Most golf shots curve because it is very hard to consistently hit a straight shot.  Ben Hogan said, “You only hit a straight ball by accident.”  The advice that is traditionally given to make the ball curve mainly has to do with the setup: ball position and body alignment.  Advice may also include how the hands are used to manipulate the club: hold onto the club, rotate the wrists, or release the club.

All of the advice that is given is used to get the hands, arms, or body to perform specific motions and thus get the golf club to behave in a specific way.  The club’s face angle, open or closed in relation to the swing path, is used to control the curve of the ball.  The following describes how to to control the club’s face angle.

Fade

Aim to the left of the target.  As the bottom of the right calf is “bouncing” down, feel the bottom outside corner of the palm pad of the right index finger stretch to the left.  As the hands are snapping down, feel the bottom outside of the palm pad “bounce” to the left.  This causes the club head to stay open during the down swing to produce a fade.

Draw

Aim at the target.  As the bottom of the right calf is “bouncing” down, feel the top outside corner of the palm pad of the right index finger stretch to the inside.  As the hands are snapping down, feel the top outside corner of the palm pad “bounce” to the inside.  This causes the club head to close during the down swing to produce a draw.

Straight Shot

Ben Hogan once said, “Jesus Christ can’t hit a golf ball straight.  It’s virtually impossible—at best it’s an accident.  Besides, you give yourself much more margin for error by maneuvering your shots one way or the other.  Much more control.”  Enough said.  Spend your time to develop a fade and a draw.

The best chance to hit a straight shot is as the outside of the ball of the left foot is dropping down, feel the inside of the tip of the little fingers stretch up.  As the hands are snapping down, feel the inside of the tip of the little fingers “bounce” up.  This does not guarantee a straight shot.  The ball can either curve or go straight depending on the subconscious engagement of the hands, the fingers, or the legs.    

There are many ways to make the ball curve.  The method of using the palm pad of the right index finger is a simple way to cause the arms and the body to automatically react during the down swing to produce a fade or a draw.

Experiment with making swings to hit a draw, fade, or straight shot.  The intent is to discover which shot shape can be done consistently to put the ball in the fairway.

This also shows how a very slight change in the hands or fingers can affect the shot shape.  When the golfer is anxious or worries about hitting a golf shot, it is very common to create random movements of the hands during the golf shot.  This is one reason why golf is such a difficult game.

Lee Trevino’s Method

Here is a video of Lee Trevino explaining his method to curve the ball: