A question I often get asked is: “how can I hit the ball straight?” The answer to hitting straight or understanding why you’re not hitting straight involves many factors.
However, **Trackman** provides three main metrics that explain ball flight:
– Club Path
– Club Face
– Face to Path
**Club Path**
This refers to the direction the clubhead is moving (right or left) **at impact**, measured relative to the **target line** (which is set at 0 degrees).
In Trackman, there are two key measurements:
– **In-to-out (positive value):** The clubhead moves from inside the target line to outside. Golfers with this swing path tend to hit a **Draw**.
– **Out-to-in (negative value):** The clubhead moves from outside the target line to inside. This often produces a **Fade** or **Slice**.
**Club Face**
This indicates the direction the clubface is pointing (right or left) **at impact**, measured relative to the **target line**.
For right-handed golfers:
– **Closed Face (negative value):** The ball starts **left** of the target.
– **Open Face (positive value):** The ball starts **right** of the target.
**Face to Path**
This is the **difference** between the **Face Angle** and **Club Path**, which determines:
– The **initial direction** of the ball
– The **expected curvature** (e.g., Slice, Hook, Draw, Fade)
**For those who want to minimize curve or hit straighter shots,** I recommend keeping **Face to Path within ±3 degrees**.
