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DIRECTION
This page will take a little longer than usual to load. This is because there are some large animated gif files. You can begin to read the information whilst the gifs are loading and then go back and look at them a short time after. Direction is measured in two ways:- a) Initial ball flight direction. b) Subsequent deviation (hooks or slices)Initial ball flight direction. Initial ball flight direction is governed by the direction that the clubhead is traveling at impact. There are three possibilities with regard to initial direction:- a) On target. b) Right of target (push). c) Left of target (pull). It is important that the player be able to recognise the direction of initial flight without being confused by deviation. It is also important that the player develops a reliable downswing path so that initial flight patterns are at an acceptable level. The illustration below shows the usual three swing path patterns.
The blue line shows an out to in swing pattern which will result in the ball initially flying to the left of target. The black line shows a down the line swing pattern which will result in the ball initially flying on target. The red line shows an in to out swing pattern which will result in the ball initially flying to the right of target of target. The illustration below shows a ball flying initially toward the target and holding it's line through the air i.e. a straight to straight golf shot. To achieve this shot:- The clubhead was travelling toward the target through the impact zone. The clubhead was in a square position at impact. The ball was contacted by the center of the clubface.
Initial ball flight direction. First fix: Check alignment in set up.Alignment can have an obvious influence on initial direction, check through the suggestions at AimSecond fix:
Re-Align the downswing path.
1) Whilst alignment at address will help to influence the downswing path it will not
govern it. Look at Lee Trevino who prefers to line up to the left of target
and yet was one of the straightest hitters on the professional tour.
Trevino needed to align to the left in order to find the required swing path
because that preference exactly fitted his swing.
Players must find their own best alignment, the majority will surely
find that square alignment as recommended in the Aim section of this work will be best for them.
2) Train the downswing to return the clubhead along the target path using a drill like
the one illustrated below:-
The player sets up three lines of parallel tee pegs.
Line a) represents the outside path.
Line b) represents the target path.
Line c) represents the inside path.
The player sets up the line of pegs as illustrated, starting with a gap of about
9" from line a to c. When the player can make a normal speed swing and hit
the last 3 pegs in line b without contacting either a or c then the gap can be narrowed.
When the player can regularly hit the last 3 pegs in line b without contacting either a or c
at a gap of 5" then the results should be carried through onto the golf course.
3) Foreshorten the target.
Instead of using the target as a reference point for lining the clubhead path, use a
broad balde of grass, a daisy or some other pointer that is on line with the target
but within six inches or from the ball.
Foreshortening the target in this manner can be a highly effective aid to
ensuring that initial flight direction is toward the target. Subsequent deveatation. There are two possibilities with regard to subsequent deviation:- a) The ball deviates to the right (slight deviation, a fade excessively, a slice). The illustration below shows a ball flying initially straight and then deviating excessively to the right, a slice. When this happens:- The clubhead was traveling toward the target through the impact zone. The clubhead was in an open position at impact. The ball was contacted by the heel of the clubface.
b) The ball deviates to the left (slight deviation, a draw, excessively, a hook). The illustration below shows a ball flying initially straight and then deviating excessively to the left, a hook. When this happens:- The clubhead was traveling toward the target through the impact zone. The clubhead was in an closed position at impact. The ball was contacted by the toe of the clubface.
This is a common fault and one that can be difficult to fix requiring intensive study, therefore, please go to Slicing. b) Hooking. Less common but can be very destructive, to fix, please go to Hooking. The 9 ball flight patterns. By combining the 3 initial ball flight directional possibilities with the subsequent deviation, there are 9 ball flight patterns. It is fundamental to ball flight and therefore swing analysis that the player be able to both identify initial and subsequent ball flight. The illustration below represents the 9 ball flight patterns, the explanations point out the relevant path and clubface position for each directional possibility:- 1) Straight: Initially straight, holding line. (path straight, clubface square. central black box) 2) Fade or Slice: Initially straight, deviating to the right. (path straight, clubface open. central blue box.) 3) Draw or Hook: Initially straight, deviating to the left. (path straight, clubface closed. central red box) 4) Push: Initially right, holding line. (path in to out, clubface square. right side, green box) 5) Push Fade/Slice: Initially right, deviating further to the right. (path in to out, clubface open. right side red box) 6) Push Draw/Hook: Initially right, deviating to the left. (path in to out, clubface closed. right side blue box) 7) Pull: Initially to the left, holding line.(path out to in, clubface square. left side green box) 8) Pull Fade/Slice: Initially to the left, deviating to the right. (path out to in, clubface open.left side blue box) 9) Pull Draw/Hook: Initially to the left, deviating further to the left. (path out to in, clubface closed. left side red box) see the 9 ball flight patterns illustrated below.
a) Fist of all ensure that the ball is initially flying toward the target. If not, look at all the fixes and drills to get the downswing path along the target line. b) Once initial flight direction is acceptable look for deviation. Study the fixes for clubface position and visit the either :- Hooking or Slicing for more help.
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