Phil Mickelson’s simple method to help amateurs hit a draw with their iron shots

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Being able to control the shape of shots is what often separates good golfers from great ones.

If you can hit shots with relative consistency, whether that’s with a draw or a fade, then you’re well on your way to becoming a scratch golfer. But to be able to shape shots on command, depending on your circumstances? Then you’ve taken your game to the next level.

Phil Mickelson is the king of this, as the six-time major winner has used his elite shot shaping to escape some of the most daunting positions on challenging courses. Think back to his iconic shot out of the woods at the 2010 Masters.

Mickelson often gives golf tips to amateurs to help them improve their games, and he once offered simple advice for golfers who want to learn to shape their shots. 

Phil Mickelson’s simple method for hitting draws

Mickelson’s advice for shaping shots doesn’t require any change of swing. It’s all in the setup. He said that if you can learn to hit it straight with consistency, then you can also learn to shape your shots into draws or fades.

He explained: “When we shape the shot to do a slicer or a hook, we want to keep it as simple as possible and make the same golf swing, in general.

“So what I’ll do, to hit one straight, I’ll align my body at the target, set up the face square, make a swing, and try to hit it reasonably straight.

“From there, with that same golf swing, I can get draws and fades. So to hit a fade, I’ll adjust my body to aim where I want the ball to start, I’ll adjust the face to where I want it to end up, and then I’ll grip the club, and that’s gonna be key, we don’t want to just turn the hands.

“I’m set up open, the face is slightly open, I want the ball to go straight, and then just work a little bit to the left as it falls out.

“And then with the draw, I try to do the exact opposite. I aim slightly closed, where I want the ball to start. I close the face, make the same swing, and get the ball to just turn back to the target.”

Mickelson’s advice actually reveals how amateurs often worsen their slice. As right-handed players fear the right miss, they aim further left, but in doing so, that only exaggerates the slice. 

Instead, the best thing to do to hit the ball from right to left is to aim right and keep the club face pointing where you want the ball to go.

How hitting a draw can improve your distance

Most amateur golfers favour a fade, or a slice, when first starting out, because they tend to come over the top in their swing, promoting a left-to-right ball flight for right-handed golfers.

Hitting draws is evidence of a better, shallower swing path, and it can also add more distance to your shots. 

A draw is typically hit with a slightly closed clubface, which can result in less ball spin. This lower spin often leads to more roll-out upon landing, meaning your ball can run for miles.

While amateurs chase the draw, pros often favour hitting a fade. Fades, with a higher spin, often land softer and are easier for the best players to control. The higher spinning fade makes the ball stop more quickly on the green. 

However, for amateurs looking to fix their slice, trying to exaggerate a draw, or even a hook, can lead to far more consistent results and even more overall distance.