ABC GOLF INSTRUCTION

Written by Mark Officer - Australian AAA PGA Member
REPRODUCED WITH PERMISSION © Copyright 2006
PERFECTSTROKE Mark Officer Version 1.2

TRAINING PROGRAM

1. The Grip
2. Alignment
3. Set Up
4. Power Sources
5. The Full Swing
6. Shaping Shots
7. Ball Flight Laws
8. Putting
9. Chipping
10. Pitching
11. Bunker Shots
12. Video Analysis
    Analysis & Performance

Section 7 - Ball Flight Laws

1. Club Face Alignment

2. Swing Path

3. Centeredness of Hit

4. Angle of Approach

5. Club head Speed

When the club makes contact with the ball, there are three directional factors, which determines whether or not the ball is going to go straight or if it’s going to fly with a curve. There are two other factors which help determine the trajectory of the shot and how far the ball goes. The biggest influence with direction is the clubface alignment at contact. If the clubface is open at contact that will make the ball start slightly to the right and curve further to the right. If the clubface is closed or aligned left at contact that will make the ball start slightly to the left and curve further to the left. So to hit a straight shot we need to have the clubface aligned at right angles to the target.

The second influence is the direction of the swing path of the club head and the shaft. We need to have the path of the club travelling somewhere near along the target line. If the club head is travelling from inside out, that will generally make the ball start out to the right. If its travelling from outside in, that will make the ball start to the left.

The third of the ball flight laws that influence direction is called Centredness of Hit. If the clubface is at right angles to the swing path and the ball is struck on the toe end of the club that will produce a right to left spin through something which is called ‘Gear Effect’. This twists the clubface to the left when the ball is hit off the toe, which makes the ball curve from right to left. If the club face is at right angles to the swing path and the ball is struck off the heel part of the club, the gear effect twists the club face open and the ball is hit with a left to right spin. The ideal situation for a straight shot is the clubface at right angles to the swing path with the path travelling along the target line and with a ball struck in the middle of the clubface.

The fourth ball flight law mainly has to do with the trajectory of the shot. It’s called the ‘Angle of Attack’ or the ‘Angle of Approach’. This is the actual angle that the club head and shaft is travelling down at in the approach to the ball. There are a  number things which have an effect on angle of approach. Generally speaking, when the club is coming from outside swing path wise on the down swing the club will be coming down on a steeper angle of approach and when the club is coming more from inside out or behind the body, the club head will be coming into the ball from a more shallow angle of approach. 

From the outside swing path wise will normally mean a lower ball flight and when the club is travelling from the inside and shallow it is easier to hit a high shot. The width of the arc will also have an affect on angle of approach. If the club is coming in wide, it will come in much shallower and much closer to the ground earlier. If it’s coming in narrow, it will approach much steeper. So, if the arms are soft and perhaps bent on the downswing, the club is going to come into the ball on a steeper angle of approach, so preferably we have the left arm almost straight and the club can approach with a relatively shallow angle of approach.

Weight distribution will also have an influence on this ball flight law. If the body weight is too much into the left side, the club is going to be travelling down on a steeper angle and if the body weight is still back on the right side, the angle of approach will be more shallow. Often divots can even be taken before the ball if the weight is still on the right side.

Ball position will also affect angle of approach. When you position the ball more back towards the right foot, the angle will be increased and the ball will come out much lower. When the ball is more forward in the stance the club will almost have bottomed out and the club will approach more shallow and it is easier to hit a high shot.

The ideal ball position for an iron is just before the club has bottomed out in the down swing and for a wood it is more at the very bottom of the swing arc. The  ideal angle of approach is one where the club shaft is travelling on a good path and good plane where the ball position is such that the ball is going to be met with a slightly descending blow with an iron, at the bottom of the arc with a wood, with the weight just moving forward into the left side to help produce a slightly descending blow and with a wide arc.

The last factor which has an influence on ball flight is club head speed. We want to have the greatest club head speed occurring as the club is swinging into the ball in order to produce maximum distance.  With low club head speed it’s more difficult to hit a high shot and will also affect the amount of spin and the curve on the ball. The club head speed is going to be determined by how fast the body can turn, by the arm swing and additional club head speed  provided by the hands.

Basically there are three variations on each of the ball flight influences. As far as clubface goes open, closed or square club faces positions at address and throughout the swing. As far as swing path goes - outside, inside and along the target line backswing directions and outside in, inside out and along the target line downswing path directions.

As far as clubface is concerned there are three possibilities here as well. A ball can be struck in the of the toe of the club, in the heel or in the centre.  With regard to angle of approach there are three possibilities here. Steep, too shallow or on plane and wide.