Golf Ball Flights
Your Golf Ball may fly in different directions depending on your Stance and your Golf Swing. As discussed in the types of stance, an open dtance will lead to a fade or slice ball flight because of the swing that comes across the ball from the outside in. A good Full Swing, on the other hand, will cause the ball to fly directly to the target. The Type of Golf Ball you use also affects the flight of your golf ball. If your shot has too much sidespin on it and you use a ball that promotes spin, your fade will definitely turn to a slice.
Here are the types of golf ball flights, how they happen, and some tips on how to avoid them:
Hook
The golf ball flies with a sharp curve from the right to the left is called a hook. The cause of hook is the opposite of the causes of a slice but the ball tends to roll more in a hook than in a slice. A hook flight usually happens when the clubface is closed or pointed left of the target when you hit the ball. Here are some guidelines on how to get rid of the hook:
- Take a full Backswing and stop when you get to the top to examine the club position.
- Check if the toe of the clubface is pointing at the sky. If it is, you have a hooded clubface which only happens when your right wrist is arched. In this case you need to flatten your wrist slightly, and the clubhead will come through the hitting area more squarely.
- Adjusting your grip will also help. Try sliding your right hand nearer the top of the grip instead of the side. The further you move your hand, the weaker the grip and the tougher it is to hood the Clubhead.
Pull
Opposite of the push ball flight. Here, the golf ball flies straight but to the left of the target. A pull happens when the path of the clubhead through the contact area is in a line toward the left of the target, and the clubface is perpendicular to this line.
The path of the swing was more from outside the target line before impact to inside the target line after impact. The correct path is from inside-to-square-to-inside swing path.
Draw
Ball spins from right to left creating a slight right-to-left curve. The most desirable ball flight in golf. A draw is a controlled hook. This can be achieved when you stop hooding the clubface and avoiding the arch in your right wrist. The draw is also the opposite of the fade flight.
You will have a draw when the path of the Golf Swing through the impact is from the inside the target line before impact to square at impact to inside of the target line after impact. Your clubface must also be directly towards the target line at impact.
Fade
A Ball Flight wherein the golf ball flies with a slight curve from left to right. Fade is similar to a slice, the only difference is that the curve from left-to-right in a fade is gentler than in a slice and this kind of ball flight is usually done intentionally to follow the contour of the hole from left to right.
Push
Ball flies straight but to the right of the target which happens when the path of the clubhead through the contact area is in a line toward the right of the target and the clubface is perpendicular to this line.
The swing path is too much from the inside toward the outside and the clubface is exactly square to this swing path.
Slice
The common mistake of beginners is to hit the ball from the outside in making the ball take a spin from left to right. In this Flight, the Golf Club hits the ball from its right to its left. A sharp curve from left-to-right is called a slice. The usual cause for this ball flight is lifting your hand too high in the backswing and the subsequent loop forces your swing to come outside. To prevent this unwanted ball flight, you take the following advice:
- Set up with your normal stance with a five or six-iron.
- Take your normal grip and slide your right hand down the shaft towards the clubhead until your right hand and left hand are about three inches apart.
- Practice with 10 to 15 balls, swinging as regularly as possible.
- When making the downswing, do not turn the club with your right hand. Let the left hand lead the swing. You should feel your left hand rotate, creating the perfect angle for the clubhead.
- Using a Close Stance will also help since this stance promotes a right-to-left spin of the ball.
These are some of the different types of golf ball flights. Learn to distinguish each type from the other. Check out our section of Golf Balls for more information.
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