I'm frequently asked at clinics, invariably by golfers who slice or pull most of their shots, "How do I hit from the inside out?" My answer starts: "Unless you want to draw or hook a shot from right to left, that's not what you should be trying to do."

Illustration by Jim McQueen

I then emphasize that knowing and visualizing how the clubhead must be made to behave as it meets the ball to create a particular flight is the first step toward becoming a competent golfer.

For instance, for the ball to fly directly to the target, it must be struck with the clubface square as the clubhead travels from inside the target line, to momentarily straight along that line at impact, to inside again on the follow-through.

Thus, that's the swing goal "picture" you should have in your mind whenever you want to hit directly to your target.

Next week's topic: Work with Motion Over Mechanics.