ShotIQ Learn/🧠 Golf Concepts

Ball Flight Laws

The physics decoder ring for every shot you've ever hit.

On this page

1. In plain English
2. Going deeper
3. The advanced view
4. Why it matters for scoring
5. How it shows up in your ball flight
6. How it shows up in launch monitor data
7. Symptoms
8. Common causes
9. How to improve it
10. Drills that train this
11. Related concepts
12. Ask the ShotIQ coach

In plain English

Two numbers explain (almost) every shot: where the FACE points (start direction) and how it compares to the PATH (curve). Nine shot shapes, one simple system.

Going deeper

Start ≈ 75–85% face. Curve = face vs path. So: ball starts fade-side and curves further = open face AND open-to-path. Starts on-line but slices = square face, out-to-in path. Diagnosis in two questions: where did it START, which way did it CURVE?

The advanced view

The old laws ('ball starts where you swing') were wrong and broke a generation of lessons. Modern data adds the modifiers: gear effect (strike), spin loft (how much curve converts), and lie/impact dynamics — but face-vs-path remains the 90% answer.

Why it matters for scoring

Learn this once and you can self-diagnose every shot for the rest of your golf life.

How it shows up in your ball flight

This IS ball flight — the framework the other concepts plug into.

How it shows up in launch monitor data

Face Angle, Club Path, Face-to-Path and Launch Direction are the laws written down. ShotIQ's Impact Lab draws them as your personal D-plane.

Symptoms

• You can't name WHY a shot did what it did
• Fixes feel random
• You aim at trouble 'because it always comes back' without knowing why

Common causes

• Taught the old start-where-you-swing model
• Watching the ball instead of reading start + curve separately

How to improve it

1. Call start line and curve OUT LOUD after every range ball
2. Map your last session in the Impact Lab and name each miss
3. Learn the nine flights — then find YOURS in your data

Drills that train this

• Fairway Window Drill

Related concepts

• 🎯 Face AngleWhere the face points at impact — the boss of the start line.
• 🛤 Club PathThe direction the club is travelling at impact — the engine of curve.
• 🌀 Face to PathThe single number that explains why your ball curves.
• ↪️ Shot ShapeOwning ONE reliable curve beats chasing straight.
• 🎯 Strike Location & Gear EffectWHERE on the face you hit it — the hidden hand behind weird curves.

Metric deep-dive: the full guide to this number.

Ask the ShotIQ coach

Questions this concept answers about your data, one tap away in the app:

• “Explain the ball flight laws”
• “Diagnose my typical shot”