Many of the best players throughout history have achieved great success by playing with a fade.
Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus are just two legendary golfers who could call upon the fade shot to produce long and accurate shots. The senior golfer could use the fade to similar effect and hit the ball further and straighter. Many senior golfers find that the fade shot is easier to master than the draw but is still takes practice to achieve.
A faded ball flight begins left of the target before curving right in the air to finish on the target line (for a right handed golfer).
The shot shape is caused when the club travels on an out-to-in swing path with the club face open to the path but slightly closed to the target line.
How to Hit the Fade
A lot of the work needed to hit a powerful fade shot can be completed at set-up.
1. After establishing the ball-to-target line, set the club face square (aiming at the target)
2. Then position the toes, knees, hips and shoulders at right angles to the ball-to-target line.
3. Now depending on how much you want to fade the ball, bring the body around to the left (for a right handed golfer) but leave the club face held square (or slightly closed) to the ball-to-target line.
4. The more left you aim, the bigger the fade ball flight will be. However, the more fade the senior golfer places on the ball, the more distance could be lost through extra side and backspin.
The swing
The reason achieving the correct set up is important is because the senior can use their body line to guide the swing. After the body has been angled away to the left, the senior can begin their swing. The club should be swung along the line of the toes (out-to-in in relation to the target line). This will produce an out-to-in swing path. If the club face is held square or slightly closed to the target line, the open club face in relation to the swing path will produce the spin required to fade the ball through the air. Because the club face is slightly open at impact it will also have more loft than usual. This will increase the height of the ball and possibly the distance the ball travels.
