Finding out the cause of a fault in your swing is much easier if you develop an understanding of how the clubface strikes the ball.

If you spray the ball to all points of the compass, don't simply curse your luck and move on. Ask yourself why your shots fly off target.

You can strike a golf ball in nine different ways - some desirable, others disastrous. Whatever you intend with your shot, one of those nine is sure to dictate its flight path.

When you can assess precisely which one of the nine is responsible for each shot, you find the root of any swing problem more quickly.

The two vital factors in deciding the ball's fate after impact are your swing path and the clubface position at impact - assuming that you strike with the centre of the clubface.

The immediate direction of the ball is caused by the swing path of the club. Its direction for the rest of the shot is determined by the angle of the clubface at impact – open closed or square - in relation to the ball-to-target line.

Hit straight first

The greatest golfers play with different styles, but they all agree on one point: the hardest shot in golf is the straight one.

For this reason, some draw the ball, others prefer to fade - but very few set out to play straight. To rely on consistent straight hitting is risky.

Straight hitting is hard because golf balls are designed to take up spin - it helps them to rise, to stop and to roll. Sidespin is also easy to apply. If you apply the correct amount of sidespin - by changing your alignment-you fade and draw the ball. Too much sidespin causes a slice or a hook.

Set your mind on hitting the ball straight before you start working on draws and fades. Concentrate on achieving an in-to-in path with a square clubface at impact by setting up parallel to the ball-to-target line.

There's a small margin of difference between a deliberate fade and a damaging slice. Only when you know how to take sidespin off the ball can you add it intentionally.