[Mike O]

Many of my shots are weak fades/slices. But from time to time I feel that I have made a good shot. It's long and straight. But the divots go out to left as usual - maybe as much as 20-30 degrees. Why does then the shot go straight? What determines whether a shot is a slice or straight when swing path is the same? I'm not talking about pulls - that I understand - it's the straight one that puzzle me.

Air,
First congratulations - posting at a 3.79 posts per day - clip - that's Ted Williams type stuff - even Bucket's a mere 1.91 post per day - at this rate you'll be LBG Hall of Fame material!

Air,
As long as the clubface "horizontal" alignment i.e. taking the loft out of the equation (we know that there is going to be backspin) and the clubhead path are on the line of compression - you'll hit a straight shot. If you've played the ball back far enough in your stance - "up plane" - then you'd need to have the plane line well left of the target line - in order to produce that straight shot.

Let's assume that the hinge action is "dual horizontal" - let's assume you're using a Sandwedge. Let's assume from a clubshaft parallel to the ground until the clubshaft has reached low point that the clubface closes 90 degrees - like a door. Now let's assume that the orbit length for that clubhead is 45 inches - from that parallel clubshaft halfway down location to that vertical clubshaft at lowpoint - Every inch of travel allows 2 degrees of clubface closing. Say you impact the ball 9 inches before low point - then your face is pointing 18 degrees right of target - the only way to hit that straight at the target is to have an open plane line. Hence, your straight shot at the target - with a divot 16 -18 degrees left of target. Completely legit - appropriate - and correct. Moral of the story- a divot well left of target isn't always a bad thing.