Pete Finch – PGA Teaching Pro

When you’ve identified what type of over the top ball flight that you are achieving with your swing, it’s then time to look at it if you can change your aim to compensate. Now, from the shot that I hit with my over the top action, my divot started to travel off to the left-hand side and then my ball continued along that same line. So, I know that my ball flight when I come over the top is what’s known as a pull.

Now what I need to do is I need to learn from my divot pattern. So, my divot pattern here is traveled quite a long way off to the left-hand side. So, I know that I am coming through the ball when setup normal at around this angle here. Now, let’s say I want to hit a straight shot. I know that my club is traveling across the line by this much and I know that the ball would generally not move in its flight.

So, I need to move my alignment around until I figure out a point where my path straightens up. Now, this alignment here has got me aiming a good 20 to 30 yards off to the right of the target line, but if I adjust my aim and I do exactly the same swing as I did just a moment ago, it should work out to be quite a straight shot. So, I’m going to adjust my alignment by that much. I’m not going to try and make any compensation, I am just going to do the same swing and if it goes all to plan, it should take off pretty much straight down towards my target.

Now, that is making an adjustment within the setup using exactly the same swing that you have done, but actually producing a much better golf shot. And that’s only possible if you understand the interaction between path and club face and exactly what is happening with your particular type of swing.