Using Path, not Face to Curve the Ball

Interestingly enough, most people I teach tell me they just want to hit the ball straight.

The ball can curve back to your end target, but hitting the ball “straight” is about the same odds as winning the lottery.

Golf balls have dimples, robots cannot hit it straight. It might not curve that much, but perfectly straight? Rarely if ever.

If your typical shot (as a right handed player) starts down the left side and fades or slices back to centre, the ball may end up straight at your end target, but if it curved 40 yards left to right, there’s your lost distance.

Now that we know that the ball will rarely fly dead straight, lets talk about how to curve the ball on purpose. Most people try to curve the ball with the face angle timed perfectly at impact. Good luck with that. It is possible to do so, but anytime you are trying to “time” something with your hands, consistency will suffer.

Trust me, path control to curve the ball is much more consistent.

If you don’t know how to control your path, please contact me. It is one of the easiest things ever to do.

Which leads to my last point, and something to have a think about. A proper draw shot is hit with an open face. A proper fade is hit with a closed face. Look at the picture below which states face at impact and curvature, where the clubface is closed 5.8 degrees (to the left) at impact, yet the golf ball curves from left to right, resulting in a fade.

Or think of this. How on earth do you hit a “high” draw with a closed face? Answer. You don’t. How do guys that hit a fade (Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson) that travels forever? With a closed face. Trust me this is true. They know how to make their path affect their curvature. It is more reliable under any kind of pressure. If you are looking for find house cleaning service in chinatown pa, click here.

Any comments, questions or concerns, please contact me at cschmaltz@willowsgolf.com. Please contact me here for any lesson inquiries as well. I look forward to it!

Clinton Schmaltz

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About the author

Clinton Schmaltz is the Director of Instruction at The Willows Golf Club in Saskatoon. He has been a Class A Professional for 21 years, working at great Clubs and teaching many great people along the way. Clinton has been nominated the last 6 years in a row for Teacher of the Year in the Saskatchewan Zone.