Ball Flights
Ball flights describe the path the ball takes through the air — height, direction and sideways bend.
Every shot has a ball flight, even if it is ideally straight. The most important shapes are the straight ball, the slightly bending draw from right to left (for right-handers) and the fade from left to right. The amplified, unwanted versions are called hook and slice. Added to these are the straight mishits pull (starts left and stays there) and push (starts right). The curves arise from the interplay of clubface position and swing direction at impact — the ball flight is thus the most honest feedback on your swing.
In practice you use deliberate curves to play the course instead of against it. An example: ahead of you lies a dogleg right, the corner is planted with trees. Instead of playing the straight ball to the safe middle, you aim left and run a fade around the corner — you gain twenty metres and a clear view of the green. Into a strong headwind the flat curve helps: ball slightly further back in your stance, hands ahead of the clubhead, short follow-through. Whoever can read and control curves plays the course in three dimensions.
The most common mistake is the attempt to fight an unwanted curve with brute force. Whoever swings against the slice usually amplifies it, because the swing path comes even steeper from the outside. Diagnosis makes more sense: if the ball starts right and turns further right, the clubface was open — a grip or alignment problem, not a power problem. A second misconception concerns draw and fade: both are deliberate, controlled curves with a bend of two to five metres. Anything beyond that is a hook or a slice, no matter how it feels.
FAQ
How can I deliberately play a draw or a fade?
For a fade you aim left as a right-hander and open the clubface minimally toward the target; for the draw exactly the opposite. The important thing is to keep the bend small: two to five metres are enough to play dogleg corners. Practise the curves on the range with a clear target line first, before you take them onto the course.
Why does my slice get worse when I swing against it?
Because brute force only makes the swing path come even steeper from the outside — and that is exactly what amplifies the slice. The curve is feedback, not a power problem: if the ball starts right and turns further right, the clubface was open. Check grip and alignment first, not the hardness of the swing.
Which ball flight helps in a strong headwind?
A flat, low curve, because the wind brakes high-flying balls harder and tears them apart. Take the ball slightly further back in your stance, hands ahead of the clubhead, and swing through shorter. The ball starts lower, rolls out earlier and stays controllable.