COMMUNITY

path determines curve, clubface determines starting line

if the ball is too far forward, your path will eventually change from inside out to outside in

we swing the club on an arc

the last thing you want to do is try to manipulate your hands through the release.

the ball is on the clubface for fractions of a second.

Poison, I've talked about this in other threads. Let me copy/paste.



Basically, make sure you fold and unfold the right arm. The wrists take care of themselves. Don't try to roll them or hold them off in the backswing or downswing. We're trying to keep the clubface square throughout the swing so that there is no need to roll the hands one way or the other in order to square the club.

If you don't unfold the right arm into the golf ball, the face angle will be open at impact. You have to "save" the shot with the hands. Now, modern teaching methods say "Square the club with the body," meaning they DON'T want you to unfold the arm, and instead want you to turn hard through the shot to square it. Oh it works, sure, but you gotta be constantly hitting golf balls because that's a "hit" and not a "swing." Hard to time on a consistent basis.

Basically, from the top I feel like I simply unfold my right arm while simultaneously straightening (not locking, mind you) my left leg. I'm not trying to "bring the club into the hitting area" or anything. That takes care of itself if you just get out of your own way.

So I unfold the right arm right from the top of the swing. Now, if I were to stay in my top-of-backswing position and unfolded the arm, that would be a cast. But by straightening the left leg (which initiates my hip turn through the shot), that "cast" is saved for the last instant before impact. If you watched my swing in frame-by-frame, you'd see I retain the lag and all that good stuff...but I never think about that. All I am doing is BALANCING ONE MOTION (right arm unfold) WITH AN OPPOSING MOTION (left leg straightening). There's no wrist roll or anything. The release is DOWN the shaft, not around it.

incorrect sir, face angle affects the flight, path affects direction, even if you have perfect path you can still slice if your face angle is open. look at the pros they work the ball with their hands(you know to move the face), not their path.

Poison, Id try using a weighted club and taking practice swings. Like ten swings with a weighted club to every one practice swing with your normal club. something like that will work on your connection through out the swing. and correct your timing at impact.

Nathan, you really need to do an internet search for 'the new ball flight laws'. I hit a draw with an open clubface.

One of the best ball strikers on Tour is Stricker and most people will note how little his hand/wrists influence his swing.

What is perfect path? It's all about the point of tagency.
Clubface in relation to path with determine where the ball finishes.

I'm not disagreeing with you...but I have a question:

Open to what?

When you talk about open/closed, you need to be clear. Your club can be open/closed to the target, or open/closed to the swing path. Here's a FACT. A clubface open to the swing path will NEVER draw.

The truth is, your clubface isn't open to the swing path. If you stopped your swing and looked at the orientation of your wrists at the time of impact, you'd see that the face is shut. Because of your inside-to-out swing, your swing path may dictate that the face is pointing a little right of the target, thus the illusion of being open. But it's not open in relation to your swing path.

You're absolutely correct Goynes. My comment was directed at nathan smith. and yes, I pointed out that clubface in relation to path is key.

However, for most golfers, when speaking about clubface; we talk about in reference to the target. No? That's why I state that clubface determines where the ball will start.

The other very important point I was trying to make was about where the ball is placed. Even if you swing in to out, if the ball is too far forward, this shifts the point of tagency and now the path is coming across the ball out to in.

So what you are telling me that an outside in swing with a relatively open face will draw? Stricker's hands and wrists don't influence his NATURAL swing, any pro, who consistently works the ball for different shots(unnatural flight) will tell you he changes his flight with his hands. Your hands control the face of the club. If you come outside in and draw the ball your face angle is square to the target.

I never said face in relation to target. You just said face angle doesn't relate to flight. I simply pointed out that in no world is that true.

reading comprehension is not your strong suit, is it?

clubface determines the initial direction
path determines curve
clubface in relation to path will determine where the ball will finish

please show me where I made this statement

This implies that club face does not affect the ball flight, just direction, when in reality it's the other way around. I have a slight outside in swing, that's what makes my ball start left not my club face. Your statement is reversed from the truth.

This is wrong on so many levels. My statement doesn't come anywhere near that implication. The ball makes contact with the clubface, so it would have to affect the flight. Initial direction is determined by the clubface upwards of 80%. It's been proven with trackman data.

please show me how the ball will start anywhere other than the direction the clubface is pointing.

Okay you know how I said my swing outside in swing path starts the ball left(im a rightie), let me follow that with a 5-10yd natural fade, starting left of my target, even with alignment aids.