Why Hit a Draw

Hitting a draw is especially useful in three situations; 1: To add extra distance to any shot. 2: Hitting approach shots when the flag is tucked deep left on the green. 3: Playing a dogleg left.

A draw shot (for right-handed players) is a ball flight that travels from right-to-left. That is, it starts off to the right and curves to the left mid-flight. A draw can be thought of as a controlled hook.

1. A shot imparted with right-to-left spin will travel further as the spin will tend to be over-spin causing the ball to roll, not check up, when contact is made with the ground.

2. Instead of firing directly at the flag when it is tucked deep left on the putting surface, hitting a draw in that situation will allow for a safer strategy. -Aim more towards the center of the green and allow the draw spin to curve left towards the hole. The benefits of such a strategy are that misses are controlled. If the ball isn't imparted with the desired amount of right-to-left spin, it's likely to travel straighter and finish more towards the center of the green leaving a longer, but par salvaging 2 or 3-putt. Contrast that miss with taking a direct line to the flag and missing left or long (where hazards often lurk).

3. Fairways aren't always straight. They are often bent either to the left or the right (dogleg). In many cases, a ball that is hit straight will carry and roll right through a dogleg and end up in the rough grass. To compensate, taking less club on a tee shot will help to keep the ball from running off of the fairway. However, taking less club will make for a longer next shot. Instead of taking less club, in the case of a dogleg left, work the ball by hitting a draw and allow the ball to bend around the dogleg and finish in the fairway long and deep.