THE FACE/PATH RELATIONSHIP

Find the ‘power channel’

We do not need perfection to find consistency, but we do need to work within certain parameters, and swing path is the perfect example. Effective golf shots are the result of a harmonious relationship between the path of the club and the aim of its face at impact… but if we are swinging excessively across the ball, it becomes much, much harder to find that relationship on a regular basis. To work on this, set up your own ‘power channel’.

PATH FINDER

I’ve used a small piece of board and a swimming noodle to create this impact-zone swing channel. It’s not that important what you use, though make sure striking either side won’t damage anything and ideally have your inner border arced like the foam. The key is the gap between the two: leave a clubhead’s length either side of the ball to permit a slight in-to-out or out-to-in delivery path. Ideally, place an object ahead of your channel to define your ball-target line.

ARC OF TRIUMPH

The channel serves both to define a neutral swing path and to provide valuable and instant feedback on your ability to swing down it. A pure, neutralpath delivery will see the club miss both sides, but the width you have set permits acceptable off-neutral paths.

EXCESSIVE OUT-TO-IN PATH

If your swing pattern is to attack the ball from well outside the ideal path, the power channel will let you know it; you’ll end up striking the back end of the outer border or the front end of the inner one.

EXCESSIVE IN-TO-OUT PATH

Attacking too far from the inside is far less common, but again you’ll know it because your club will impact the back end of the inner border or the forward section of the outer one.

Simply creating a channel like this and swinging through it will sharpen up your path by itself, but if you are finding progress slow – or simply want to improve your feel and awareness of path and how you can influence it – focus on your delivery position.

NEUTRAL: CLUBHEAD BEHIND HANDS

Swing to the top, before moving down slowly to this position, the clubshaft level with the ground. A perfectly on-plane swing will see the shaft parallel to the ball-target line at this point, the clubhead directly behind the hands.

GOING ONLINE

Of course you’ll be swinging fast through this position when hitting balls, but simply connecting with the ideal, on-plane position is a great exercise to improve your awareness of what a neutral position feels like. So hold the position for a while, absorb it… and look to move through it as you swing down and release the club.

DRAW SWING: CLUBHEAD ‘INSIDE’ HANDS

You can perform a similar exercise to boost your feel for the subtle in-to-out path that promotes a draw… or simply to move away from an unwanted out-to-in path. Swing down to the same position, but this time work to point the shaft right of the target (right-handers), the clubhead back ‘inside’ the hands.