Basics of Ball Flight: Learning Causes and Effects
Can Help You Adjust Your Game

By: Todd Keirstead

When someone comes to me for instruction one of the first things that I ask is, "is there a consistent ball flight that is happening on the golf course?" "Does your ball start to the left, right or at your target after initial contact?" "Does the ball curve left, right or stay straight once it gets halfway to your destination?" "Do your shorter irons stay straight and as you use the longer clubs the ball curves further and further off line?"

The truth is that the ball does not know or care who is hitting it. How the golf ball behaves after impact is directly associated with pure physics. Directionally speaking (not distance), there are only two factors involved with the path that the golf ball takes. These factors are: 1. Swing Path: Swing path is the direction that the clubhead itself is traveling on as it approaches and makes contact with the ball. There are three possibilities: inside out, inside-square-inside, or outside in (see diagram) 2. Clubface Angle: The angle of the clubface as it relates to the path of the club determines whether the ball will have sidespin or not. There are three clubface angle possibilities as related to the path that the club is traveling on: • Square to the path (90 degree angle to the swing path) • Closed to path • Open to the path The fastest way to improve is to learn something about every shot that you hit. By watching how your golf ball reacts after impact (however bad the shot may be), you can usually deduce precisely what caused the result. Essentially, swing path determines the starting direction for your shots. From there, clubface angle relative to the path of the swing will determine sidespin, or the curve of the golf shot.

For example, let's examine a typical shot for a right handed player that starts well left of the target, but slices off to the right of the target. With a ball flight that starts to the left, we know that the player's swing path is coming across the body out to the left of the target. In order for the ball to curve to the right, sidespin in that direction must have been created. This happens when the clubface is left open, or to the right, of the swing path. It's important to note that the clubface may have in fact been square to the target line, but actually open relative to the path that the club was actually traveling on inducing sidespin.

1. Swing path outside in, with clubhead closed to path - ball will start to the left and curve further to the left. Fault - Outside in swinging motion (Over the top) with clubhead closed. Result - Pull Hook.

2. Swing path outside in, clubhead square to path - ball will start to the left and continue on a straight line to the left (no curve). Fault - Outside in swinging motion (Over the top). Result – Pull

3. Swing path outside in, with clubhead open to path - ball will start to the left and curve back to target (slicing). Fault - Outside in swinging motion (Over the top) with clubhead open. Result - Pull Slice.

4. Swing path straight, clubhead closed - ball will start straight and then curve to the left. Fault - clubhead closed at impact. Result - hook.

5.Swing Path straight, clubhead square - ball will start straight and continue straight. Good straight shot.

6. Swing Path straight, clubhead open - ball will start straight and then curve to the right. Fault - clubhead open at impact. Result - slice.

7. Swing path inside out, clubhead closed to path - ball will start to the right and curve back to target (hooking). Fault - Inside out swing with clubhead closed at impact. Result - right to left draw.

8. Swing path inside out, clubhead square to path - ball will start to the right and continue on a straight line to the right (no curve). Fault - Inside out swing with body not turned to target. Result - Block Push

9. Swing path inside out, clubhead open to path - ball will start to the right and curve further to right (slicing). Fault - Inside out swing with body not turned to target and open clubface. Result - Block Slice

Divots: After most iron shots, there should have been a divot taken out of the turf. The divot is the easiest way to gather feedback about your swing path. For the right handed golfer, if the divot points to the left of the target, you are swinging to the left of the target or outside of the target line to the inside of the target line. Conversely, if your divot is directed right, you swung to the right or inside the target line to the inside. The only way to have a square divot is to swing straight down the target line through impact.

In conclusion, for you to understand your golf swing by observing the ball flight, always remember; the golf ball will start the way that you are delivering the club into the golf ball (the path of the golf swing). The ball will always finish where the club face was pointing at the moment the ball separates from the clubface.

06/10