“Hitting further off the tee” would be the aim of any golfer when they starting off with the game. It’s usual unless you are a pro in the game; a pro knows when to hit further and when to not. Moreover, a pro knows how to shape a ball because they know the ball flight laws.
I might take years to master the ball flight laws in golf, which is nothing more than understanding why a golf ball curves the way it does. Bringing in revolution to the game would not be a hard task once you master the ball flight laws in golf. However, at first, you needed to know what they are.
This article is specifically designed to explain what are those Golf Ball Flight Laws and how they affect one’s game at a greater level. Moreover, learning the ball flight law will help you wade off the guessing works and work on with factual data.
The ball always starts in the direction of the face of the club facing the direction of the impact. However, it’ll later curves about the swing path in relation to the clubface. Instead of going blind with numbers, let’s start with terms that are given to different shots. There are totally nine types of shots that curve. They are
- Pull
- Push
- Fade
- Straight
- Draw
- Hook
- Slice
- Pull Hook
- Push Slice
Let us take a look at those shots in detail
Pull:
A shot can be termed as “Pull” if it starts left of the target, keeps straight in its path, and ends at the same left. Literally, one can see no curve in pull shots.
What causes a pull shot?
The most basic reason to get a pull is unaligned clubface to the club path. You might be trying to hit a straight shot. However, that ends up going left of the target because the clubface would be tilted square to the club path, which is technically closed at impact way of a shot. Another good reason would be the swing path that might be an outside-in. Moreover, you might have been aiming at the wrong target (left of the target) all along which results in such a shot.
How to fix it?
In golf, a straight shot is always a hard shot that is tried by everyone. For that one needs to have no side spin shot, which can be obtained by hitting the ball with a clubface squared to the club path. There are few more solutions to fix a pull shot. However, one easiest method following the club path and clubface alignment is aiming to the right of the target. It might help.
Hook:
A hook is a term that refers to a ball that starts right of the target and finishes left of it by curving to the left.
What causes a hook?
Ever heard of the butterfly effect? A butterfly flapping its wings at the right moment might cause a serious storm halfway across the world. Even small unnoticed changes could bring chaos to your shot like the butterfly effect. In general, a hook could be caused by the impact created by a closed clubface combined with an inside-out swing path.
How can it be fixed?
A hook can be fixed by just paying attention to your posture towards the target, your grip, the alignment of the clubface with the swing path, and the release. Along with a closed clubface and inside-out swing path, an overstrong grip could end up in a hook. Sometimes, hooking is a result of aiming right of the target. Aligning square to the target line (a perfect 90 degree to the target) will help you avoid hooking the ball. Follows one last fix; try keeping your arm and club to the front of your chest throughout your swing. And finally, avoid keeping your clubface shut.
Slice:
A slice can be known as a shot that starts left and finishes right of the target, which means, the ball would have made a curve towards the right of the target in mid-air.
What causes a slice?
Slice is one of the frustrating shots like the rest of the shots we are discussing in this article. But that can be fixed only if we know what caused it in the first place. As it is said above a slice is a shot that starts off at the left, bang right, and finishes on the right of the hole. Mostly, a slice is caused by outside to in club path combined with an open clubface, which points to the right of the target technically. Such a shot puts a terrible clock-wise spin on the ball. Sometimes, the severity of a slice depends on the type of club; a slice caused by a driver would be terrible than a 7 iron.
How to fix a slice?
After all the things we learn we sometimes fall flat when it comes to alignment relative to the target. To fix a slice, make you have aligned yourself straight to the target. Avoid hitting the ball with an open clubface that combines with an outside to in swing path. Try to hit the ball with a squared clubface relative to the target. And finally, the grip; make sure your grip is not too strong or not too week.
Push:
A push is a type of shot that is very similar to the “Pull”. In pull, the ball starts left of the target and ends left. In push, the ball starts right and ends right of the target in a straight line. Like pull, there will not be any curve that occurs in this shot.
What causes a push shot?
Three likely reasons might cause a push shot. The first reason would be an open clubface mostly. An open clubface means, you are targeting a point at the right of your target, which is definitely unintentional. The second reason would be an inside to out swing path, which is also a way of aiming to the right of the target. The third reason would be the alignment. You might be aligning yourself right of the target.
How to fix a push shot?
A push shot is indeed a straight shot you are trying to make. Now, all you need to do is to avoid pushing it to the right. Try a squared clubface relative to the target. Next in the line is fixing the inside to out swing path. The final one is aligning you straight to the target. If all else fails, try targeting the left of the target, you might get the hole rather than a slice with your faulty hit.
Pull Hook:
A pull hook is a hook shot combined with a pull shot. In this shot, the ball starts left of the target and gradually curved further left of the target and ends there far left of the target or sometimes in some hazards.
What causes a Pull Hook?
A pull hook is literally a pull and a hook, which is caused by a closed clubface at impact. A closed clubface means that it pointing towards the left of the target, so the ball ends relative to the club path. However, when it comes to the swing path, three types of swings might cause this pull hook; they are out-to-in, in-to-out, or straight.
How to fix a Pull Hook?
Golf is all about trying to hit a straight shot, which results positively only when it is done right. A straight shot can be attained with no lateral spin, which requires a squared clubface. Avoiding all the above-said causes would help you stop pull hooking the ball. Align slightly towards the right of the target to stop the pull hooks.
Push Slice:
Like a pull hook, a push slice is a combination shot of push and slice. When you hit a push slice, the ball would start to the right of the target, bangs further right at flight, and ends up at the right of the target.
What causes a Push Slice?
A push slice is caused by an open clubface combined with any of these three swing path, straight, in-to-out, and out-to-in. At last, it falls to a faulty alignment.
How to fix a push slice?
A push slice actually starts straight initially and then curves terribly. Sometimes, squaring up the clubface relative to the target would be the most necessary step to avoid push slice. An unnoticed part of hitting a push slice is the alignment. One would probably be pointing the right of the target to hit such a shot. Aligning straight to the target and swinging an inside-square-inside would help you avoid the ball push slicing.
Draw:
A draw is actually not a bad shot in golf. A draw is a shot that starts right of the target and finishes slightly left of the target or on target by curving slightly left.
How to hit a draw?
What cause a draw are an in-to-out swing path and a closed clubface at the impact. However, sometimes a draw might end up being a hook, which is terrible. Offering enough right-left spin on the ball will help to make a draw easier. To make a draw easier, align yourself slightly right of the target and your clubface square. That’s the easiest way.
Fade:
Like drawing, the fade is not a bad shot too. While the ball starts right curves left, and ends on the target in a draw, the ball actually starts left curves right and ends on the target in a fade.
How to fade the ball easily in golf?
To fade a ball the swing path must be out-in and the clubface must be open. However, it would sometimes end up being a slice shot. If you aligned yourself slightly left of the target, it will offer the club an open face. So you can hit the ball with an out-in swing with an open clubface to make a perfect fade.
Straight shot:
The straight shot can be also being known as the on-target shot in which the ball starts straight to the target and ends on the target. There will be no lateral spin or curves in this shot.
How to make a straight shot easier?
All you need to do to get a straight shot is to put your clubface square to the target and swing straight down without deviation.
Conclusion:
So, all those shots can be easily read, but one needs to practice them regularly to become a golf master. Learning the golf flight laws is a must when you are planning to become a professional player in golf.
Learn the Best Golf simulator for home here