Draw or FadeRange Practice All clubs Expert ⏱ 7 min 🇫🇷 Video in French

Matthieu Pavon's Controlled Draw: Clubface Toward the Ground

Name: Matthieu Pavon's Controlled Draw: Clubface Toward the Ground
Uploaded: 2022-10-15T12:00:00+00:00
Duration: 7 min 21 s
Channel: Matthieu Pavon
Description: Matthieu Pavon naturally hits a fade. But some holes force him to make the ball curve from right to left. At the FFGolf driving range, he demonstrates the tight draw he’s developed with his coach, and how he’s been practicing it—fifteen minutes a day.

Matthieu Pavon naturally hits a fade. But some holes force him to make the ball curve from right to left. At the FFGolf driving range, he demonstrates the tight draw he’s developed with his coach, and how he’s been practicing it—fifteen minutes a day.

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Matthieu Pavon · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

To be continued

9 minSame problemJustin Thomas's Iron Cut Drill: The Two BallsJustin Thomas · Expert 19 minSame problemPause at the Top of the Backswing: Matsuyama ExplainsHideki Matsuyama · Expert 3 minFrom the same proMatthieu Pavon's chip selection: 58, 52, or 9-ironMatthieu Pavon · Beginner / Intermediate

What the lesson shows

For the draw, Pavon takes the reverse of his fade address: closed stance and shoulders, and a clubface that doesn't follow the shoulders—it's fairly neutral. He moves the ball back slightly In the stance: he makes contact a little earlier, and the ball flies farther to the right. His personal feel: the backswing is the same as for his fade—neutral or even slightly outside, with his hands high. But instead of keeping the clubhead pointed toward the sky as he does for the fade, he lets his arms and face drop toward the ground upon impact. The ball goes to the right and comes back.

When he was younger, he used to play a draw shot with a lot of hands and a very inside club: the curve was hard to control. Today, he achieves a tighter draw, with a curve of 13 to 16 feet, with less variation. His training method: exaggerate the curve Start with the first few shots to get a feel for the motion, then gradually reduce the swing. He uses the posts as targets: sending the ball to the right and bringing it back in, or sending it inside and keeping it there. The divot is thinner and longer than with a fade.

The Exercise, Step by Step

Close your stance and shoulders relative to the target.
Keep your face neutral, without letting it follow the movement of your shoulders.
Move the ball back slightly in your stance.
Take your stance as you would for your usual shot, with your hands high.
On the downswing, let your arms drop and point the clubface toward the ground at impact.
Start by hitting very curved draws, then reduce the curve with each shot.
Aim for a post: hit the ball to the right and bring it back toward it.

Key Takeaways

Having a single direction of play helps, but some holes require the opposite shot.

Reverse fade: closed stance and closed shoulders, with a fairly neutral face.

A shot taken a little further back goes more to the right.

Same backswing as a fade, but the clubface is pointing toward the ground at impact.

A draw with a 4- to 16-foot curve is easier to control than a big hook.

First, we exaggerate the curve, then we scale it down.

Mistakes to Avoid

Play for the draw with a wide range of hands.
Bring the club all the way in: the ball starts to curve out of control.
Let the face follow the closed shoulders.
Keep the clubhead pointing toward the sky, as you would for a fade.
Practice your draw for hours at a time rather than in short, focused sessions.

Driving Range Mode

Keep it in plain sight, on the rug.

15-minute sessions each day dedicated to drawing
First pitches with a deliberately exaggerated curve
Gradual reduction leading up to a tight draw
Pole Drill: Go out to the right and come back in; go out to the inside and stay on the inside

Your Questions

How does Matthieu Pavon set up for a draw?

He adopts the opposite fade of his usual one: a closed stance and closed shoulders, a fairly neutral facial expression, and the ball positioned slightly back in his stance so that the shot goes more to the right.

What does “face down” mean?

For a fade, Pavon keeps the clubface pointing skyward. For a draw, he drops his arms and the clubface points toward the ground at impact: the ball goes to the right and then curves back.

What growth curve should we aim for?

For him, it's quite a personal matter. He practices by exaggerating the curve at first, then gradually reducing it until he achieves a tight draw, around 13 to 16 feet.

How did he prepare for this move before a tournament?

For three weeks, in 15-minute sessions each day, staying focused and aiming at poles to adjust the ball's trajectory as it leaves and returns.

Learn More

All “Draw Effect or Fade Effect” videos →Find the lesson that's right for you All “Practice” videos →Find the lesson that's right for you Tommy Fleetwood's Precision Drive: The Safe TeeTo find the fairway, Fleetwood maintains his tee height, holds the club in the air, widens his stance, and hits over a tee placed behind the ball. Justin Thomas's Iron Cut Drill: The Two BallsTo stop coming down too far from the inside, Thomas places two balls to avoid on his downswing line: when he misses them, his iron fade comes back. Matsuyama's one-handed drill: his key to the wedgeMatsuyama begins his practice sessions with one-handed approaches—first with his left hand, then with his right—to “guide” the ball onto the clubface and connect his short game with his long game. Matthieu PavonAll of his lessons

Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Matthieu Pavon). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons without hosting them.