This article was machine-translated from the Korean original. Read the Korean original
I feel the same way about wanting to increase my driving distance. However, I've found that dream doesn't come true for free. Even we pros constantly strive to transform our bodies through weight training, stretching, and diet management, but despite all that effort, there are many cases where our swings become unstable or lead to injuries.
However, today I’d like to talk about a practice method where you increase distance by simply changing the ball flight while maintaining the same speed, rather than focusing on how to build more power. When I was aiming for a win, I primarily used draw shots with both my driver and irons. I only used a fade when the pin was at the front or when I needed to stop the ball. This was because hitting a draw with the driver offered such a distinct advantage in terms of distance.
01The reason Draw is advantageous is not power, but efficiency.
A draw is not simply a shot that curves to the left. It has low spin and strong forward momentum after landing, resulting in a lot of roll. Therefore, it is not the carry distance itself that increases, but the total distance that goes far as the roll is added.
With irons, it is advantageous to hit the ball with the carry distance you want to stop it, but with a driver, there is no reason to stop it exactly where you land it. Therefore, a draw shot that rolls far is much more advantageous for a driver.
02Just remember two things when making a draw
Let me tell you the simplest method I know. The first is alignment. Since the ball is going to curve to the left, you need to set your direction to the right. At this point, it is important that your stance, pelvis, and shoulders follow the line of your feet together.
You can make the bunkers on the edge of the hole a good target. Since there are many out-of-bounds shots in Korea, landing in a bunker can actually prevent you from making a big mistake. Aiming at the bunker rather than trying to avoid it can put your mind at ease.
The second point is the backswing top. If you create a low top position where your left arm is as close as possible to parallel with your shoulder line when viewed from the side, you can achieve a smoother swing path. The key feeling here is to visualize your hands not rising above your shoulder line. Of course, due to arm length, your hands will inevitably be higher than your shoulders, but simply maintaining that feeling is sufficient.
However, you shouldn't rotate as if you are just pulling with your hands. It should feel like your hands move along with your body's rotation. Also, some people obsess over the idea that "the left shoulder must be positioned low" and try to drop their shoulders on purpose, but if you stand at address correctly, this height difference will naturally occur during the rotation process. I hope you will take a moment to reflect on just how important the fundamentals are.
03If you are worried about the slice, try thinking the other way around.
When you first start playing golf, you usually hit a lot of fade-like slices. So, even if you want to hit a draw, you might feel intimidated. However, while changing your ball flight is a matter of your swing, it is actually also about changing your visual image. Having the opposite image is very helpful.
People who slice frequently usually try to send the ball to the left to avoid curving to the right, but the more you do that, the wider the curve the ball takes and the more it spins to the right. Conversely, those who miss the ball to the left often do so because they are not opening their body properly; the more you worry about missing to the left, the better you need to open your body to avoid that mistake. You need to break this mindset at least once.
Your ball flight won't change overnight with just the two things you learned today. However, most players with a certain level of skill already know how to hit a draw, and in many cases, repeating this practice actually helps correct a slice.
04Let's start by redefining the definition of 'High'.
When people hear the term "high draw," they often think they are only trying to loft the ball, but the "high" in my definition of a high draw does not mean that. Since amateur golfers tend to hit shots that curve to the right, they frequently see a trajectory where the ball rises and gets higher, but even pros don't particularly like this kind of shot.
The high draw I am referring to is a shot that travels further with low spin, following a parabolic trajectory after the spin has been reduced through the draw. Simply reducing the spin actually makes a high trajectory advantageous. It improves carry distance and becomes much easier when clearing obstacles like bunkers.
05If the body opens too quickly, the draw runs away.
Just because you make the top of the swing low doesn't mean you can complete a draw. If your body opens up too much, the release timing gets delayed, which can cause the ball to fail to curve to the left. It is okay to have your upper body slightly open at the moment of impact, but you need to keep your body as close to the ball as possible while swinging with the feeling that your hands, clubhead, and arms are passing through your body to make the ball curve to the left.
There is a simple practice method to master this feeling. Hold the driver upright with your left arm, and try swinging using only your right arm while standing at address. Since your left arm is blocked, your upper body does not open up, allowing you to feel the sensation of your arm passing through very accurately. It is helpful to swing like this about five times to feel which direction your upper body is and in which direction your arm is facing as it passes through.
06Raising the trajectory is actually easy.
Once you have mastered the draw to some extent, it is now time to increase both carry distance and total distance by raising the trajectory slightly. You don't have to change your swing. Using the same method, simply raising the tee a little higher and shifting your weight slightly to the right during the address position is enough.
The important thing here is imagery. It is helpful to go into your swing with the pre-existing image of the ball flying very high and drawing a large curve. Since most people struggle with the release, if you approach it with the mindset of swinging a little more aggressively, you will likely produce a great draw.
07Practice method for checking the starting direction
For a draw to be executed, the ball must definitely start to the right. If the ball starts toward the target, it is already close to a miss. If you are confident that the ball will curve to the left, it is crucial to send it clearly to the right.
There is a method players often use at grass practice ranges when training overseas. It involves placing an alignment stick to the right of the target line and practicing starting the ball to the right of the stick. When practicing a fade, you do the opposite and start the ball to the left of the stick, and those whose shots don't go straight sometimes practice by placing two sticks and passing the ball through the space between them.
It is okay if you don't have a stick. You can place an object that might cause slight visual discomfort, such as a ball, a tee, or a plastic bottle, in a spot where the club cannot reach it. When you first stand there, it might feel overwhelming, making you wonder, "Do I really have to look this far to the right?" However, that feeling is actually the correct way to stand.
08Today's homework
The homework is simple. Place an object to serve as a reference point at least one step away from the ball. It doesn't matter if it's an alignment stick, a tee, or an empty plastic bottle. Then, if you start the ball to the right of that object three times in a row, you have successfully completed today's homework.
If you practice consistently, you will be able to send the ball a greater distance with the same amount of force. Today's goal is to succeed three times in a row, and once you get used to it, I hope you will try completing the high draw by raising the tee slightly and shifting your weight to the right, as I mentioned earlier.
