How to hit a draw: A helpful 4-step recipe for every golfer

For the majority of golfers, knowing how to hit a draw is the promised land. That’s the stock shot that they want.

To get there, you have to understand the conditions it takes to get that right-to-left ball flight. You need to have a slightly in-to-out path, and you need a slightly closed clubface relative to that path. That’s the basic formula. The clubface pointing slightly to the left of the club path. But it’s important to note we’re talking about slight measures here. If you get too extreme with either of those things, that’s when the nice draw turns into a hook. What you’ll see below are a few things to help you land in the sweet spot, and to troubleshoot when things go wrong. — Joe Plecker, Director of Instruction, Landings Club, Savannah, Ga., Golf Digest Best in State Teacher

How To Hit A Draw

Align your shoulders to the right
Rotate your lead hand over the club
Bump your hips towards the target
Release your trail arm over your lead

How To Hit A Draw Step #1: Align To The Right

It might sound counterintuitive to aim right if you want to make the ball go left (for right-handed golfers), but aiming out right actually promotes a more in-to-out swing path. Making sure your shoulders point out to the right is especially important. That closes your body compared to the clubface, which is what we need for a draw. But again, don’t overdo it.

How To Hit A Draw Step #2: Lead Hand Over

Strengthening your grip is a common and simple way to create a drawing ball flight, because it allows you to close the clubface more easily through impact. To achieve a stronger grip, rotate your lead hand slightly away from the target, so your palm is more on top of the grip. You’ll know you’ve nailed it when you can see between two and three knuckles on your trail hand.

How To Hit A Draw Step #3: Bump Hip

Starting your downswing with a slight shift of your hips towards the target is an essential step of hitting a draw. So many slicers have a poor golf swing sequence. They hang back on their trail leg and swing over-the-top. Bumping your hips towards the target is the first step of a good sequence, and will promote a more in-to-out path.

How To Hit A Draw Step #4: Release Trail Arm

After your shift towards the target, your only thought should be to rotate your trail arm over your lead arm as you release the club through impact. This will encourage you to roll your wrists over, which closes the clubface and promotes the draw ball flight you're looking for.

How To Hit A Draw Step #5: Swing

There's nothing like the feeling of a good draw. It's a feeling of freedom, and a total release of the club. Just remember not to overdo any of these steps. If you do that, enjoy the extra distance!