Instruction

How to “Read” Your Ball Flight

Published

12 years ago

Jun 6, 2013

On driving ranges and golf courses all over the land, each day, struggling golfers are attempting to diagnose and correct their swings.

Since we can’t see ourselves, we primarily use the ball’s flight to determine how efficient any given swing was. After all, it is a satisfactory ball flight which we desire, right? But when I quiz my students on the physical basics of impact and ball flight, it becomes clear that most players do not have a sufficient education in this area to draw the correct conclusions about their swing.

This article will lay out the procedure to “read” your ball flight so that that you can accurately determine how your swing is delivering the club to the ball. This is a crucial first step before you should attempt to implement the correct adjustments, with the help of a pro or on your own.

First, let’s look at how the ball flight is created. Although the time that the ball is actually on the club face lasts only one half of a millisecond (1/2000 of a second!), it is shortly after contact is first made with the ball, at the point of maximum compression of the ball against the club face, that the ball flight is “programmed” into the ball. Of the handful of user-controlled conditions between club face and ball at maximum compression, we shall look at three. They are:

The impact point on the club face.
The direction of the swing.
The direction of the club face.

You need look no further than these three to understand both why the ball starts off in the direction that it does and why it curves sideways or not.

IMPACT LOCATION

Most people understand well that the ball should be struck on the sweet spot or center of gravity (CG) of the club face, which is typically located on the lower center of the club face. But I find that people do not fully appreciate what happens when the ball is not impacted on the sweet spot.

Not only distance is lost, but also accuracy. This is because the club face twists during the collision, causing a loss of energy and distance, but also a change to the direction that the club face is pointing from first contact. This re-direction of the club face affects not only the starting direction of the ball flight (horizontal launch direction), but also the resulting curve, courtesy of a phenomenon known as the “gear effect,” which we shall not get into here. Just know that in order to make an accurate determination of how you are truly “presenting” the club to the ball at impact, you’ll want to read for “centered” impacts only.

It is worth noting that the club face twisting which occurs from off-center impacts is quite significant, even for the most “forgiving” club head designs. I use Dr. Scholl’s powder spray for the club face in my teaching and club-fitting to determine the impact point. This is preferable to plastic decals since these alter the launch and spin characteristics of the ball flight. Impacting the sweet spot takes precedence over any other impact condition. If you are not able to impact on or very close to the center of the club face better than half of the time, then you should be working on this aspect of your swing before anything else.

Now, assuming that you have impacted on or very close to the sweet spot, you are now ready to make relative determinations of the direction of the swing, and the direction of the club face by “reading” your ball flight.

CLUBFACE DIRECTION

The direction that the club face is pointing is alternatively referenced to either the target or the swing direction by teaching pros. This is confusing. The most important reference for the club face is the swing direction, since it is responsible for the curvature or lack thereof in the ball flight.

I have a saying, which is that “The ball doesn’t know where the target is.” For sweet-spot impacts, the ball will curve from left-to-right when the club face is facing rightward (open for right-handed players) of the swing direction, right-to-left when the club face is leftward of the swing direction (closed), and no sideways curve when the club face is square. Period. This is physical law. Observe the curve in your ball flight and diagnose this aspect of the swing correctly.

SWING DIRECTION

Although the direction of the swing’s plane and the direction that the club head is travelling parallel each other only at the low point of the club head’s arc, let us, for the sake of simplicity, assume here that they will be the same. Traditionally called the path, the swing direction, in conjunction with the club face direction, determines the starting direction and resulting curve in ball flight. When the ball does not curve sideways, then the swing direction and club face direction are the same, and the ball will also start-off in this direction. This is fairly easy for most players to follow.

For example, let’s say that your ball starts off at the target and does not curve sideways (no wind influence). This means that both the swing direction and club face direction are in-line with the target. This is the ball flight that most of my students tell me that they desire. If you have made a sweet spot impact and achieve this ball flight, then congratulations! You have achieved perfection in all three of our impact conditions! It is when we come to the task of determining swing direction for sideways-curving ball flights that things get trickier.

Curvature results when there is a differential between swing and club face directions. Here’s the key to determining relative swing direction for curving ball flights; relative to the starting direction of the ball flight, the swing direction is OPPOSITE to the curve direction. Take a moment to really digest that statement because this is where I find that too few players draw the correct conclusions regarding swing direction. So for example, if your ball starts off at the target, and then curves to the right, then your swing direction is leftward of the target. Your swing direction is not on-target. This is because the direction that the ball starts off is much closer to the direction of the club face than the swing.

The seminal golf research book, “Search for the Perfect Swing,” published in 1968, clearly presented this science to the public, but that didn’t stop many players, pros included, from incorrectly assuming that the starting direction was the same as the swing direction. This is a BIG difference. So, an example for all you “slicers” is the following; if your ball starts off at the target and then curves to the right, then not only do you have an open club face, but also a swing direction which is leftward of on-target. “Hookers” would do well to realize also that when your ball starts at the target and then darts quickly left, then your swing direction is well rightward of the target.

When you understand what has been presented here, you can determine whether it is the direction of your swing, or your club face, or both, which require adjustment, and more importantly, in which direction to adjust.

Instruction

The Wedge Guy: Beating the yips into submission

Published

3 weeks ago

Aug 1, 2025

Terry Koehler

There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.

And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.

But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.

When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.

Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.

For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!

Instruction

Looking for a good golf instructor? Use this checklist

Published

4 weeks ago

Jul 31, 2025

Sue Shapcott

Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.

Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.

If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.

1. Cultural mindset

What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!

It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.

2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling

Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.

3. Learning theory basics

It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.

As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.

So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!

Instruction

What Lottie Woad’s stunning debut win teaches every golfer

Published

4 weeks ago

Jul 29, 2025

Brendon Elliott

Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.

The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).

But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.

Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)

Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.

What Woad did:

• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances

• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins

• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets

• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”

Why most golfers mess this up:

• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”

• Distance becomes more important than accuracy

• They try to be heroic instead of smart

ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.

The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire

Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.

How she responded to pressure:

• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th

• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys

• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th

• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked

What amateurs do wrong:

• Get conservative when they should be aggressive

• Try to force magic when steady play would win

• Panic when someone else makes a move

ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.

Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game

Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.

Her mental approach:

• Focused on her process, not the competition

• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)

• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”

Her physical execution:

• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)

• Methodical iron play

• Steady putting

• Everything effective, nothing spectacular

ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.

Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built

The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”

Her winning mindset:

• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself

• Focused on playing well and contending

• Made winning a byproduct of a good process

• Built confidence through recent experiences:

Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
Each experience prepared her for the next

What this means for you:

• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up

• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine

• Commit to every shot

• Stay present in the moment

ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.

The Real Lesson

Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.

The fundamentals that won:

• Hit more fairways

• Find more greens

• Make the putts you should make

• Stay patient under pressure

That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.

FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.

PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” on RG.org each Monday.

Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more Tips!