Understanding what causes your ball to slice and hook

There are two elements that determine the type of shot you will hit. One is club path (the direction your club is traveling at impact) and the other is face angle ( the direction your face is pointing at impact) . Hooks and slices occur when the clubface and path are moving in different directions at impact. A slice ( ball curves from left to right) occurs when the face is open to the path at impact. A hook ( ball curves from right to left) occurs when the face is closed to the path at impact. A pull or push is a shot that starts either left or right of the target and continues on that line with no curvature. These shots occur when the face is square to the path at impact, but the path is moving either left or right to your target. A pull is when the club path is moving left of the target, and a push is when the club path is moving right of the target. Understanding ball fight is critical to an instructor in diagnosing swing faults. By observing the direction and curvature of a shot the instructor can then explain the cause and how to correct it.  In conclusion club path combined with face angle at impact are the two elements that determine ball flight. Understanding the cause is an important step in improving your game.