Golf Tips: Hold-Up Fade Shot

My local range is great.  There is a north and south end and winds are often switching around.  So I can practice shots with or against prevailing winds so I'm ready for them in the course of play.  Today we'll talk about fading against a right-to-left wind, for right handed players. The wind is hard, blowing from your right to left.  A straight ball will be pushed left and a draw will move very hard off the target line.  The best way to deal with this situation is to hit a hold-up-fade.  The fade will work against the wind and keep the ball online. Hitting this shot is not terribly difficult.  Take your normal alignment at the target, then open up your stance so your feet are aligned left of the target line.   With feet open, the club face will be aligned more at the target, similar to a bunker shot but not as extreme.  The swing is a normal swing, along a straight path aligned with the feet.  This setup will start the ball left of target and put a fade spin on it. One more club will be needed.  So if this would normally be an 8-iron, pick a 7-iron.  The ball will be flying against the wind and some yardage will be lost. Try It Pick that spot on your range if you can find one, where the wind is hard right-to-left and try the shot with variations in the stance, swing and club head alignment.   The more you practice, the better prepared you'll be on the course and you'll know just the right setup. Good luck.