How to Use Club Path on a Launch Monitor (Without Overthinking It)

If you are struggling with a hook or slice, club path is one of the most useful launch monitor metrics. But it’s also one of the easiest to overcomplicate.

It’s all about balance. A club path that’s too far in-to-out or out-to-in can make ball flight harder to control, but you don’t need to chase zero.

Minor setup tweaks, such as alignment and ball position, can significantly alter the path, and most golfers are better off owning one reliable shot shape instead of constantly switching between draws and fades.

Use club path as a guide to build a repeatable ball flight - not as a grade for swing perfection.

Here’s how…

Many players get excited when they club path for the first time on their new launch monitor, but then quickly spiral into confusion trying to “fix” it.

The truth is, club path can absolutely help you understand your ball flight. But like most data, it only works if you know how to interpret it. The goal isn’t to chase perfect numbers. It’s to use the information to find a reliable, repeatable shot shape you can trust.

Club path is a measure of the direction your club is traveling at impact.

• In-to-out (positive numbers): Club is traveling more to the right of the target line, which generally promotes a draw or hook.

• Out- to-in (negative numbers): Club is moving left of the target line, which promotes a fade or slice.

It’s important to remember that club path doesn’t work in isolation. Your face angle at impact has just as much influence on the ball’s starting direction and curve. But path is a big piece of the puzzle because extreme paths make it harder to control your ball flight.

The good news? You don’t need to live at “zero.” In fact, most great players have a path that’s a few degrees in-to-out or out-to-in. The problem comes when those numbers are excessive.

If your path is too extreme in either direction (generally more than 6 degrees), you don’t necessarily need to tear down your swing. Minor adjustments in setup and intention can create meaningful changes:

• Alignment: Aim your feet, hips, and shoulders slightly more left or right to encourage the path you want.

• Ball Position: Moving the ball back tends to create more in-to-out. Moving it forward promotes more out-to-in (for right-handed golfers).

• Simple Visuals: One classic drill is the “nail” drill from Adam Young. Imagine there’s a nail in the back of the golf ball, and your job is to hammer it either slightly left or right of the target to shift your path.

These aren’t mechanical overhauls - they’re subtle tweaks. The key is to experiment and see how the numbers respond.

Let’s say you had a 10-degree out-to-in club path that generated an excessive slice. You could experiment moving the ball back in your stance, aiming your body more to the right, or simply trying to “hammer the nail” with your club in the opposite direction.

Experiment with each method to see if the number changes significantly, and consider mixing them together to determine which combination yields the best results.

A launch monitor is a great way to ensure your path is within a functional range. But it should be used as a guide, not a grade.

Here are a few practical ways to work with it:

Strikes higher on the face , or even towards the toe, tend to lower spin rates

• Think in Ranges: Instead of chasing zero, aim to keep your path within a window (say, between -6° and +6°). That’s a healthy zone for most golfers.

• Pair It With Face Angle (if possible): Path only tells half the story. Pay attention to how your clubface is oriented relative to the path, that’s what determines curvature. Typically, a 2:1 ratio works best. So if you had a club path of 6 degrees out-to-in, you would want a club path of 3 degrees open to the path. Functional curvature is when the club face is pointing somewhere between your target an

• Look for Trends, Not Perfection: Don’t panic if you see a +7° path one swing and a +1° the next. Focus on the overall pattern across a session.

When you use path data this way, you’ll quickly see how small setup changes affect your numbers and your ball flight.

Like any metric, club path can be misused. Here are the biggest pitfalls:

• Obsessing Over One Number: Ball flight is the ultimate truth. If your shots are playable, don’t let a single data point convince you otherwise.

• Trying to Fix Path Mid-Round: Use path feedback on the range, not in the middle of a round. On the course, focus on targets and commitment.

• Overhauling Your Swing: Big mechanical changes are rarely the answer on your own. Often, ball position or alignment is all you need. If you are stuck, swing lessons from a professional are likely going to help more.

If you have any questions regarding which launch monitors and software will suit your needs best, feel free to reach out to our team of experts.