Draw vs Fade in Golf: What Each Shot Is and What Causes It

For a right-handed golfer, a draw is a shot that curves gently from right to left, and a fade curves gently from left to right. For left-handers the directions are reversed. Both are controlled shapes that finish on target; their exaggerated, unintended versions are the hook and the slice. According to Trackman, with centered contact the ball curves toward where the clubface points and away from the club path, so the shape comes from the face being closed or open relative to the path. This page explains the difference, what causes each, and which one suits you. It belongs to our guide to golf clubs and how far they go.

Draw vs fade at a glance

	Draw	Fade
Curve (right-hander)	Right to left	Left to right
Face compared with path	Closed to the path	Open to the path
Typical path	In-to-out	Out-to-in
Flight	Usually a bit lower, with more roll	Usually a bit higher, lands softer
Exaggerated version	Hook	Slice

What makes the ball curve

Two things set the start line and the curve: the direction the clubface points at impact (face angle) and the direction the club is moving (club path). Trackman calls the difference between them "face to path". Assuming centered contact, the ball starts mostly where the face points and then curves away from the path. If the face is closed to the path, the ball curves left (a draw for a right-hander); if it is open to the path, it curves right (a fade). The bigger the gap, the more it curves, which is how a draw becomes a hook and a fade becomes a slice.

This is why the old advice to "aim where you want the ball to start" works: to draw a ball, start it right of the target with the face closed to an in-to-out path, so it curves back.

Which is better, a draw or a fade?

Neither. Many of the best players in history played a fade because it lands softer and is easier to control, and many played a draw for the extra roll. What matters is that your shot curves the same way every time, so you can aim for it. A few practical differences:

• A draw tends to fly lower with less backspin and run farther, which helps distance off the tee and into the wind.
• A fade tends to fly higher with more spin and stop sooner, which helps approach shots hold firm greens.
• Most beginners slice, so learning to hit a controlled fade is often the quickest route to straighter shots.

Draw, hook, fade, slice: the whole family

Shot	Right-hander's curve	Controlled?
Draw	Gentle right to left	Yes
Hook	Hard right to left	Usually not
Fade	Gentle left to right	Yes
Slice	Hard left to right	Usually not
Pull	Starts left, flies straight	No
Push	Starts right, flies straight	No

Frequently asked questions

What is a draw in golf?

A controlled shot that curves gently from right to left for a right-handed golfer (left to right for a left-hander), usually caused by a clubface that is slightly closed to an in-to-out path.

Is a fade a slice?

No. A fade is a small, intended left-to-right curve; a slice is a large, usually unintended one.

Does a draw go farther than a fade?

Often a little, because draws tend to launch lower with less spin and roll more after landing. The difference depends on the player and the conditions.

Back to what each golf club is for, or estimate your carry with the driver distance calculator.

Sources

• What Is Face to Path?, Trackman