Basics of Ball Flight

• Hook (pink line): Cause - closed clubface at impact. Effect - ball curves to the left.
• Slice (orange line): Cause - open clubface at impact. Effect - ball curves to the right.
• Pull (yellow line): Cause - red-to-yellow swing path. Effect - ball starts left of target and flies straight.
• Push (blue line): Cause - green-to-blue swing path. Effect - ball starts right of target and flies straight.

None of the ball flights described above will get the ball to the target, unless your alignment is off. But a combination of two of these ball flights can get the ball to the target. Let me explain:

Pull-Slice (yellow-orange line)

Cause - red-to-yellow swing path with an open clubface. Effect - ball starts left of target and curves right.

Some characteristics of a pull-slicer:

• Usually toe-deep divots that point to the left. Toe-deep means the toe of the club digs into the ground more than the heel.
• Battle scars on the top and toe of the driver from hitting the ball straight up.
• Tee marks on the bottom of the driver that are at an angle.
• Contact on the toe of the club.
• Ball flight is high with a loss of distance.
• Fights a slice.
• Best feeling shot is a pull to the left.
• Tension, tension, tension.

Cause - green-to-blue swing path with a closed clubface. Effect - ball starts right of target and curves left.

Some characteristics of a push-hooker:

Usually heel - deep divots that point to the right.

Divots are usually very shallow or non-existent.

Usually a good player, but one who fights a hook.

Note: Clubface position has a bigger influence on direction than the path of the swing. You could be making a pull-slice swing but because the clubface is very open the ball might not fly to the left before it starts slicing.

A pull-slicer should try to swing like a push-hooker, and vice-versa. There are a million swing thoughts to correct ball flight, but before you can figure out what's going to help correct a particular ball flight, you must know why the ball is flying that way to begin with.

And these are the basics, the most common issues with ball flight.