To better understand your swing, you must first understand why your ball curves. The most important thing to realize is that the club face being square to the target isn’t important. What is important is where the club face is in relation to the path.

The closer the club face and club path match up, the straighter you will hit the shot. Most of us do not hit straight shots, so why do they curve? Simply put, the club face is either closed or open to the club path NOT the target.

If you have a club that is traveling out to in and the club face is square to the target; you will still hit a ball that curves from left to right. In order to get the club face square to the path, it would have to be closed to the target. The problem here is that if you have the club face square to the path, you will hit it straight, but it will be a pull to the left. This creates the inconsistency many golfers experience. You attempt to balance both. One shot you don’t close the face enough so you slice it. The next shot you close it too much and you hit straight shot, but way to the left. Finally you get the clubface slightly open to the club path and you hit a shot that starts a little left and fades back to your target.

Players can experience this from the other side as well. Coming too much inside to out, if the clubface squares to the target you will hit a hook because the clubface is closed to the path. If you get the face square to the path, you hit a straight shot, but off to the right.

The best way to correct the problem is to first focus on the club path, not the club face. Golf is a game of moderation. Too inside out or outside in will undoubtedly give you problems. It has been my experience that most players can get the club square, but because of a faulty club path, they must manipulate the club face to get the ball to the desired target. Fixing the club path first will make fixing the club face (if it even needs to be fixed) much easier.