Can’t Hit A Draw Or A Fade On Command? Your Body May Be The Reason

Hitting a draw or a fade on command feels like something only better players can do. If you're good, you can work the ball. If you're newer to the game, you might hit a draw now and then, but you can't call it up when you need it.

That's why some data from the Player Development Index (PDI) stuck with me. After testing 2,408 golfers, they found an angle on shot shaping I hadn't seen before and it has nothing to do with your swing path.

The short version: golfers who move well can shape more shots. Here's what they found.

The test

PDI looks at a golfer as a complete athlete, covering movement, strength, power and how well you hit the shots the game asks for. This study compared two parts of it.

The first is the 9 Ball Flights test. With a 6-iron, you try to hit nine shots: high, middle and low, each as a draw, a straight shot and a fade. Your score is out of nine.

The second is movement, measured with the Deep Squat and the Active Straight Leg Raise. Both are scored from 1 to 3. A 3 is a clean movement. A 1 means you can't finish it without major compensation, like your heels lifting in the squat or your leg barely rising off the ground.

What they found

PDI grouped players by their movement scores: all 1s, all 3s, and everyone in between. The golfers who moved best successfully hit 38 percent more of the shots they were asked to hit.

That works out to almost one extra shot shape out of nine. Most golfers land between 2 and 3 on this test so that's a big jump. The results also climbed in clear steps. The more freely a player moved, the more shots they could hit.

Maybe better players just move better?

My first thought was that maybe better players just move better and that is why the data supports this. PDI checked by comparing players at the same level and the gap showed up for juniors, college players and adult amateurs.

Adult amateurs showed the biggest difference.

The ones who moved well hit more than twice as many shot shapes as the ones who didn't which put them on par with college players. If you're a weekend golfer who can't hit a fade, your hips and ankles may be holding you back more than your swing.

Why it shows up in ball flight

Shaping a shot means changing your club path and face angle on purpose, on command. A higher shot needs you to stay back and turn through. A lower one needs your hands ahead and your chest over the ball. Each shape puts your body in a slightly different spot at impact.

If your hips or ankles are stiff, your body can only get into so many positions. Your body finds one swing that works and repeats it, whether you wanted a draw or a fade. Of the two tests, the Deep Squat had the clearer link on its own.

Players who scored a 3 averaged 2.89 on the 9 Ball Flights test compared with 2.48 for players who scored a 1. The biggest gap came when both movement tests were good.

What to do about it

If you can't shape your shots, test your movement before you change your swing.

1. Check your squat. Hold a club overhead with straight arms and squat as low as you can. If your heels come up or your chest drops forward, that's your starting point.
2. Work on mobility. Your ankles, hips, spine and shoulders all matter. A few minutes a day working on stretching and mobility can make all the difference.
3. Test again. After a few weeks, see if your movement and your ball control improve together.

One caveat: this data shows a link between mobility and ball control, not proof that one causes the other. But if you've spent months trying to fix your path and still can't hit a draw when you want one, take a look at how you move and the limitations your body sets for you.

About the study: 2,408 golfers assessed with the PDI, each counted once using their most recent assessment.