Even seasoned golfers don’t always understand what their club is doing at impact — or where the ball is headed immediately afterward. There’s something to be learned from Chez Reavie, one of the PGA Tour’s steadier performers, who hits an extremely reliable draw.
The Common Mistake
Before we began working together, Chez was a big face-flipper — he rotated the club significantly through impact. That action led to an injury that sidelined him for a significant period of time. Most people don’t understand that to hit a draw, you don’t flip your wrists or over-rotate your hands. Instead, you work your path to the right while keeping the face closed to the path but open to the target.
What Chez Does
After working through his injuries, Chez played it smart — he practiced and adopted the time-proven necessities for hitting a draw as outlined above. He’s since mastered the philosophy; he knows where his ball is starting (out to the right) and where it’s going to turn from there (back to the middle).
What You Should Do
Borrow a page from Chez’s practice manual and copy his favorite drill. Stick an alignment rod in the ground about 10 yards in front of you on your target line. For an even better visual reference, slip a swim noodle over the rod (1). Focus on the noodle (2). Your goal is to zoom the ball past the right side of the noodle (3) and get it to turn back so that it lands to the left. It’s a very simple but powerful drill. Golfers have these perceptions of their aim and their ball flight, and they’re often incorrect. You’ll quickly learn what Chez knows: The noodle never lies.
