Ball Flight Laws

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:
• Straight down the target line
• Left of the target line
• Right of the target line

2. Clubface Angle: The angle of the clubface as it relates to the path of the club determines whether to 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 (left)
• Open to path (right)

• Reading your shots
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.

• Check your 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. If the divot points to the left of the target, you are swinging to the left of the target. Conversely, if your divot is directed right, you swung to the right. The only way to have a square divot is to swing straight down the target line through impact.

• Take loft into account
For most players, short irons are easier to hit straight than long irons. Your less-lofted long irons will apply far greater sidespin than your high-lofted short irons with any given clubface angle. This places a premium on precise clubface angle for the low-lofted longer clubs. In the short irons, ball flights are generally straighter and tend to continue in the direction in which they are started. With these clubs, the premium is on swing path and getting the ball started on the correct line. The two factors, swing path and clubface angle, vary in importance as you progress through all of the clubs in your set. Proficiency in both areas is the only way to strike the ball well with every club in your bag!