An Inside Out Golf Swing Will Produce What Sort Of Golf Shot?

The title of this article - an inside out golf swing will produce what sort of shot - was carefully thought out because I have heard so many people say that this is the ideal shot. But is this the case? An inside out golf swing can actually produce any of three different shots which I will explain shortly.

But first let me explain what is meant by the phrase inside out swing or as is more commonly know, an in to out golf swing.

Imagine a straight line extending from behind and through your golf ball to your target. On the backswing the club head would travel inside this line and return on the same line to the ball with the follow through extending past the ball but outside the target line.

Phew that was hard to explain and would be easier if I could draw you a picture. Imagine a baseball player hitting the ball over first base or a cricketer executing a cover drive and you will have some idea of what I am trying to say.

Ok I hope that has explained what an in to out golf swing is. Now let me explain the three different ball flights this shot can produce depending on the club face angle through impact.

I want to repeat that the resultant shot will depend on the club face through impact.

There are three possible club face angles:

• An open club face.
• A square club face and
• A closed club face.

These different club face angles combined with an inside out golf swing will result in three different shots as follows:

• The open club face will produce what is known as a push shot.
• The square club face will produce the draw. This is probably the shot you are trying to make and the shot most people mean when they say you should have an in to out golf swing.
• The closed club face will produce a horrible hook!

Prior to learning the ball flight laws which are governed by the swing path and the club face angle through impact I always believed I had a very nice little draw. To my horror I discovered that in fact I had a hook and that I compensated for it (unknowingly) by aligning myself to the right of the target - way right as it turned out!

To this day it still amuses me when I hear some of my playing mates talk about a "nice draw" when referring to a hook shot.

It is important to understand what you are trying to achieve when striving for an inside out golf swing and I hope that this article has helped you understand, in some way, what you should be striving for and why you may not be achieving it. For best results it helps to have a friend check your alignment and your club face before you perfect your in to out golf swing.