The draw string

By T.J. TOMASI

Once you decide the ball flight you want (straight, draw or fade), you must put in place the combination of swing mechanics (what I call swing strings) that will produce that flight. The draw flies lower and is more penetrating in the wind than the other flight patterns. Also, it goes farther after it lands, resulting in more distance than the fade or the straight ball.

Whatever else you do to produce a draw, your clubface must be closed to the clubhead’s path at impact. How much depends on whether you want a baby draw that starts out, say, four yards to the right of target and curves back to the flag, or a big-boy curve that borders on a hook.

On a correctly hit draw, the curve occurs at the apex of the flight. The numbers might look like this: To curve the ball back to the target, your clubhead path might be 8 degrees inside-out to the target line, while your clubface is only 4 degrees inside-out.

That gives you a clubface that is 4 degrees closed to the clubhead’s path, and that spells draw.

Here are the mechanics of the draw string:

1. Aim to the right with your body; aim clubface to target.

2. De-flare front foot.

3. Flare the back foot.

4. Place ball back in stance at address.

5. Clubface points to the sky at top of swing.

6. Aggressive release.

7. Clubface points at the ground in follow-through.