The Basics of Controlling the Shape of Your Shot (Video)

Instructor Joseph Mayo's short video on why you slice has some very useful info in it. But this info teaches more than you realize. Let's make sure you get the full value of it.



You can imagine the conditions at impact this way:

• Although the ball doesn't fly exactly in the direction you aim the clubface -- unless your club path is also on that line -- the direction your clubface points is the primary thing that determines where the ball goes. But regardless of whether the ball is curving or flying straight, it will hit the ground -- make its first bounce, if you prefer -- on a line directly in front of where the clubface is aimed.
• The path of the clubface at the moment of impact will determine which way the ball curves -- in fact, it will curve in the opposite direction of the path.

Let me spell that out for you.

Unless your club path matches the clubface aim (in which case the ball flies perfectly straight), the path always crosses the line on which your clubface is aimed. The following statements are true, no matter whether you're righthanded or lefthanded.

• If the path is moving to the right of the clubface's aim, the ball will curve to the left.
• And it the path is moving to the left of the clubface's aim, the ball will curve to the right.

The theory really is that simple. But let's make it even simpler...

• The bigger the angle you create between the clubface and the club path, the more the ball will curve.
• And the smaller the angle you create between the clubface and the club path, the less the ball will curve. That is plain enough, right?

But when it comes to stopping a slice (or a hook, if that's your problem), the amount of curve you put on the ball is IRRELEVANT. Do you understand?

It isn't the amount of curve you put on the ball that matters. It's just the fact that you put some curve on the ball AT ALL.

You don't have to get picky about your plane. If you learn how to aim the clubface where you want it to go (I guess I'll have to do a post or two about that, won't I?), the ball will ALWAYS curve toward the target as long as your club path crosses your aimline at least a little in the opposite direction that you want the ball to curve.

I'll revisit this topic soon. But this is enough to dramatically improve your game if you take the time to understand it.