Swing Path
The swing path is the route the clubhead travels during the swing — it decides the curve of the ball's flight.
The swing path, often also called the club path, describes the direction from which the clubhead arrives at the ball and in which it swings through. Three basic forms are distinguished: from in to out, from out to in, and the neutral path along the target line. Together with the clubface at impact, the path produces the ball flight. A path from out to in with an open face produces the slice, a path from in to out with a closed face the hook. If you know your swing path you understand your ball flights.
The path can be controlled with simple means. An example: on the driving range you lay an alignment stick or a second club parallel to the ball-to-target line on the ground. Then you hit balls and watch whether the club comes along this line in the downswing or cuts across it from outside. If you tend to slice, you drop your right foot back slightly and strengthen the feeling of coming from inside. Even small changes to the set-up affect the path.
A typical mistake is chasing the perfectly neutral path. Hardly any player swings exactly along the target line, and that does not have to be. Many good golfers deliberately play with a slight tendency and control the rest through the clubface. More important than neutrality is repeatability: a constant path you know is better than a changing one you do not. Confusing swing path and swing plane is also common — the plane is the tilt of the swing, the path the direction.
FAQ
What does my swing path have to do with the slice?
The slice happens when the clubhead comes from outside to in at the ball with the clubface open at the same time. The path alone is not enough as an explanation — only together with the face position at impact does the ball flight result. If you know your typical path you understand why your ball curves and can work on it in a targeted way.
How can I check my swing path myself?
Lay an alignment stick or a second club on the ground on the range, parallel to the ball-to-target line. Then you hit balls and watch whether the club comes along this line in the downswing or cuts across it from outside. If you tend to slice, you also drop your right foot back slightly to strengthen the feeling of coming from inside.
Does the swing path have to run exactly along the target line?
No, hardly any player swings perfectly neutral, and that does not have to be. Many good golfers deliberately play with a slight tendency and control the rest through the clubface. More important than neutrality is repeatability: a constant path you know beats a changing one you do not.