Exercises and routines to learn how to play draw

Your quick check: is it a draw… or a hook?

Before doing any exercises, check your starting point and your curve.

A “clean” draw” starts slightly to the right of the target (for a right-handed person) and gently moves back towards the left.
A hook, on the other hand, can start on the right and come back too strong, or start already on the left and wrap even more.

On the driving range, rate out of 10 balls:

• (1) starting point,
• (2) intensity of the curve,
• (3) height,
• (4) contact quality.

If the ball starts to the left, it's not the right "type" of draw to build: you'll first need to correct the face orientation.

Simple tip:

• If you're unsure, choose a very specific target and look only at it. the departure during the first 2 seconds of flight. That's your best indicator.

Your draw base: alignment and "rail" on the ground

Drawing becomes much simpler when you create a visual guide.

Place two clubs on the ground:

• A club on your line of play (towards the target), and a second club that represents your foot line, parallel to the first.

  Next, add a third marker: a tee or a stick that “indicates” a starting point slightly to the right of the target.

Your goal is not to aim "to the right" with your entire body:

• You must stay aligned with the target, but accept a start slightly to the right. Too many players confuse the two and create a compensatory swing that ends in a hook.

Immediate exercise:

• Make 5 swings without hitting the club, feeling the clubhead move “onto the inside rail” after impact (towards the inside of the line), without changing your posture.

For a complete and structured approach, see the following page:

• Playing draw in golf – the complete guide.

Exercise #1: Starting “gate” (to control the starting point)

Place two tees 1 meter in front of the ball, spaced about one and a half ball lengths apart: this forms a visual “gateway”.
Position this door so that it orients the starting slightly to the right of the target.

Your sole mission:
Get the ball through the gate, without worrying about the curve at the beginning.

Why it works:
Many golfers "create" the curve by manipulating their hands, whereas the draw comes primarily from a departure Consistent. Once you know how to start on the right, you can add a slight curve, not the other way around.

Recommended series: 

3 sets of 6 balls. If 4 out of 6 balls pass through the gate, you can move on to the next exercise.

Exercise #2: “Inner path” with an obstacle (to create the curve)

Place a soft object (headcover, empty bottle, rolled-up towel) just outside the ball, slightly behind it.

The idea:
If you move too far "outside-inside", you will hit the obstacle. This reference point helps you create a more indoor-outdoor path, which favors the draw.

Attention :
Don't aim for an "extreme" ball path. A fairway draw is played with a moderate path and a controlled clubface. If you avoid the hazard but the ball ends up hooking, it's probably because the clubface is closing too much: keep the curve small.

Recommended series:

2 sets of 8 shots, alternating between a mid-iron and a hybrid (or a wood). The goal is to maintain the same trajectory pattern.

Exercise #3: “Controlled curve” (small draw, then normal draw)

Here's a very effective exercise to avoid the hook: you're going to ask your ball to curve "on demand". Start by aiming for a mini-draw (slight curve). Once you get 3 mini-draws out of 5 balls, you slightly increase the intention to get a “normal” draw.

Instructions: Same target, same routine, only the curve's "level" changes. If you lose your start (ball starting to the left), revert to the mini-draw. This forces your system to prioritize direction.

Simple grid:

10 balls = 5 mini-draws + 5 normal draws. Note your success (on target and controlled curve).

Complete routine (12 minutes) to anchor the draw

If you want to progress quickly, you need to repeat a short, always identical routine.

Here is a very profitable 12-minute routine:

• 2 minutes “starting gate”,
• 4 minutes “inner path obstacle”,
• 4 minutes “mini-draw then normal draw”,
• 2 minutes “practice scenario”.

The scenario:

Choose an imaginary fairway target, then an imaginary green target.
You play four balls as if you were on the course, with a complete routine (visualization + alignment + swing). The draw must become a intention, not a technical DIY project.

Advice :

Stop the session as soon as you feel you are "forcing" it. A draw is built better with clean repetitions than with 60 shots in a row.