A slice and a fade both curve to the right, and a hook and a draw both curve to the left (for a right-handed golfer). The difference is how much the ball curves and whether you meant it to: a big curve that misses the target is usually called a slice or a hook, while a small, controlled curve that finishes where you aimed is a fade or a draw. Which shape you get is decided by the relationship between the clubface angle and the club’s path at impact.
The four shot shapes compared
| Shot shape | Curve (right-handed) | Amount of curve | How it is viewed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fade | Left to right | Small | A controllable stock shot |
| Slice | Left to right | Large | A mishit |
| Draw | Right to left | Small | A stock shot that tends to go farther |
| Hook | Right to left | Large | A mishit |
For left-handed golfers every direction is reversed: a ball curving right is a draw or hook, and a ball curving left is a fade or slice. There is no fixed point where a fade becomes a slice; golfers call it one or the other depending on whether the curve stays within the area they were aiming at. You will also hear phrases like “a big slice” for a ball that curves a long way, and “power fade” for a stronger fade hit on purpose.
Straight shots have names too
Separate from curve, the starting direction also has names.
- Push: starts right of the target and flies straight.
- Pull: starts left of the target and flies straight.
- Straight: starts at the target and does not curve.
Combine start direction and curve and you get shots such as the push slice, which starts right and curves farther right, and the pull hook, which starts left and curves farther left. A severe, low pull hook that dives left quickly is often called a duck hook or snap hook.
Why the ball curves
Launch monitors (radar-based devices such as TrackMan) have changed how ball flight is explained. Today it is described like this:
- Start direction is mostly decided by face angle. With a driver, most of the starting direction comes from where the face points, and the influence of club path increases a little with higher-lofted irons.
- Curve is decided by the difference between face angle and swing path. If the face is open to the path, the ball curves right; if it is closed to the path, it curves left. The bigger the difference, the bigger the curve.
Golfers used to be taught that path sets the starting direction and the face sets the curve, but measurement data showed it is the other way round. Practicing with the old explanation can backfire: trying to fix a slice by aiming your body left of the target can make the slice worse.
The typical slice
The slice that troubles so many amateurs comes from an out-to-in path (the club moving from outside the target line to inside) with the face open to that path at impact. Aiming left out of fear of the curve makes the path even more out-to-in, and the curve gets bigger.
The typical hook
A hook comes from an in-to-out path that is too strong, with the face closed to that path at impact. It also shows up when you over-rotate the hands while trying to fix a slice.
Where you strike the face matters too
When you hit a driver away from the center of the face, the head twists and adds spin to the ball (the gear effect). For a right-handed golfer, a strike toward the toe tends to curve left and a strike toward the heel tends to curve right. Before changing your swing, checking where on the face you are making contact helps you narrow down the cause.
How to hit a draw or a fade on purpose
When curving the ball deliberately, think about start direction and curve separately. The basic approach is:
- Draw: aim your body (stance) slightly right of the target and swing along that line. Point the face at the target, which leaves it slightly closed relative to your stance. The ball starts right of the target and curves back to the left.
- Fade: aim your body slightly left of the target and swing along that line. Point the face at the target, which leaves it slightly open relative to your stance. The ball starts left of the target and curves back to the right.
Do not try to bend it a lot straight away; at the range, start by keeping the curve small in either direction. Once you can hit one shape consistently, that becomes your stock shot.
Draw or fade: which is better?
In general, a draw is said to roll more after landing and go farther, while a fade flies higher, stops more quickly and holds its line better. Among tour players there are those whose stock shot is a draw and those who play a fade, so neither is the right answer. What matters is that the ball curves the same way every time. If it can curve either way, you can only use half the width of the hole.
Your stock shot also shapes how you play a course. A player who fades the ball aims down the left side of the fairway and lets it come back right, and a player who draws it aims down the right side and lets it come back left, so even the curved shots stay in the fairway. On a hole that bends, how you aim depends on whether the direction of the dogleg matches your shot shape.
The less loft a club has, the more it curves, so the same swing often produces a big curve with the driver and almost none with a wedge. Even when only your driver slices, the cause is usually the same swing.