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The flight of a golf ball is a product of two elements within the golf swing, the club face position at impact and the swing path of the golf club head.

Club face position is 85% responsible for the direction that the golf ball flies in. If the club face is aiming to the right of the target as it strikes the golf ball then the ball flies to the right of the target line, and conversely, if the club face is aiming to the left of the target then the golf ball will be hit to the left.

The swing path of the golf club head is the direction that the club head is travelling in as it moves through impact. Swing path is the other 15% of why the ball flies the way it does in the air once it has been hit. Place an alignment pole or use the shaft of a golf club to represent the target line. The far side of this line is known as the outside, and the near side that you would stand on to address the golf ball is known as the inside.

If you swing and the club face aims in the same direction that the club head is travelling in, then you will hit a straight golf shot. If the club head travels along the target line with the face aiming at the target then you will produce a straight golf shot at the target. If the club head travels in to out, with the club face aiming along that line, you will hit a straight golf shot to the right of the target. Similarly, if you swing out to in with the face aiming in that direction, you will produce a straight, left shot.

If the face is not aiming in the same direction as the club heads swing path then the golf ball will curve in the air. This is because tilted axis spin is imparted on the golf ball when it is struck and the golf ball will therefore curve in the direction that the axis is tilted down. If the club face aims right of the swing path as it is struck, then the ball curves left to right, and conversely, if the face aims left of the swing path then the ball curves right to left in the air during its flight.

If you open the club face, this means the face is aiming to the right of the target. However, if the club head is swinging in that direction, on an in to out swing path, then the ball will be hit straight. Just opening the club face does not produce a curved ball flight.e swing path then the ball curves right to left in the air during its flight.

An out to in swing path will see the club head cut across the target line making it impossible to hit a straight golf shot at the target. However, if the club face is aiming in the same direction as the out to in swing path, a straight shot will be produced. It will just fly straight left of the target.

Every golf shot is hit with spin. The spin that is imparted on the golf ball depends upon a combination of the club face position relative to the swing path direction. If these two elements match, then the golf ball spins around a horizontal axis and a straight golf shot is produced. Spin itself does not cause the golf ball to curve. This only happens when the ball spins around a tilted axis.