Before we begin breaking out each of these questions in detail, let’s review all the possible ball flights that may occur. Taking away the occasional shank, skull, fat and topped shots we have identified 13 possible ball flights. These are categories of flights based on thousands of players being analyzed on launch monitors all over the world.

To start with we have three have basic launch directions: straight, left of target and right of target. Every shot can be put into one of those three categories. Next, there are three basic curvatures of the golf ball: straight, curving right to left (drawing) and curving left to right (fading). Every shot can be classified into one of those three basic curvatures. And finally, we can group shots into where they end up in relationship to the target. They can be at the target, left of the target or right of the target.

With those three classifications, we can now demonstrate 13 different ball flights.

13 MAJOR BALL FLIGHTS:

Let’s make sure we define all the basic shot patterns the same way, so that we can communicate better amongst ourselves. TPI uses the following nomenclature:

1) Pull Hook - Starts left, curves left and ends left of the target

2) Pull - Starts left, goes straight and ends left of the target

3) Pull Fade - Start left, curves right and ends left of the target

4) Fade - Starts left, curves right and ends at the target

5) Pull Slice - Starts left, curves right and ends right of the target

6) Hook - Starts straight, curves left and ends left of the target

7) Straight - Starts straight and goes straight and ends at target

8) Slice - Starts straight, curves right and ends right of the target

9) Push Hook - Starts right, curves left and ends left of the target

10) Draw - Starts right, curves left and end at the target

11) Push Draw - Starts right, curves left and ends right of the target

12) Push - Starts right, goes straight and ends right of the target