Ball Flight Laws

If you want to truly improve your golf game, you need to understand fundamental ball flight laws first. Even if you are a seasoned player, you'll find gems on this page you never knew before. The interaction between club path and face-to-path is one of the building blocks of better golf.

Let's start with ball flight laws.

In short, the starting direction of the golf ball is determined mostly by the club face angle at impact. If this comes as a bit of a surprise to you, you aren't alone. The curve of the shot—whether it bends left or right—is caused by the difference between the club path and the club face angle. This tilts the spin axis and creates the curve.

Many golfers who hit a push-slice are surprised to learn their path can still be from inside to out, not always over the top. The slice happened because their club face was open to the path—sometimes only a few degrees away from a functional draw pattern.

REMEMBER: The face mostly starts it; face-to-path curves it.

Where the ball finishes depends on how far the face and path are from the target line—and how open or closed they are relative to each other.

If you've ever suffered from a "two-way miss", it’s simply because your face-to-path relationship changes from swing to swing. Fix that combination, and your consistency will skyrocket. See? It’s not so hard to understand after all.

Have a look at this colour-coded image and table to see the 9 ball flights (not including chunks, duffs and that sh*nk of which we will never speak again).

REMINDER: The clubface angle at impact controls roughly 75–85% of the ball’s starting direction, while club path influences the rest. In general, the longer the club, the more the face dominates start direction.

The curve or spin axis tilt—what makes the ball draw or fade—is caused by the difference between the face angle and the swing path, not the path alone.

And yes, because the ball travels much farther forward than it does sideways, those small differences in face and path can still send the ball well off target!

The draw is often treated as the pin-up ball flight in golf, partly because extra yards matter so much at elite level.

In most (good) swings:

• Fade patterns often come with a face that’s slightly open relative to path. That delivery can increase spin loft — the difference between dynamic loft and attack angle — which can increase backspin.
• Draw patterns often come with a slightly closed face relative to path, which can reduce spin loft and therefore backspin.

The result? A draw typically flies a bit lower, penetrates more, and rolls out farther. A fade flies slightly higher, lands softer, and is easier to control.

Both shots have backspin, but their spin-axis tilt and spin magnitude differ — that’s what makes one curve left and the other right.

At the elite level, imagine the precision: a player might know that their fade will fly half a club shorter than their draw — and plan accordingly.

Some people want to change their natural swing, and full points to them. But ask yourself if it's necessary. Will you be a happier golfer by crushing 1 in 4, or missing 1 in 4? Know your swing faults and aim to "tame" them, not eliminate them.

• Aim for 1–3° difference between path and face.
• Let the ball curve gently one way; don’t chase zero.
• Small curves are predictable, perfect “straight” shots are not.

Imagine you’re standing inside a giant hula hoop tilted so it runs through your shoulders and down toward the ball. That hoop represents your swing plane — the flat surface your club travels along throughout the swing.

If the hula hoop is tilted more upright (more vertical), that’s a steeper swing plane — common with shorter clubs. If it’s laid down flatter, that’s a shallower plane — more like your driver.

The goal is to let the club move on a plane that suits its length, lie, and your posture. That’s why you stand closer to the ball with shorter clubs and farther away with longer ones — each club encourages a different setup and general swing plane.

Now imagine rotating that hula hoop left or right. It's not much different to changing your feet alignment, BUT it changes your path in relation to the target!

The direction the hoop is oriented influences swing direction, which then influences club path at impact.

When your swing plane, setup, and delivery work together, it becomes much easier to return the club consistently at impact — that’s when everything just feels right.

Every golf club is designed with a specific lie angle — that’s the angle between the shaft and the sole of the club when it sits perfectly flat on the ground. This lie angle isn’t arbitrary; it influences how the club is meant to sit at address and move through impact.

Shorter clubs (like wedges) generally have more upright lie angles and are often delivered on steeper planes with more downward contact. That usually means standing closer, with a more vertical swing plane.

Longer clubs (like your driver) generally have flatter lie angles and are often delivered on shallower planes. That usually means standing farther away, with a flatter swing plane.

So the built-in geometry of the club strongly influences your ideal swing plane.

You still have to deliver it, but the club gives you a strong starting point. Your job is to match your posture, distance from the ball, and swing motion to the way the club is designed to sit and move through impact.