Path vs. Club Face

Reading your shots can be a benefit when it comes to correcting
swing problems. If you understand what makes the ball start in a
curtain direction, and why it curves, it may help you diagnose your
swing fault.
Reading your shots can be a benefit when it comes to correcting swing problems. If you understand what makes the ball start in a curtain direction, and why it curves, it may help you diagnose your swing fault. One of the first principles PGA Instructors study when going through their training are ball-flight laws. When giving a lesson, one of the first things I look at is where the ball starts when it leaves the club and how the ball is curving. For example, (for the right handed player), if the ball starts left of the target and then curves to the right, this means the path of the club is traveling from outside the target line and moving across to the left with the club face open, producing a pull slice. The correction would be to get the path of the club traveling from the inside of the target line to the right of the target. This correction would cause the ball to start slightly to the right of the target. Second, get the club face square at impact. Two of the most common problems I see in the squaring club face are grip pressure is too tight, and lack of hinging and unhinging of the wrists. By keeping your grip pressure light and your arms relaxed, this will allow the club to square itself. Once you see the ball curving slightly from right to left you’ll know you’re squaring the clubface properly. To review, knowing the direction the ball starts and how it curves will eliminate unnecessary swing changes.