Best Golf Advice Ever. Understand Ball Flight Laws

We are all looking to for that magic tip that transforms our golf game, I was no different. I spent years searching but it wasn't a tip or practice drill that changed my game, it was an understanding of ball flight laws!

When you understand ball flight laws, things seem to make more sense in the golf swing. I always laugh when a golfer tries to explain why he just a hit a slice "Ah I forgot to wrap my hands over" well it wouldn't have helped Jeff because your swing path was "open"

Let’s explain further. The ball will start where the club face is pointing for the most part. For example, if the club face is 2 degrees open to the target line, the ball will start to the right. 

Then the direction it curves is relative to the swing path. So if the path is 4 degrees to the right of the target the ball will start right and then curve away from the path. These numbers above would result in a push draw.  

On the other hand, if the club face is once again 2 degrees open, but your swing path is 3 degrees left of the target line. The club face is open to both the target line and the swing path.

The ball will start to the right and then curve away from the path once again which in this example the ball will curve right. The result is a push fade that is going to potentially end up in a bad result.

The bottom line is that the ball will start where the club face is pointing and then curve away from the path. In order to hit a slight pull fade, a swing that has a face pointing 2 degrees left and a path that is 4 degrees left will result in a shot that starts slightly left and fades back towards the target.

So how does this information help? It helps you solve your own issues. By reading your ball flight you are now able to understand what the club face and the swing path are doing. They work hand in hand.

It is essential that you can be consistent. They don’t need to match them up every time, but they should be within a certain range.