How to read club path, face angle, and smash factor

Face angle is where the ball starts

At impact, the clubface points the ball. An open face starts it right of where you aimed for a right-handed player. A closed face starts it left. Aim the logo on the glove at the target and forget the face, and you will "aim" with your feet while the ball obeys the face.

On the mat, face angle is a number in degrees, not a vibe. One degree open is enough to start a drive at the wrong tree. Chase uses that number so you stop arguing with a feeling from three holes ago.

Path is the curve

Club path is the direction the clubhead is traveling through the ball. Path right of the face (in-to-out for a right-hander, relative to the face) draws. Path left of the face fades or slices.

The classic slice in this ZIP code is not "I swing too hard," even when that is also true. It is an out-to-in path with a face that is open to that path. The ball starts left of the target and then peels right. Fixing only the grip, or only the "swing slower" advice, leaves one half of that pair untouched. The monitor shows which half is still wrong.

Smash factor is contact, not ego

Smash factor is ball speed divided by club speed. A solid driver strike for a lot of amateurs lives near 1.45. A 100 mph club speed with a 1.30 smash is a mishit that looked athletic. Swinging harder often drops smash, which is why the ball does not go as far as the effort suggested.

Irons smash lower than drivers because of loft. Do not compare your 7-iron smash to a tour driver and decide you cannot play. Compare today to your own baseline from the first ten balls.

Carry is not the only distance

Carry is how far the ball flies. Total distance adds roll. Indoor turf does not roll like a firm Houston fairway in July, and it does not plug like a wet one in June. Use carry to compare swings inside the bay. Use the course to learn roll. The yardage chart in the Center Strike, Birdie, and Eagle packs is there so those two worlds stay separate.