- So welcome back.
Adam Bazalgette here in Naples, Florida.
Two-time PGA Teacher of the Year award winner, down here.
And I'd like to touch on a subject today
that's always of interest to people,
how to hit a draw with irons.
Stay tuned.
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So how to hit a draw with irons.
You've probably seen some materials on that.
You might've even seen a few of the videos
I've put together that talk about a draw.
Today we're especially going to focus on variables.
Different things you can do to customize this for yourself,
different options you have that are on the table
so you can suit this to your own body, style and skill sets.
That's the theme of this draw video.
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Let's get started.
So draw is a nice, pleasing shot.
People like to see the ball curve
a little bit from right to left,
for the right handed golfer, of course.
Often has just a little bit more power
and it can be a useful shot,
certainly for a left pin.
Or if there's a very moderate crosswind,
that would be a fade wind.
It's a great shot to hold it up against the crosswind,
so it's a nice shot to have in your arsenal.
Couple of thoughts about it.
If that's my target line, two things it's got to do.
It's got to start to the right,
and the draw, the curve, can only be minimal.
It's so easy when you're trying to draw it
to get the face a little too close,
get it started too straight
and get it slinging too much.
That's a pretty damaging shot.
We don't want that.
Let's have a little close up look here.
The first thing we've got to do to draw the ball
is we've got to get the swing path
or swing direction at the bottom
a little to the right of the target.
Now the 3D anatomy of a swing plane,
this is where launch monitors come in.
Let's say that equates to the bottom of the swing
where the ball is.
When the shaft has a tilt,
the downswing is aimed more out to the right
and the upswing begins to be more to the left.
It's not like the entire plane is on the target line.
So by playing the ball back just a little bit,
it's easier to hit the ball
on the outward part of your swing arc.
In-to-out swing, slight deep, tend to slightly brush too.
So playing it back just a little bit
can help you trap the ball a bit.
You've got to make sure, though, when the ball's back
that the handle's forward enough as you hit
to guarantee the club's going out.
You can't stop the handle
and flip the club coming back to the inside.
So playing it back just a little bit,
as long as the handle's forward,
will really help with this swing path.
So club face, we've mentioned that the club face,
obviously, has to be slightly closed
in relation to club path at impact.
How are you going to do that?
That's another choice you have there.
I personally prefer to feel like I close it
just a little in the hitting area, actively doing that.
Now, let me just say one thing.
We're never talking about stopping the handle excessively
and whipping the club.
That's what it'll give you that big slinger to the left,
but I like that feeling of just turning it a bit.
Kind of gives me confidence
I'm gonna be guaranteed some level of draw,
but for you you may feel differently.
You may feel like,
Hey, I just like to set it there at address
and by getting my address position there,
it kind of sets me up for the impact.
I just sort of feel the same thing it impacts.
So whether you want to change an address,
change the club face,
or you like to feel a little bit more on the swing,
just another choice you can make for yourself.
Let's just touch on a couple more things
where you have choices.
You can look at different ways to go about it.
We've said, hey, the components are,
the club has to travel a little out to the right
for the right-handed golfer,
with the face just turned in a wee tiny bit.
But what if you don't feel flexible enough
to really get in there and get that right arm bent,
slide your hips a bit,
and trap the inside corner of that ball?
Touched on, you could adjust your ball position
a little bit, but hey, if you're a little less flexible,
you're a little older or whatever,
just aim your body a little bit to the right.
Again, the principle is
the bull doesn't react to your setup.
Not saying the setup's not important,
it doesn't react to your setup though,
it reacts to what the club does at impact.
So if you feel like you're not up to this kind of impact,
aim yourself a little right.
Move the ball just a little back
and as long as you have reasonable hands forward at impact,
you're going to get that
swing path out to the right a little bit.
I said earlier in the video,
club face has to be closed just a tiny bit at impact there.
I like to close it a bit as I hit,
you might do it at address.
What about the grip?
Well, sure, the grip could be a component,
but again, the ball doesn't react to your grip,
it reacts to the club face.
Paul Azinger, great, great player,
had a super-strong hooking grip, faded every shot.
So did Lee Trevino, because he kept the club open at impact.
So, grip isn't a guarantee,
but you might find a grip for you
where you say, okay, a little bit more over.
Geez, it's a little bit easier for me
now to close that face.
Play around with that.
Moral to the story,
Know what you're trying to accomplish.
Know what some of the variables are,
and experiment a little bit,
till you find the things that are most comfortable for you
and the body you have and the flexibility you have,
that can get the job done.
And enjoy yourself developing skill.
Well, I hope you found that helpful.
Hope that helps you know how to hit a draw with irons.
Want to encourage you, again,
experiment, play around with it yourself.
Find your own ways to do it.
Just know what the principles are
and you'll have some success.
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