subtle brush of the grass follows the ball contact. The body clears post-impact, allowing for a full release of the golf club through the hitting zone. The wrists aggressively unwind as the club exits left of the target line, imparting right-to-left sidespin on the ball mid-flight. This image encapsulates the critical elements of a well-executed strike for a draw in golf.

To execute the perfect strike for a draw, you’ll need to compress the golf ball before taking a divot. Swing from the inside, with a closed clubface relative to your path.

This will impart right-to-left sidespin on the ball, sending it bounding down the fairway with a curvature towards your target.

At impact, you should strike the ball before making contact with the turf. This compresses the ball first, generating more energy and backspin for greater distance and controlled shape.

Brush the grass lightly after contacting the ball.

The clubface itself should be slightly closed relative to your swing path, which comes from inside-out through the hitting area. A closed face combined with an in-to-out direction are the classic ingredients for a drawing golf shot.

With your body clearing out of the way post-impact, fully release the golf club through the hitting zone for maximum speed. Your wrists should aggressively unwind as you exit left of your target line.

This closing of the face will impart right-to-left sidespin on the ball mid-flight.

6. Follow Through

A golfer achieves a balanced finish position, basking in the success of a perfectly executed draw. The image portrays the golfer standing tall, weight confidently on the front foot, arms fully extended with the club pointing at the intermediate left target. The golfer resists premature looks up or falling backward, maintaining poise. Continuing to rotate towards the target after impact, the chest and hips face front and center, showcasing a complete follow-through. The balance is evident, with a slight tilt towards the target on the lead toe. This balanced finish reinforces the inside-to-out swing path for the winding draw trajectories. The image captures the golfer's admiration for the draw shot, holding the finish for a few seconds, savoring the satisfaction of a well-executed technique. A visually pleasing depiction of the joy and poise in the aftermath of a skillfully played draw in golf

A balanced finish position with weight on your front foot is ideal after hitting any golf shot, including draws. Rotate fully through the shot, stand tall to admire your shot shape bending towards the target.

Resist the urge to look up prematurely or fall backwards.

As you continue rotating towards the target after impact, allow your arms to fully extend outwards with the club pointing at your intermediate left target. This helps reinforce the inside-to-out swing path for winding draw trajectories.

Your chest and hips should have rotated to face front and center by the finish position. You may even balance slightly towards your target on your lead toe.

Emphasizing the release through impact creates force that carries you towards the left in balance.

Hold your finish for a few seconds while admiring your draw shot bend back towards your original target. When executed perfectly, draws are one of the most satisfying shot shapes in golf! Maintain balance a bit longer before relaxing.

Conclusion

Hitting a controllable draw can truly take your golf game to the next level. With the right mechanics in your grip, stance, swing, impact and follow through, you’ll have the shot-making creativity to attack pins, conquer doglegs, and impress playing partners.

Mastering the draw opens up more strategy and consistency. So commit these fundamentals below to muscle memory.

With some dedicated practice, you’ll watch your draws bending beautifully off the tee and into greens in no time.

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John David Wilson leverages his wide-ranging expertise to provide practical “how-to” guides on ReadsportsHere for athletes of all skill levels. From mastering fundamentals to game strategy and mental approaches, John David's articles deliver actionable advice readers can immediately apply on the field or court. Whether it’s breaking down proper throwing mechanics in baseball, teaching drills to improve shooting accuracy in basketball, or explaining attacking formations in soccer, John David has an instructor’s eye for highlighting the pivotal techniques, skills, and schemes that translate into game performance. His meticulous play diagrams and bullet-point lists cater to visual learners seeking to sharpen their skills. By featuring guest posts from coaches and trainers as well, ReadsportsHere establishes itself as a premier destination for accessible sports instruction online for youth, amateur, and recreational players under the leadership of John David Wilson. The sheer range of tips covered underscores John David's versatility and capacity to dissect any sport on a granular level. Ultimately, his emphasis on clear step-by-step guidance makes ReadsportsHere essential reading for anybody looking to improve through practical self-starters.