Golf: Perfecting the Fade

There are two shots that most amateur golfers would like to lose: the hook and the slice. The slice is one of the most commonly made mistakes in golf, and virtually every golfer has made this shot at one time or another. When a slice is unintentional, it is considered a bad hit. But when it is intentional is known as a fade. Knowing how to fade the ball (when you want it to fade) can shave strokes off your scorecard and keep you in the fairway more consistently.

There are some occasions when a well played fade will be very useful to your play:

- If you want to direct the ball to the right.

When the wind is blowing from left to right.

If you are faced with a difficult green that may have a very hard surface or is sloping downward.

Here are some tips to help make this shot.

Make sure that you can see the shot in your mind before you attempt to make the shot. You want to mentally see the ball as it moves through the air and lands exactly where you want it to land.

When you address the ball the stance should be open. In order to do this, address as you would usually do, and then draw your left foot back a couple of inches if you are right handed. Reverse this if you are left handed. By the way, this is how you open a stance for any type of shot.

It is important that the clubface be open just slightly in order to get the desired sidespin as the club meets the ball. Be careful, however, and do not open the clubface too much.

Your backswing should be slower than normal. If you bring it back too fast, you run the risk of adding more spin on the ball and you will end up with a wicked slice rather than the nice fade you desire. If during your practice sessions you discover that you are slicing too often, try slowing your backswing a bit. Many times, this will fix that problem.

As with the intentional draw, the intentional fade requires that you avoid the temptation to suddenly modify the mechanics of your swing in order to get the ball flying in the intended path. Let your set up and feet do this work for you. For many amateur golfers this is a matter of trust and faith.

You particularly do not want to fall prey to an inside backswing that leads to an outside swing. This is often done in the hopes of making the ball fly more toward the target. Trust your set up and go through your usual swing. Make sure you swing through and finish high. When this shot is made properly, it is a thing of beauty.

As always, practice is imperative to mastering this shot. When you perform your practice sessions make sure you pay attention to the distance that you are getting with each club. You will want to know the amount of ball carry that you are losing in order to make better decisions as to which club to use.