The 15-time major champion has a straightforward approach to hitting both draws and fades, and it starts with the set-up. He said the secret is all in the direction of the clubface.
In a YouTube tutorial alongside Fred Couples, Woods revealed: “I like to play a slight draw for me, personally. So, I’m always aimed slightly right, face slightly open, and again, closing it slightly at impact.
“Now, if I want to hit the exact opposite shot, for a cut, I stand closer to it… What people don’t realize is, I’ll shut the face down a little bit.
“Face is open for a draw, and the face is slightly closed for a cut… wherever I want the golf ball to start out at is where I put the face. So if I’m going to start it out to the right, my face is going to be open. And then I try and close it down a little bit, and then hit my little draw.
“A lot of people think that because they have to hook it, they have to shut the face. I don’t like that. It’s hard to control. Wherever I want the ball to start out at is where I have the face.
“If I want to hit a straight ball, high my dad would say, OK… You’re teaching a 4-year-old how to hit the ball high. So my dad would say, ‘Just have a higher follow-through’. So, same shot, higher follow-through, and I hit it higher.”
Tiger Woods shares an update on his possible return in 2026
Woods was preparing for a comeback to competitive golf but needed another back surgery, his seventh. So the timeline has been pushed back again.
Before the Hero World Challenge, he told reporters he was not ready to commit to any dates. Instead, he spoke about needing more time before making any plans.
“Let me get back to playing again. Let me do that, and then I’ll figure out what the schedule will be,” he said.
“I’m a ways away from that part of it and that type of decision and that type of commitment level.
“Unfortunately, I’ve been through this rehab process before as a step-by-step, and then once I get a feel for practicing, exploding, playing and the recovery process, then I can assess where I’m going to play and how much I’ll play.”
Right now, Woods has only been cleared to chip and putt, so there is still quite a bit of ground to cover before he is fully back. Even so, fans are hoping 2026 might finally bring his return.
