What Is a Cut Golf Swing?

A golf shot that curves intentionally from left-to-right through the air is called a cut, and it's one of the most reliable and strategic shots a player can have. Far from the accidental, high-flying slice that frustrates many golfers, a controlled cut is a sign of skill and a powerful tool for navigating the course. This guide will break down exactly what a cut is, when you should use it, and provide a clear, step-by-step process for adding it to your game.

What a Cut Golf Swing Actually Is (And Isn't)

First, let’s get clear on the terminology. A cut, sometimes called a fade, is a shot that moves gracefully from left to right for a right-handed golfer (and right-to-left for a lefty). It has a higher ball flight and lands more softly than a straight ball or a draw, meaning it doesn't roll out as much upon landing.

This is completely different from a slice. A slice is an uncontrolled, severe curve to the right caused by a major flaw in your swing. It robs you of distance and lands you in trouble. A cut, on the other hand, is a controlled, gentle curve that starts left of your target line and 'cuts' back toward it. It's a shot you hit on purpose to achieve a specific result.

The Simple Physics of a Cut

To produce a cut, you need to create a specific relationship between your club's swing path and the clubface's angle at impact. It sounds complicated, but the idea is simple:

• The Swing Path: This is the direction your club is moving as it strikes the ball. For a cut, you need the club to be traveling from "out-to-in," meaning it's moving from outside your target line to inside your target line through impact. For a right-handed player, this feels like swinging to the left.
• The Clubface Angle: This is where the face is pointing when it makes contact with the ball. For a cut, your clubface needs to be open to your swing path but closed (or square) to your final target line.

Think about it like this: your swing path (leftward) starts the ball to the left, and the open face (pointing right of the path) puts sidespin on the ball that makes it curve back to the right. When you get this combination right, the ball launches left and gently curves back toward the pin. That’s the magic of a fade.

When and Why You Should Play a Cut

Knowing how to hit a shot is pointless if you don’t know when to use it. The cut is not a power shot, it's a precision shot. You trade a little bit of distance for a whole lot of control and predictability. It’s an incredibly useful tool in a number of common on-course situations.

Attacking Tucked Pins

Imagine a pin located on the front-right portion of the green, with a deep bunker guarding it. Hitting a straight shot directly at this pin is risky, a slight miss to the right puts you in the sand. Hitting a draw (a right-to-left shot) is also dangerous because the ball will move away from the pin toward the middle of the green upon landing.

This is the perfect scenario for a cut. You can aim for the center of the green, a much safer target, and hit a cut. The ball starts toward the safe zone, then curves back toward the flag, landing softly and stopping quickly due to its higher trajectory and backspin. It's the highest-percentage play.

Playing a Dogleg-Right

For holes that bend sharply to the right, a driver that flies straight can easily go through the fairway and into the rough or trees. A perfectly executed cut allows you to shape your tee shot with the hole, starting the ball down the left side and curving it back into the center of the fairway, leaving you a perfect angle for your approach shot.

Hitting Firm, Fast Greens

When the course is playing firm, a shot hit with a lower trajectory can bounce and roll right off the back of the green. The high, soft-landing nature of a cut is your best friend here. It descends at a steeper angle and has more spin, which helps it to "check up" much faster and hold the green instead of bounding away.

Gaining Control Off the Tee

Many professional golfers - like Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka - favor a cut (or "power fade") with their driver even on straight holes. Why? Because it's often more reproducible than a draw. A slight over-rotation of the hands can turn a draw into a hook, but a cut tends to "hold its line" more reliably. If you’re struggling with a two-way miss (both left and right), learning to hit a dependable cut can simplify your thinking and tighten your shot dispersion. You eliminate one side of the golf course.

How to Hit a Cut: A Step-by-Step Guide

Ready to try it? The great news is you don't need to change your entire swing. A cut is achieved primarily through adjustments in your setup. We'll break it down into simple, actionable steps.

Step 1: The Setup - Aim for Success

Getting your alignment right before you even swing is over half the battle. This is where most people go wrong.

1. Aim the Clubface First: This is the absolute first thing you must do. Stand behind the ball and aim your clubface where you want the ball to land. For our example of the front-right pin, point your clubface directly at the flag.
2. Set Your Body Line Left: Once the clubface is aimed at the target, adjust your feet, hips, and shoulders so they are aiming to the left of the target. For a small baby cut, this might only be a few yards left. For a bigger-bending shot, it might be 15-20 yards left of the pin. Your body is creating the swing path, and your face is determining the final destination.
3. Adjust Ball Position Slightly: A subtle but helpful adjustment is to move the ball position about a half-ball's width forward in your stance (a little closer to your lead foot). This encourages you to hit the ball slightly later in the swing arc, promoting that out-to-in club path.

Step 2: The Swing - Feeling the Path

With the setup done, you just need to trust it. Your main swing thought should be simple: swing the club along your body line.

Do not try to steer the club toward the target. Your setup has already programmed the shot. feel like you are making a normal swing that starts down the line of your feet and shoulders (to the left). This will feel strange at first, but it is necessary to create the out-to-in path.

As you come through the impact zone, the feeling is one of "holding off" the clubface's release. With a normal swing or a draw, your hands and forearms rotate naturally through impact. For a cut, you want to keep the clubface from turning over. It feels as if your chest is leading the swing and your arms and hands are just following along quietly. The clubface stays passive and "open" relative to the path you're swinging on.

Step 3: The Finish - Confirm the Feel

Your follow-through will be a natural result of the swing path you just made. Because you are swinging left, your hands will finish a little bit lower and more to the left of your body than they would on a standard swing. It might feel like a shorter, more abbreviated finish. This is a good sign that you've kept the club moving "in" after the ball was struck.

Common Problems and Quick Fixes

When you're learning, a few common mistakes can pop up. Here’s what to look for.

Problem: It Turns into a Big Slice

The Cause: The ball is curving way too much to the right. This typically means your clubface was too open to your swing path. It's often caused by aiming your clubface right of the target at setupt to begin with, and then aiming your body left. This is a recipe for a massive slice.
The Fix: Go back to Step 1. Get laser-focused on aiming your clubface directly at the final target first. Only then should you align your body to the left.

Problem: It Goes Straight Left (A "Pull")

The Cause: The ball shoots directly left and never curves back. This means your clubface was square - or even closed - to a swing path that went left. The face simply followed the path.
The Fix: You either held on too tight and didn't allow the club to do its work, or again, your setup was off. Ensure the clubface is truly open to your body line at address. You may have forgotten to point the face at the target before setting your feet.

Problem: I’m Making Poor Contact (Thin or Fat)

The Cause: This often happens when a player becomes too focused on manipulating the club with their hands and arms, and they stop rotating their body. Golf fundamentals still apply! Your body is your engine.
The Fix: Remember to turn. Keep your pivot and body rotation going through the shot. Trust that your setup has done the work, and just make an aggressive swing along your body line, turning all the way to a full, balanced finish.

Final Thoughts

Adding a controlled cut to your arsenal is a game-changer. It’s a shot that gives you precision, helps you manage trouble, and allows you to approach the course with new strategic possibilities. It's built on a simple premise: set up for the shot you want, then trust your swing and swing along your body's alignment.

Mastering complex shots, and knowing exactly when to deploy them on the course, can be tough to figure out on your own. It's why we built Caddie AI. Our app acts as your personal golf coach, giving you instance advice and analysis, so if you're struggling to diagnose why your shot is slicing instead of cutting, or if you're standing on the fairway trying to decide between hitting a straight ball or shaping one into the green, we provide you with a clear answer in seconds. With analysis that looks at everything from your shot photos to your on-course situation, we take the guesswork out of the game so you can play with more confidence and clarity.