What Is Club Path in Golf?

Your golf club’s path through the impact zone is one of the single biggest storytellers of your entire golf swing. It dictates whether you’ll hit a gentle draw, a power fade, or the dreaded slice that sends you searching for another ball. This article will break down exactly what club path is, show you how it creates different ball flights, and give you practical drills to start taking control of your shots.

What Exactly Is Club Path?

In the simplest terms, club path is the direction the clubhead is traveling - horizontally, left or right - at the exact moment it strikes the golf ball.

Imagine your golf ball is sitting on a perfectly straight line that points directly at your target. This is your "target line." Now, as you swing down and through the ball, is the center of your clubface traveling:

• From inside the target line to outside the target line?
• From outside the target line to inside the target line?
• Directly along the target line?

That direction of travel is your club path. On a launch monitor like a TrackMan, you’ll see this measured with a number. A positive number (e.g., +4.0 degrees) means your path is “in-to-out.” A negative number (e.g., -4.0 degrees) means your path is “out-to-in.” A zero, or close to it, is a neutral or "straight" path. Understanding which path you have is the first step toward diagnosing your own ball flight and making intentional changes.

The Three Club Paths: Understanding Your Shot Shape

Every swing produces one of three paths. Each has a very different effect on where the ball goes, and learning to identify yours from the flight of the ball is a game-changing skill.

1. The In-to-Out Path (The "Drawer's" Swing)

This is the path most golfers strive for when they want to hit a draw (a shot that curves from right to left for a right-handed player). As the name suggests, the clubhead approaches the ball from inside the target line, strikes the ball, and continues moving outside the target line post-impact.

• How it Feels: It often feels like you are swinging "out toward right field" (for a righty). The swing feels more rounded and driven by the body's rotation rather than a steep, arm-driven motion.
• What it Produces: This path is the engine behind a draw. It encourages the ball to start to the right of the target before curving back. It can also produce a straight push if your clubface is pointing in the same direction as your path. The unwanted version is a hook, which starts right and curves too far left, usually caused by an overly shut club face.

2. The Out-to-In Path (The Dreaded Slice... or a Power Fade)

This is the most common path for amateur golfers and the root cause of the classic slice. The clubhead approaches the ball from outside the target line, cuts across the ball, and then moves back to the inside of the target line after impact. It’s what most people refer to when they talk about coming "over the top."

• How it Feels: This swing often feels dominated by the arms and shoulders. The typical slicer initiates the downswing with their shoulders, throwing the club "out" away from their body before pulling it back "in" across the ball.
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The out-to-in path is the slicer’s engine. It puts left-to-right spin on the ball (for a righty). However, this isn't always a bad thing! Many of the world’s best players, like Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy, use a controlled out-to-in path to hit a reliable "power fade." The difference is they have total control over their clubface, preventing it from turning into a wild slice.

3. The Neutral or "Straight" Path

A neutral path occurs when the clubhead travels directly down the target line through the impact zone. It’s essentially a zero-degree path - not moving in-to-out or out-to-in. While this sounds like the ideal, aiming for a perfectly neutral path on every swing can be tricky and isn't necessarily a requirement for great golf.

• How it Feels: A neutral path feels very "un-manipulated." Your arms and body feel connected and are firing in the correct sequence, with neither dominating the other.
• What it produces: This path will produce the straightest ball flights. The final destination of the ball is almost entirely dependent on where the clubface is pointing at impact. A face square to the path (and target line) produces a dead-straight shot. A slightly open or closed face will result in a straight push or pull, respectively.

Club Path + Club Face = Ball Flight

Here's where it all comes together. Your club path doesn't work in isolation. It works in partnership with your clubface angle at impact to create bent shots. The interaction between these two elements directs both the starting line and the curvature of your shot. Here's the modern, scientifically proven rule that you need to remember:

Your club face angle at impact has the biggest influence on the ball’s starting direction. Your club path relative to that face angle is what creates the curve.

Let that sink in. Most people think path starts the ball and face curves it. It’s mostly the other way around. Here’s a simple breakdown for a right-handed golfer:

• To Hit a Draw (starts right, curves left): You need a club path that is moving significantly in-to-out (say, 4 degrees to the right). Your clubface must also be pointing to the right of the target at impact, but not as far right as your path (say, 2 degrees to the right). The ball starts where the face is pointing (right) and the more "in-to-out" path forces it to curve back left.
  Formula: Face is Open to Target, but Closed to Path.
• To Hit a Fade (starts left, curves right): You need a club path that is moving out-to-in (say, 4 degrees to the left). Your clubface must also be pointing to the left of the target, but not as far left as the path (say, 2 degrees a to the left). The ball will start where the face is pointing (left) and the more "out-to-in" path forces it to curve back to the right.
  Formula: Face is Closed to Target, but Open to Path.

This relationship explains why so many golfers struggle. A slicer often has an out-to-in path AND a clubface that’s wide open to that path, causing the ball to start left and curve even more dramatically to the right.

How To Improve Your Club Path: Actionable Drills

Reading about it is one thing, but feeling the change is what matters. Here are three simple drills you can do at the driving range to start improving your path.

Drill 1: The Gate Drill

This is a classic for a reason - it gives you immediate, non-negotiable feedback.

For the Slicer (Out-to-In Path):

• Place your ball down as normal.
• Place an object (a headcover, rolled-up towel, or even another ball) about 6 inches behind and just to the outside of your ball.
• Place a second object about 6 inches in front and just to the inside of your ball.
• Take slow, half-swings. Your goal is to swing the club through the gate without hitting either object. To succeed, you’ll be forced to shallow the club and swing more from the inside, correcting your over-the-top move.

For the Hooker (Overly In-to-Out Path):

• Reverse the setup. Place an object behind and to the inside of your ball, and another in front and to the outside.
• This setup will prevent you from getting the club stuck too far behind you and will promote a more neutral path through impact.

Drill 2: The Alignment Stick Path Guide

This drill provides a fantastic visual cue for the path you're trying to achieve.

What to Do:

1. Lay an alignment stick on the ground pointing directly at your target. This represents the target line.
2. Place your ball right next to this stick.
3. Lay a second alignment stick on the ground at an angle, representing your desired path. For a draw, the stick should point a few degrees to the right of the target line. For a fade, a few degrees to the left.
4. Your goal is to make your club's swing path run parallel to this second stick during the takeaway and, more importantly, through the impact zone.

Drill 3: Feel the Body's Rotation

Often, a bad club path is a symptom of poor swing sequencing. This drill helps sync your body and arms.

What to Do:

1. Take your normal setup without a ball.
2. Make your backswing and pause at the very top.
3. From this paused position, the very first move you make to start the downswing should be a small shift of your hips/lower body toward the target.
4. Feel how this initial move causes your arms and the club to drop down into the "slot" on a more inside plane, rather than being thrown "over the top."

Practice this "first move" repeatedly in slow motion. That feeling of the lower body leading the downswing is fundamental to creating an efficient, repeatable in-to-out club path and generating effortless power.

Final Thoughts

Getting a handle on your club path is the foundation for controlling your ball flight and truly managing your way around the golf course. By understanding whether you’re swinging in-to-out or out-to-in, you can stop guessing and start making informed changes to hit the shots you picture in your head.

Taking new swing feels from the range to the course adds another layer of complexity. We built Caddie AI to help you bridge that gap. When you are standing on a tee trying to figure out how to play your new fade, or you find yourself with an awkward lie, our app can give you smart, simple strategy in seconds. You can even snap a photo of your ball's lie for instant advice on how to play the shot, giving you the clarity and confidence to commit to your swing.